Milburn School, Penrith
Milburn School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Penrith. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. It was 54% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Westmorland and Furness (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Milburn School in detail
Milburn School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis, STEM, art and sewing.
The school runs after-school care.
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Milburn School
For September 2026 entry, 3 families put Milburn School as their first choice and 4 named it as one of their preferences, for 3 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Milburn School are Kirkby Thore School (2.4 miles); Culgaith CofE School (2.7 miles, Good, 78% reading, 78% maths); Long Marton School (3 miles, Good, 46% reading, 46% maths); and Temple Sowerby CofE Primary School (3.1 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths).
Kirkby Thore SchoolCulgaith CofE SchoolLong Marton SchoolTemple Sowerby CofE Primary School
What parents say
13 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Milburn School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 5 pupils (26.3%) received SEN support and 3 (15.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Staffing
Milburn School had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 4 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Milburn School.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Keld House (near), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 0 crimes within a mile of the school. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11).
Suspensions and exclusions
Milburn School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2015, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Some aspects are not as strong as at the last graded inspection.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Milburn School is a warm and nurturing environment where children thrive. The school excels at supporting pupils with additional needs through tailored help, and offers rich learning experiences through outdoor activities and city visits that broaden children's understanding of the world. Staff know pupils well and build strong relationships that help children develop confidence and resilience.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on early reading with well-trained staff delivering phonics effectively
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, with tailored help and curriculum adaptations
- High-quality wider development opportunities including outdoor activities, city visits, and sailing
- Calm, orderly atmosphere with strong relationships between staff and pupils
- Strong attendance culture built on positive relationships with families
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum not carefully sequenced in some subjects, making it harder for pupils to build on prior learning
- Some teaching activities do not effectively reinforce key knowledge, leaving pupils insecure before moving to new topics
- Inconsistent delivery of curriculum in some subjects despite teachers having strong subject knowledge
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Forest activities, outdoor and adventurous activities, sailing, city visits to London and Manchester
Milburn School is a small, happy and nurturing primary school where pupils arrive eager to learn and feel safe and valued. Evidence suggests some aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the previous inspection, with the next inspection being a graded inspection.
At a Glance
21.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
13 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
4.8
Avg class size
3.0
Infant (KS1)
6.0
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Milburn School
Term dates
Milburn School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Westmorland and Furness. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 16 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Thursday 20 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Milburn School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Milburn School is in Westmorland and Furness; for families living there:
- Westmorland and Furness's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy 2027 to 2028 (Reception to Year 11)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Milburn School
Will you get a place at Milburn School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Milburn School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Milburn School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Milburn School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Westmorland and Furness, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Milburn School for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 entry.
- How many families in Westmorland and Furness got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
54%
Available places
15 pupils
28 places
13 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Penrith
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Penrith
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,590
Applications
1,692
Got 1st preference
96.1%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(12)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
5
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
42.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
19
Total Pupils
14
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
4.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,866
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£19,302
Per pupil
£295k
Total funding
£5k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.0%
Overall absence
21.4%
Persistent absence
14
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Milburn School
What is Milburn School's Ofsted rating?
Milburn School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Milburn School?
No fixed boundary. When Milburn School is oversubscribed, Westmorland and Furness allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Milburn School?
Milburn School was not full in 2025: it ran at 54% of its 28 places.
How big are the classes at Milburn School?
Classes at Milburn School average 4.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Milburn School?
Milburn School has around 19 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Milburn School?
9% of sessions were missed at Milburn School in 2024/25. 21.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Milburn School?
Apply through Westmorland and Furness's coordinated admissions process, naming Milburn School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Milburn School's term dates?
Milburn School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Westmorland and Furness. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 16 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Thursday 20 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Milburn School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Milburn School?
Milburn School is at Milburn, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1TN.
Sources: Westmorland and Furness term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)