School admissions in Barrow-in-Furness
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 6 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.
Barrow-in-Furness in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 20 schools in Barrow-in-Furness first 497 times for 496 places: 1.00 first choices per place, against 1.00 across the Westmorland and Furness authority's 112 schools. 3 of the 20 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 4 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.50 miles (Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and Nursery) to 2.00 miles (Victoria Infant and Nursery School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 4 schools in Barrow-in-Furness first 478 times for 470 places: 1.02 first choices per place, against 1.01 across the Westmorland and Furness authority's 19 schools. 2 of the 4 had more first choices than places. For 2025 entry, one school here gave its last places on distance: Chetwynde School, to 1.00 miles.
Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.
Reception places, September 2026
20 schools. 3 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yarlside Academy | 1.34 | 29 | not published |
| Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and Nursery | 1.32 | 28 | 0.5 miles |
| Chetwynde School | 1.07 | 30 | 1.5 miles |
| Barrow Island Community Primary School | 1.00 | 19 | not published |
| Brisbane Park Infant School | 1.00 | 30 | not published |
| Newton Village Academy | 1.00 | 10 | not published |
| Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School | 1.00 | 10 | not published |
| Ramsden Infant School | 1.00 | 10 | not published |
| Roose School | 1.00 | 30 | 2 miles |
| Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Barrow | 1.00 | 10 | not published |
| South Walney Infant and Nursery School | 1.00 | 32 | not published |
| St Columba's School | 1.00 | 21 | not published |
| St George's CofE School | 1.00 | 20 | not published |
| Vickerstown School | 1.00 | 15 | not published |
| Newbarns Primary and Nursery School | 0.92 | 48 | not published |
| Victoria Infant and Nursery School | 0.91 | 58 | 2 miles |
| St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Barrow | 0.91 | 22 | not published |
| Cambridge Primary School | 0.89 | 18 | not published |
| Parkside Academy | 0.89 | 27 | not published |
| Holy Family Catholic Primary School | 0.86 | 29 | 1472 m (≈0.91 mi) |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.
Year 7 places, September 2026
4 schools. 2 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chetwynde School | 2.13 | 30 | 1 miles |
| Furness Academy | 1.02 | 258 | not published |
| Walney Academy | 0.92 | 59 | not published |
| St Bernards Catholic High School, Barrow | 0.79 | 123 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.