Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School
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Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School is a converter academy in Morpeth for boys and girls aged 9 to 13. It has 184 pupils and room for 240. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 93% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.
Silverton Lane, Rothbury, Morpeth, NE65 7RJ01669 620287dtms.cheviotlt.co.ukMr Liam Murtagh headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 6 July 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
47 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018† | 2017† | Northumberland | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 47 | 46 | 51 | 60 | 49 | 57 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 77% | 67% | 67% | 72% | 82% | 79% | 60% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 6% | 9% | 16% | 17% | 10% | 14% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 106.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 107.0 | 107.0 | 104.5 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 106.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 106.0 | 108.0 | 107.0 | 103.6 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 103.0 | 105.0 | 106.0 | 103.0 | 108.0 | 106.0 | 103.7 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 81% | 83% | 78% | 78% | 88% | 84% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 89% | 74% | 82% | 82% | 94% | 93% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 85% | 83% | 86% | 88% | 86% | 81% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -0.1 | +2.2 | +1.8 | +2.1 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -1.1 | +1.8 | +3.5 | +2.3 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | 40% | 20% | 64% | 63% | 83% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | 75% | 78% | 74% | 85% | 78% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
† These results are for Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School, the school this one replaced in April 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
Northumberland council has drawn an official catchment area for this school. You can see it on the map below; it covers about 474 square kilometres. Living inside it moves your child up the queue when there are more applicants than places. It doesn't guarantee a place: the council's admissions rules decide the order.
Set your home postcode at the top of the page to see whether you live inside it.
63 places were empty (24% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 10% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Northumberland council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
What a home inside the catchment costs
Every home sold inside the council's catchment area, of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (16), Specific learning difficulty (12), language and communications needs (8), Moderate learning difficulty (7), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Hearing impairment (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 184 | 193 | 193 | 214 | 218 | 232 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 15% | 11% | 10% | 13% | 9% | 10% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% | 0% | 2% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 17% | 14% | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 6% | 4% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 4.3% | 4.6% | 5.1% | 5.8% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.3% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 4.5% | 2.4% | 3.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 4.6% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.8% | 6.0% | 6.9% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 6.7 | 1.6 | 4.2 | 1.8 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rothbury First School | Council | 900 m | 94 | No overall grade 2024 | 92 | Compare |
| Thropton Village First School | Academy | 2.1 miles | 36 | Good 2022 | 54 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School with the 43 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 43 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 66 to 89. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 0% | no data | – | |
| Ofsted inspection | 17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.04 | Ofsted grade, 4.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 0% | no data | – | |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | above | +0.14 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well above | +0.38 | 2024/25; 198 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 0% | no data | – | |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 93% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 66 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School good at its last full inspection on 6 July 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 77% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School have?
184 pupils aged 9 to 13 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 240 places, so it is 77% full.
Is Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 63 places were empty in 2024/25 (24% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School?
Pupils were in school 95.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School?
The average class had 23.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. No class had more than 30 pupils.
Does Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Silverton Lane, Rothbury, Morpeth, NE65 7RJ
- Telephone
- 01669 620287
- Website
- www.dtms.cheviotlt.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Liam Murtagh
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Middle school, ages 9-13
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England, Diocese of Newcastle
- Multi-academy trust
- Cheviot Learning Trust (18 schools)
- Local authority
- Northumberland
- Ward
- Rothbury
- Constituency
- North Northumberland
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 April 2018 (academy converter)
- URN
- 145639 · LAESTAB 9294802 · UKPRN 10067248
- Formerly
- Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Catchment area: Northumberland council open data (Open Government Licence), reprojected to WGS84.
- House prices: HM Land Registry price paid data, December 2023 to December 2025, placed by postcode.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.