Millom School

Millom School is a small secondary school that is performing securely overall, with leaders judged to be working at the expected standard across most areas and at a strong standard for inclusion. Safeguarding requirements are met. Pupils are happy, feel safe and behave well in a calm environment. The school knows its pupils well and is highly effective at supporting disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, including through early identification, well-targeted support and access to a wide enrichment offer. Published outcomes are broadly in line with national averages at the end of Year 11, and most pupils move on to appropriate education, employment or training. The main area of concern is the post-16 provision, which needs attention. Sixth-form attainment is below national averages, A-level value added is negative, and teaching is not consistently using activities that deepen students' knowledge. Leaders have identified this and are taking action, but impact is not yet evident. There are also gaps in provision for some pupils because teachers do not always check learning closely enough to identify misconceptions. Attendance has improved and is broadly national, but disadvantaged pupils remain more likely to be persistently absent, limiting their access to learning.

Strengths

• Inclusive culture where every pupil is known, included and valued.
• Early identification of SEND and disadvantaged pupils' needs, with effective support plans.
• Highly effective use of pupil premium and specialist advice to remove barriers to learning.
• Strong communication with parents and staff about pupils' changing needs.
• Vulnerable pupils access a wide enrichment offer and participate fully in school life.
• Pupils achieve well across most of the curriculum and are well prepared for next steps.
• Calm, purposeful lessons with little low-level disruption and positive pupil relationships.
• Leaders have improved attendance and reduced suspensions over time.
• Broad, balanced and logically ordered curriculum reflects pupils' needs and local community.
• Effective personal development, careers education and pastoral support.
• Governance provides appropriate challenge and support with clear focus on achievement.
• Staff feel well supported and value professional development and workload management.
• Pupils feel safe and confident that staff respond promptly to bullying or concerns.
• Post-16 students contribute positively and most progress to suitable destinations.

Areas for Improvement

• Post-16 attainment is below national averages.
• A-level value added is negative and below national.
• Teaching in post-16 does not consistently use learning activities that deepen students' knowledge.
• Teachers do not always check learning closely enough, allowing gaps and misconceptions to persist.
• Some pupils develop gaps in learning that hinder later progress.
• Attendance remains low for some vulnerable groups, especially disadvantaged pupils who are persistently absent.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes show a large gap compared with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally in English and maths.
• Leaders' actions to improve post-16 achievement are at an early stage with impact not yet seen.

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 School attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 9.2% of pupils at Millom School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 School had 14.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 5.3% of pupils at Millom School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Millom School received £8,472 and spent £9,439 for each of its 476 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £1,246,000 (-£2,617 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 School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Millom School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Millom School last inspected by Ofsted?

Millom School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Millom School have?

Millom School has 476 pupils on roll.

What age range does Millom School cover?

Millom School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Millom School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.5, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Millom School?

Millom School is at Salthouse Road, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 5AB.