What schools serve Carlisle?

There are 56 schools in Carlisle, Cumberland, including Gillford Centre, Armathwaite School, Bewcastle School, Burgh by Sands School, Cummersdale School and more. You can view each school's catchment area guidance and admissions policy on catchment.school.

How many primary and secondary schools are in Carlisle?

Carlisle has 45 primary schools and 5 secondary schools. There are also 6 other schools (such as all-through or special schools) in the area. All data is sourced from the Department for Education's GIAS register.

How do I find out if my address is in a school's catchment area in Carlisle?

To check whether your address falls within a school's catchment area in Carlisle, use the postcode search tool at catchment.school. Catchment area boundaries for Carlisle schools are set by Cumberland and reviewed each year. You can also consult the school's admissions policy or contact the Cumberland admissions team directly for the most up-to-date boundary maps.

Who sets catchment area boundaries for schools in Carlisle?

Catchment area boundaries for schools in Carlisle are set by Cumberland as the admissions authority. Community and voluntary-controlled schools follow the council's published admissions policy, while academies and voluntary-aided schools may set their own. Boundaries are reviewed annually and published each September for the following academic year.

Schools in Carlisle

Reviewed by the catchment.school editorial team · Last updated 15 March 2026

Carlisle is the main city of Cumberland - the unitary authority created in 2023 - and its 56 state schools include 45 primaries serving both urban neighbourhoods and a wide rural hinterland extending towards the Scottish border. Cumberland Council coordinates admissions and sets catchment areas, which are reviewed annually.

The large geographic catchment means some village primaries feed into secondary schools in Carlisle city, requiring families to plan transport carefully. Carlisle has three grammar schools that operate selective admissions across Cumberland and the surrounding area, so families should register for the 11-plus test separately if considering selective secondary education.

School demand in Carlisle

Across the 54 schools in Carlisle with published capacity data, the average fill rate is 86%. 14 of them are currently at or above their published admission number, and at those schools catchment distance is likely to decide places at the next intake.

19 schools in Carlisle have a religious character, so faith criteria sit alongside catchment distance in their admissions policies.

16 of the schools in Carlisle are academies that set their own admissions criteria independently of Cumberland, so check each school's policy directly rather than assuming the council default applies.

21 of the schools in Carlisle have a current Ofsted rating, of which 21 are rated Good or Outstanding. Demand and catchment distance tend to be tightest at the highest-rated schools.

Primary schools in Carlisle: 12 oversubscribed (45)

Armathwaite School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA4 9PW

Ages 3-11 71 pupils Capacity 80

Bewcastle School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA6 6PF

Ages 3-11 14 pupils Capacity 56

Burgh by Sands School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA5 6AP

Ages 3-11 92 pupils Capacity 120

Cummersdale School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA2 6BD

Ages 4-11 105 pupils Capacity 105

Cumwhinton School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA4 8DU

Ages 4-11 193 pupils Capacity 210

Great Orton Primary School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA5 6NA

Ages 4-11 33 pupils Capacity 70

Irthington Village School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA6 4NJ

Ages 3-11 59 pupils Capacity 85

Stoneraise School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA5 7AT

Ages 3-11 176 pupils Capacity 160

Thursby Primary School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA5 6PN

Ages 3-11 107 pupils Capacity 140

Inglewood Junior School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA1 3QA

Ages 7-11 256 pupils Capacity 360

Inglewood Infant School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA1 3LX

Ages 2-7 254 pupils Capacity 348

Norman Street Primary School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA1 2BQ

Ages 4-11 354 pupils Capacity 350

Newlaithes Junior School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA2 6DX

Ages 7-11 237 pupils Capacity 240

Newlaithes Infant School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA2 6DX

Ages 3-7 207 pupils Capacity 180

Belle Vue Primary School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA2 7PT

Ages 4-11 428 pupils Capacity 420

Kingmoor Junior School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA3 0DU

Ages 7-11 348 pupils Capacity 300

Kingmoor Nursery and Infant School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA3 0ES

Ages 3-7 293 pupils Capacity 322

Brook Street Primary School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA1 2JB

Ages 3-11 227 pupils Capacity 270

Robert Ferguson Primary School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA2 5LA

Ages 3-11 424 pupils Capacity 420

Upperby Primary School

Primary · Community school

Carlisle · CA2 4JT

Ages 3-11 349 pupils Capacity 420