Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Lancaster
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Lancaster. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2024 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 24 schools in Lancaster with published results, and 3,886th of 13,912 across England. It was 38% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "We are a small rural primary school with great facilities, dedicated and caring and staff and a supportive community. Our children are caring and thoughtful and look after each other. Our pupils are taught in 2 classes with at least 2 members of staff in each class."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2024, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 73% in Lancashire and 76% and 74% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 5 families put Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 8 named it as one of their preferences, for 5 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 Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Bentham Community Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 86% reading, 62% maths); Wray with Botton Endowed Primary School (3.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 70% maths); Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School (4.9 miles, Requires improvement, 64% reading, 55% maths); and Melling St Wilfrid Church of England Primary School (5 miles, Good, 50% reading, 83% maths).
Bentham Community Primary SchoolWray with Botton Endowed Primary SchoolHornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary SchoolMelling St Wilfrid Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
3.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 4 pupils (14.3%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 3 teachers in 2026, one for every 7 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Bentham Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lothlorien (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from November 2018, 7 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 November 2018 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
3.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2023/24KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2023/24 academic year
Class Sizes
14.5
Avg class size
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Term dates
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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)
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 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 Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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
38%
Available places
21 pupils
56 places
35 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Lancaster
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Lancaster
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
4
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
14.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
28
Total Pupils
17
Boys
11
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
3
Teachers
9.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,109
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£14,782
Per pupil
£334k
Total funding
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
9.5%
Persistent absence
21
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2024 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 38% of its 56 places.
How big are the classes at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 14.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 28 pupils on roll. 4% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 9.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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.
What are Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's term dates?
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Lancashire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Tatham Fells Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Lowgill, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA2 8RA.
Sources: Lancashire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)