Millom Infant School

A monitoring inspection in July 2026 found that Millom Infant School remains in special measures, with serious weaknesses in achievement and leadership and governance still not eradicated. Safeguarding standards are met, and personal development remains a clear strength, but many key stage 1 pupils do not achieve well across the curriculum. The school is small, has above-average free school meals eligibility, serves a deprived area, and has experienced considerable leadership disruption in recent years. There are signs of improvement. Early years provision is stronger, with a clearer curriculum, better environments and children better prepared for Year 1. Early reading and phonics are more secure, recent actions are beginning to support handwriting and spelling, and attendance work has started. Staff morale is positive, relationships with families are strong, and pupils benefit from a well-organised personal development programme. However, achievement remains an urgent concern, especially for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. Gaps in mathematics, writing and foundation subjects are not closing quickly enough, curriculum delivery and assessment remain variable, and pupils' needs are not identified or supported consistently well. Leadership capacity is insufficient, governors' oversight is at an early stage, and leaders remain too reliant on external partners to secure rapid, sustainable improvement.

Strengths

• Well-organised personal development programme helps pupils learn safety, health, feelings and British values
• Pupils learn kindness, fairness and right from wrong and consider the impact of their choices
• All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, can access clubs and school trips
• Strong community links, including care home visits and local events, build confidence and pride
• Warm staff-pupil relationships create a caring and safe school culture
• Pupils report that bullying is rare and staff respond promptly to concerns
• Leaders act swiftly when discrimination or harmful behaviour arises
• Early reading and phonics teaching is more secure and helps pupils gain fluency
• Early years provision has improved through a clearer curriculum, better environments and purposeful training
• Children are now better prepared for Year 1, including children with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Recent actions are beginning to improve pupils' handwriting and spelling
• Staff morale is positive and governors consider staff workload and wellbeing
• The breakfast club provides a calm and supportive start to the day

Areas for Improvement

• The school remains in special measures and serious weaknesses have not been eradicated
• Many key stage 1 pupils do not achieve well across the curriculum
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils are particularly affected by weak achievement
• Pupils who fall behind, especially in mathematics, do not catch up
• Pupils lack secure recall of basic number facts
• Many pupils have wide gaps in subjects beyond English and mathematics
• Pupils are not ready for their move into key stage 2
• Leaders do not have a full understanding of curriculum quality or teaching
• Curriculum delivery remains variable and assessment is not used well to match work to pupils' needs
• Gaps in writing and mathematics are not identified or addressed well enough
• Some teachers miss important errors in pupils' work
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are not identified accurately and support is inconsistent or late
• Some staff lack the expertise to adapt teaching to meet different needs
• Oversight of additional support is variable outside reading
• Attendance remains below the national average and some pupils miss too much school
• Attendance improvements are relatively new and have not had a sustained impact across groups
• A small number of pupils occasionally disrupt learning when work does not meet their needs
• Governors' oversight processes are at a very early stage and do not provide effective challenge
• Leaders are too reliant on external partners and leadership capacity is insufficient
• Early years delivery remains inconsistent, so some children do not progress as well as they could
• It is too early to determine the impact of professional development across the school

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Millom Infant School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Millom Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Millom Infant School had 25.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.0% of pupils at Millom Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Millom Infant School received £11,046 and spent £10,696 for each of its 50 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £105,000 (-£2,093 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Millom · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Millom Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Millom Infant School is Urgent improvement, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Millom Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Millom Infant School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Millom Infant School have?

Millom Infant School has 50 pupils on roll.

What age range does Millom Infant School cover?

Millom Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Millom Infant School?

Millom Infant School is at Lapstone Road, Millom Infant School, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 4LP.