Walney School
Sandy Gap Lane, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 3JT
468 pupils · 52% of 900 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- FURNESS EDUCATION TRUST
- Local authority
- Westmorland and Furness
- Free school meals
- 27.8%
Ofsted
No overall grade (2025) — Inspected 2024–2025 — no overall grade under the interim framework
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 7 May 2025, published 14 July 2025. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 38.7 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 21.9% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 41.2% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 7% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.92 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 59 | 54 | 85 | 57 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 68 | 65 | 100 | 68 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 92 | 84 | 107 | 86 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 103 | 93 | 120 | 98 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 66 | 62 | 97 | 65 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 112 | 97 | 145 | 108 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 137 | 123 | 175 | 130 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 68 | 66 | 122 | 68 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Furness Academy 3.4 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- St Bernards Catholic High School, Barrow 4.7 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Dowdales School 7.8 km · Standards maintained (2025)
- Millom School 12.1 km · Good (2022) · previous system
- Ulverston Victoria High School 14.2 km · No overall grade (2025)
- Cartmel Priory CofE School 22.7 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.