SchoolsInfo

Private schools in Cumbria (2026)

8 fee-paying schools, 5 taking boarders, listed by A level results where the school publishes them, then by name.

Schools
8
fee-paying
Boarding
5
take boarders
Publish A levels
3
16 to 18 results
Typical day fee
£4,473
a term before VAT (North West, ISC 2026)
Filter these schools →All of England
SchoolAgesA level
Austin Friars
Carlisle · Co-ed · Day · Roman Catholic
3–18B
Sedbergh School
Sedbergh · Co-ed · Boarding · Church of England
13–19B-
Lime House School
Carlisle · Co-ed · Boarding
7–18C
Casterton, Sedbergh Preparatory School
Casterton · Co-ed · Boarding
2–13—
Hunter Hall School
Penrith · Co-ed · Day
2–11—
Moorfield Learning Centre
Barrow-in-Furness · Co-ed · Day
5–18—
St Bees School
St Bees · Co-ed · Boarding
11–18—
Windermere School
Windermere · Co-ed · Boarding
3–20—

Not a ranking. Fee-paying schools do not sit the same tests as state schools: many take IGCSEs, which the government's GCSE tables leave out, so we list them by their average A level grade where they report it (Department for Education 16 to 18 results) and then by name. Many fee-paying schools do not report A levels, so a dash does not mean poor results. Fee income per pupil is the school's income from fees in its latest Charity Commission accounts divided by its pupils: a guide to cost, not the fee list, and only shown where the charity runs that one school. Inspections: Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) or Ofsted.

Questions

What are the best private schools in Cumbria?

By average A level grade: Austin Friars (B), Sedbergh School (B-), Lime House School (C). Not every school publishes A levels, so look at inspection reports and visit too.

How many private schools are there in Cumbria?

8 mainstream fee-paying schools, 5 of them taking boarders.

How much do private schools in Cumbria cost?

As a guide, the Independent Schools Council's 2026 census puts the average day school fee in North West at £4,473 a term (about £16,100 a year with VAT) and the average boarding fee at £13,572 a term, before VAT. Individual schools charge more or less than this, and more for older pupils: each school's website gives its fee list.

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