Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, Skelmersdale
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Skelmersdale. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. It was 43% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- 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 Lancashire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School in detail
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am extremely proud to be the Headteacher of UpHolland Roby Mill C of E Primary School and I would strongly encourage you to make an appointment to meet us in person and see for yourself our wonderful school."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, tennis, basketball, drama, cooking, eco club and book club.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 5 families put Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School as their first choice and 23 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.
Admissions history and your chances at Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School are St Teresa's Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 88% reading, 96% maths); St Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 84% reading, 84% maths); Holland Moor Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 84% reading, 86% maths); and Hillside Community Primary School (1.6 miles, Good, 65% reading, 70% maths).
St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolSt Thomas the Martyr Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary SchoolHolland Moor Primary SchoolHillside Community Primary School
Who goes there
16.7% 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, 8 pupils (26.7%) received SEN support and 2 (6.7%) 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
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School had 2 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gathurst Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Farley Lane (by), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 9 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, weapons possession and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).
Suspensions and exclusions
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
16.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
15.0
Avg class size
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School
Term dates
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided 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
Check free transport to Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided 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
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 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 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 Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School
Will you get a place at Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided 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 Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided 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
43%
Available places
24 pupils
56 places
32 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(9)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
8
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
33.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
30
Total Pupils
12
Boys
18
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
2
Teachers
15.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
2026 data
School Funding
£14,918
Per pupil
£345k
Total funding
£8k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.7%
Overall absence
28.6%
Persistent absence
21
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
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School
Questions parents ask about Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School
What is Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided 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 Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 43% of its 56 places.
How big are the classes at Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Classes at Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School average 15 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School has around 30 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?
8.7% of sessions were missed at Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School in 2024/25. 28.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Apply through Lancashire's coordinated admissions process, naming Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided 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 Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 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 Lancashire is 12 (the median across 707 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School?
Upholland Roby Mill CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School is at School Lane, Roby Mill, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, WN8 0QR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)