Storth CofE School

Storth CofE School is a small, close-knit Church of England village school where pupils are happy, safe and well supported. Inspectors found strong provision in early years and personal development and wellbeing, with children making a strong start, including in the new two-year-old class, and pupils benefiting from a broad programme that builds community links, confidence, resilience and wider opportunities. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is at the expected standard in achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, and leadership and governance, meaning it is meeting the standards expected of it overall. The main strengths are the knowledgeable early years leadership, effective phonics and mathematics teaching, a broad and engaging curriculum, strong pastoral and SEND support, good behaviour and generally positive attendance. Leaders, governors and staff work well together, and relationships with parents and the community are a notable feature. Pupils, including those with SEND, access the curriculum and make progress. Areas for development are that some pupils' handwriting is not fluent or accurate enough to record ideas easily, and leaders' analysis of attendance information and some other aspects of school work is not detailed enough to identify and address trends quickly. National data also shows disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics, with a large disadvantage gap, although the school reports that current pupils, including those with SEND, are progressing steadily. The next steps focus on improving handwriting and sharpening leaders' analysis and oversight.

Strengths

• Highly knowledgeable early years leadership ensures a seamless start for two-year-olds.
• Strong early years curriculum builds key foundations from entry to Reception.
• Communication and language development is prioritised, helping children gain vocabulary and confidence.
• Phonics and early mathematics are taught consistently well.
• Children, including those facing barriers, make progress across the early years curriculum.
• Personal development and wellbeing programme is coherent and rooted in the village context.
• Pupils learn values such as democracy, respect and social justice.
• Pupils are confident, resilient and behave thoughtfully.
• Older pupils look out for younger pupils.
• Pupils are fully involved in the cultural life of the village and wider area.
• Pupils develop a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including online and water safety.
• Leaders anticipate pastoral needs and provide effective support.
• Pupils are well prepared for life beyond school.
• Pupils read with confidence and fluency across the curriculum.
• Pupils apply mathematical skills in other subjects.
• Pupils with SEND progress steadily through the curriculum.
• Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.
• Attendance is above average for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Leaders use positive relationships to support behaviour and emotional wellbeing.
• Pupils behave well, and low-level misbehaviour is dealt with quickly.
• The curriculum is broad, engaging and generally taught well.
• Staff teach phonics consistently and ensure key vocabulary is learned.
• Teachers check understanding and correct misconceptions quickly.
• Outdoor learning and the local area are used well.
• Inclusion culture identifies and responds to barriers accurately.
• Leaders ensure pupils known to social care receive needed support.
• Leaders use additional funding to help pupils catch up in early reading and mathematics.
• Governors meet statutory duties and provide appropriate challenge and support.
• Staff report high levels of support for wellbeing and workload.
• Leaders prioritise parent engagement and community integration.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils' handwriting lacks fluency and accuracy, making it harder for them to record ideas with ease.
• Leaders' analysis of attendance information is not well defined, so trends and patterns in absence can go unnoticed.
• Leaders' oversight of some aspects of school work lacks detail, limiting swift identification of improvement priorities.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is below national averages, with a large disadvantage gap.
• Published 2025 reading attainment was below national average, though current pupils read confidently and fluently.

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 Storth CofE School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.8% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Storth CofE 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 Storth CofE School had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 11.4% of pupils at Storth CofE School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 10.2% 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 Storth CofE School received £8,906 and spent £9,488 for each of its 88 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £121,000 (-£1,379 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

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What is Storth CofE School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Storth CofE School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Storth CofE School last inspected by Ofsted?

Storth CofE School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Storth CofE School have?

Storth CofE School has 88 pupils on roll.

What age range does Storth CofE School cover?

Storth CofE School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Storth CofE School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Storth CofE School?

Storth CofE School is at Storth Road, Storth, Milnthorpe, Cumbria, LA7 7JA.