South Walney Infant and Nursery School

South Walney Infant and Nursery School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school since the last inspection in 2018. The school creates a nurturing and welcoming environment where pupils thrive, showcasing positive behavior and a strong sense of community. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, allowing pupils to develop confidence and independence in their learning. Teachers generally use resources effectively and support pupils, including those with special educational needs, to achieve across a broad range of subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a nurturing environment and settle quickly into structured routines.
• The school fosters positive relationships, resulting in harmonious playtimes and strong friendships.
• The curriculum is ambitious and designed to meet the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Most pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects.
• Skilled staff foster a love of reading and provide effective phonics instruction.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, assessment practices do not effectively identify gaps in knowledge, leading to some pupils moving on too quickly.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at South Walney Infant and Nursery School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.2% of pupils at South Walney Infant and Nursery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 South Walney Infant and Nursery School had 19.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.9% of pupils at South Walney Infant and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 South Walney Infant and Nursery School received £8,665 and spent £8,208 for each of its 133 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £183,000 (£1,378 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Barrow-In-Furness · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

What is South Walney Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for South Walney Infant and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was South Walney Infant and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

South Walney Infant and Nursery School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does South Walney Infant and Nursery School have?

South Walney Infant and Nursery School has 134 pupils on roll.

What age range does South Walney Infant and Nursery School cover?

South Walney Infant and Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is South Walney Infant and Nursery School?

South Walney Infant and Nursery School is at Amphitrite Street, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 3BZ.