St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Skelmersdale
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Skelmersdale. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 18 schools in Skelmersdale with published results, and 3,885th of 14,452 across England. It was 87% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 84% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 74% in Lancashire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 74% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 39 named it as one of their preferences, for 23 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 St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School are St Teresa's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 88% reading, 96% maths); Holland Moor Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 84% reading, 86% maths); Moorside Community Primary Academy School (0.9 miles, Good, 66% reading, 79% maths); and Orrell Holgate Academy (1 mile, Good, 93% reading, 90% maths).
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolHolland Moor Primary SchoolMoorside Community Primary Academy SchoolOrrell Holgate Academy
Who goes there
6.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School had 12 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Upholland Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mayfield Road (by), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 40 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School issued 2 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School are Up Holland High School (1.1 miles) and St Peter's Catholic High School (1.2 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from March 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2013 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
25.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 74% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 74% to 84% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 74% to 92% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.9
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
25.3
KS2
8
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
Term dates
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lancashire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School is in Lancashire; for families living there:
- Lancashire's school travel policy: school transport policies
- How to apply: Apply for free home to school transport assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 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 St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lancashire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lancashire 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
87%
Available places
183 pupils
210 places
27 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Skelmersdale
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Skelmersdale
Across Lancashire council
Places available
15,442
Applications
12,122
Got 1st preference
91.3%
Got preferred school
98.3%
All primary applications across Lancashire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
34
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
20.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
211
Total Pupils
107
Boys
104
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,264
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,636
Per pupil
£1188k
Total funding
£83k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
13.6%
Persistent absence
162
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% reached the expected standard in reading and 84% did so in maths.
What is St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Lancashire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 87% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School average 24.9 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School has around 211 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 13.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School?
St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School is at Highgate Road, Up Holland, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 0HX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)