Academy sponsor led · Westmorland and Furness

Furness Academy

11–16Ages
1,187Pupils
SecondaryPhase
135940URN

Park Drive, Barrow-in-Furness, LA13 9BB · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Mar 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.6per place

close to Westmorland and Furness median (1.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in Westmorland and FurnessSelective

416 applications for 258 places · 8th of 13 in Westmorland and Furness

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

40.8of 90

Westmorland and Furness 42.1 England 46.0

13th of 19 in Westmorland and Furness

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 13 March 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

1.6applications per place, Year 7

close to Westmorland and Furness median (1.6) 0.6 below England median (2.2)

416 applications · 258 places offered · 263 named it first

HistoryEarlier years not shown: formed from, or split from, other schools.

2026 1.6; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.6
2025 1.5; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.6
2024 1.6; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.6
2023 1.7; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2022 1.6; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2021 1.7; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2020 1.8; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2019 1.8; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2018 1.6; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2017 1.7; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2016 1.7; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2015 1.8; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.7
2014 2.0; Westmorland and Furness median median 1.6

This school
Westmorland and Furness median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	258	416	1.6	263	1.02
Sep 2025	254	389	1.5	260	1.02
Sep 2024	240	391	1.6	269	1.12
Sep 2023	241	408	1.7	297	1.23
Sep 2022	244	392	1.6	263	1.08
Sep 2021	232	398	1.7	267	1.15
Sep 2020	239	437	1.8	293	1.23
Sep 2019	239	419	1.8	265	1.11
Sep 2018	220	354	1.6	220	1.00
Sep 2017	183	314	1.7	181	0.99
Sep 2016	174	289	1.7	173	0.99
Sep 2015	168	295	1.8	164	0.98
Sep 2014	109	218	2.0	109	1.00

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

221 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)40.813th of 19 in Westmorland and Furness

Westmorland and Furness 42.1 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths32%17th of 19 in Westmorland and Furness

Westmorland and Furness 37% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths53%

Westmorland and Furness 60% England 66%

This school
Westmorland and Furness median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.36

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	221	40.8	32%	53%	–
2024/25	225	42.4	36%	58%	–
2023/24	209	40.9	33%	55%	−0.36
2022/23	196	41.2	31%	54%	−0.26

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Furness AcademyThis school
This school

Good2023

1.6applications per place 40.8Attainment 8
St Bernards Catholic High School, Barrow
1.6 km · Westmorland and Furness

Good2022

1.7applications per place 38.5Attainment 8
Chetwynde School
1.8 km · Westmorland and Furness

Good2023

7.4applications per place 38.5Attainment 8
Walney Academy
3.4 km · Westmorland and Furness

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.4applications per place 40.5Attainment 8
Dowdales School
5.0 km · Westmorland and Furness

Standards maintained2025

2.3applications per place 41.1Attainment 8
Ulverston Victoria High School
11.0 km · Westmorland and Furness

Graded · no overall grade2025

1.6applications per place 48.3Attainment 8
Millom School
11.4 km · Cumberland

2026

1.2applications per place 42.5Attainment 8
Cartmel Priory CofE School
19.3 km · Westmorland and Furness

2026

1.4applications per place 49.8Attainment 8
Bay Leadership Academy
22.6 km · Lancashire

Good2022

3.0applications per place 37.0Attainment 8

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 135940 · 943/6908
Trust: Furness Education Trust
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 1,200 pupils · 1,187 on roll
Free school meals: 29.4% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 September 2009
Address: Park Drive, Barrow-in-Furness, LA13 9BB
Local authority: Westmorland and Furness

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources