Thwaites School, Millom
Thwaites School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Millom. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 5 schools in Millom with published results, and 13,336th of 14,452 across England. It was 54% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Cumberland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Thwaites School in detail
Thwaites School in its own words
In its own words: "Please see the list on the left or hover the cursor over the heading 'About Us' for all related pages."
From the headteacher's welcome: "It is a privilege to be the Headteacher of our friendly and ambitious village school. Over recent years, our children, staff, governors and families have worked tremendously hard to strengthen every aspect of school life."
The school runs after-school care, from £3 per session.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 57% of Year 6 pupils at Thwaites School reached the expected standard in reading and 57% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 70% in Cumberland and 77% and 75% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Thwaites School
For September 2026 entry, 3 families put Thwaites School as their first choice and 11 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 Thwaites School are Broughton CofE Primary and Nursery School (2.5 miles, Good, 88% reading, 75% maths); St James' Catholic Primary School (3.3 miles, Good, 75% reading, 79% maths); Black Combe Junior School (3.5 miles, Requires improvement, 78% reading, 89% maths); and Millom Infant School (3.5 miles, Inadequate).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Thwaites School.
Broughton CofE Primary and Nursery SchoolSt James' Catholic Primary SchoolBlack Combe Junior SchoolMillom Infant School
Who goes there
0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 2 pupils (7.1%) received SEN support and 2 (7.1%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Thwaites School had 4 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Annes Church (adjacent), 120 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 Cumberland (22).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Thwaites School issued 3 suspensions, 8.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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
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 · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This small school creates a warm, supportive environment where children thrive and feel genuinely cared for. Teachers know pupils well and use this to help them achieve academically while building confidence and independence. The school offers exceptional opportunities for personal development, including memorable trips and residential visits that broaden pupils' horizons and prepare them well for secondary school.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional personal development programme with meaningful trips and residential experiences that prepare pupils exceptionally well for life in modern Britain
- Strong teaching of early reading and phonics, with most pupils gaining the knowledge they need to become confident readers
- Caring, close-knit school community where pupils feel safe, supported and happy
- Wide range of clubs and leadership opportunities that build pupils' confidence and independence
- Effective behaviour management with calm, orderly classrooms and a reward system that motivates pupils
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum in some subjects lacks clear sequencing of key knowledge, affecting how well pupils build on prior learning
- Staff do not have sufficient information about pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, limiting how well they can support these pupils in lessons
- Some pupils with additional needs are not receiving adequate support to keep up with their peers
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with clear systems and an open, positive culture that prioritises pupils' interests.
Extracurricular Activities
Art, Taskmaster, dance, dodgeball, library monitors, school council, camping, residential visits, forest trips, river visits, beach trips, mosque and temple visits
Thwaites School is a small, rural primary school that has improved significantly since its last inspection. It offers a caring environment where pupils feel supported and achieve well, with particular strengths in personal development.
At a Glance
21.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
11.0
Avg class size
9.0
KS2
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Thwaites School
Term dates
Thwaites School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cumberland. 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 Thwaites School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Thwaites School is in Cumberland; for families living there:
- Cumberland's school travel policy: Step by step guide of the Home to School Travel Assistance Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 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 Thwaites School
Will you get a place at Thwaites School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Thwaites School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Thwaites School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Thwaites School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Cumberland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Thwaites School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Cumberland 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
30 pupils
56 places
26 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Millom
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Millom
Across Cumberland council
Places available
3,537
Applications
2,352
Got 1st preference
98.2%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Cumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
2
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
12
Boys
16
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
4
Teachers
7.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£44,803
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£11,865
Per pupil
£382k
Total funding
£12k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
6.7%
Persistent absence
30
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Thwaites School
What are SATs results like at Thwaites School?
Of the pupils at Thwaites School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 57% reached the expected standard in reading and 57% did so in maths.
What is Thwaites School's Ofsted rating?
Thwaites School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Thwaites School?
No fixed boundary. When Thwaites School is oversubscribed, Cumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Thwaites School?
Thwaites School was not full in 2025: it ran at 54% of its 56 places.
How big are the classes at Thwaites School?
Classes at Thwaites School average 11 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Thwaites School?
Thwaites School has around 28 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Thwaites School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Thwaites School in 2024/25. 6.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Thwaites School?
Apply through Cumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Thwaites 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 Thwaites School's term dates?
Thwaites School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Cumberland. 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 Thwaites School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Cumberland is 5 (the median across 179 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Thwaites School?
Thwaites School is at Hallthwaites, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 5HP.
Sources: Cumberland term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)