Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School
Silverton Lane, Rothbury, Morpeth, NE65 7RJ
- Phase
- Middle deemed secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 9 to 13
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- CHEVIOT LEARNING TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Liam Murtagh
- Diocese
- Diocese of Newcastle
- Sponsor
- Cheviot Learning Trust
- Constituency
- North Northumberland
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 240
- Pupils on roll
- 184
- URN
- 145639
- Local authority
- Northumberland
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01669620287
About this school
Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School is a Church of England middle academy in Morpeth. It teaches children aged 9 to 13 and has 184 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 6 July 2022, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 51 | 46 | 47 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 67% | 67% | 77% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 16% | 9% | 6% |
| Expected standard in reading | 78% | 83% | 81% |
| Expected standard in maths | 82% | 74% | 89% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 86% | 74% | 74% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 107.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 105.0 | 104.0 | 106.0 |
| Reading progress | -0.10 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.00 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.10 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Northumberland average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 67% | 54.6% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 67% | 52.9% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 77% | 56% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.6% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 214 |
| 2023/24 | 193 |
| 2024/25 | 193 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School compares
Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School ranked 12th of 72 primary schools in Northumberland for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 82% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 79% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 77% | 4.3% | 11.4% | 184 | — |
| Morpeth Newminster Middle School | 54% | 6.2% | 12.4% | 521 | 12.2 miles |
| Morpeth Chantry Middle School | 76% | 6% | 14.8% | 525 | 12.2 miles |
| Rothbury First School | — | 3.8% | 20.8% | 94 | 0.6 miles |
| Thropton Village First School | — | 4.6% | 3% | 36 | 2.1 miles |
| Swarland Primary School | 83% | 3.6% | 1.2% | 76 | 6.5 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 11.4%
- English as an additional language
- 0.5%
- Overall absence
- 4.29%
- Persistent absence
- 4.55%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Morpeth Newminster Middle School12.2 miles
Middle deemed secondary · Morpeth
-
Morpeth Chantry Middle School12.2 miles
Middle deemed secondary · Morpeth
-
Rothbury First School0.6 miles
Primary · Morpeth
-
Thropton Village First School2.1 miles
Primary · Morpeth
-
Swarland Primary School6.5 miles
Primary · Morpeth
Other schools in Morpeth
Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School ranks 4th of the 9 ranked primary schools in Morpeth.
- Morpeth Chantry Middle School Middle deemed secondary
- Morpeth Newminster Middle School Middle deemed secondary
- Abbeyfields First School Primary
- Amble Links Primary School Primary
- Broomhill Primary School Primary
- Cambo First School Primary
- Ellington Primary School Primary
- Felton Church of England Primary School Primary
- Grange View Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Harbottle Church of England First School Primary
- Linton Primary School Primary
- Longhorsley St Helen's Church of England Aided First School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School teach?
- Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School teaches children aged 9 to 13. It is a middle school in Morpeth.
- Who is the headteacher of Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School?
- The headteacher of Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School is Mr Liam Murtagh, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School?
- Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School has 184 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 9 to 13.
- Is Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School full?
- Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School has capacity for 240 pupils and 184 on roll (77%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School a faith school?
- Yes. Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Newcastle.
- Who runs Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School?
- Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School is part of CHEVIOT LEARNING TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 67% in 2022/23 and 77% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School rank locally?
- Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School ranked 12th of 72 primary schools in Northumberland for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 82% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 79% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School's absence rate?
- Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School's overall absence rate is 4.3% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Dr Thomlinson Church of England Middle School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.