Walney Academy
Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Ages 11–16 · Barrow-in-Furness, Westmorland and Furness
Last distance offered · Year 7 2024
Every applicant was offered a place
From Westmorland and Furness Council · offers on 1 March 2024
Nearby schools' earlier years 🔒
Walney Academy is a secondary school in Barrow-in-Furness, Westmorland and Furness for ages 11–16 (academy sponsor led). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Not judged, from the inspection on 7 May 2025. Westmorland and Furness has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2024 entry.
Walney Academy catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2024 | Every applicant was offered a place |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- 22% got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths in 2024/25, the lowest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest secondary schools in Westmorland and Furness.
- Every applicant for Year 7 in 2024 was offered a place, as at 9 of the 10 other Westmorland and Furness secondary schools with a published Year 7 2024 outcome.
- Free school meal eligibility is 27.8% of pupils, against a middle figure of 16% across the 8 nearest secondary schools in Westmorland and Furness.
- There are 23.9 pupils per teacher, against a middle figure of 16.7 across the 8 nearest secondary schools in Westmorland and Furness.
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Westmorland and Furness schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Sandy Gap Lane, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 3JT
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Westmorland and Furness
- Pupils on roll
- 468 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 27.8% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 23.9
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Not judged Inspected 7 May 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils now benefit from a new and improved curriculum.”
- “Historic and longstanding weaknesses are now being addressed.”
- “Recent changes are beginning to improve how well pupils learn the new curriculum.”
To improve
- “The school’s ambition for pupils has not been high enough in recent years.”
- “However, there remains significant variability in how effectively the curriculum is delivered.”
- “Consequently, some pupils do not learn as well as they should.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 15 July 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 22% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 38.7 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Westmorland and Furness.
- Furness Academy 2.1 mi Good Last distance published
- St Bernards Catholic High School, Barrow 2.9 mi Good Last distance published
- Dowdales School 4.8 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
- Ulverston Victoria High School 8.8 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Cartmel Priory CofE School 14.1 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- John Ruskin School 19.6 mi Improved significantly Last distance published
- Dallam School 21.6 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
- The Lakes School 24.1 mi Standards maintained Last distance published