Sir John Barrow School

Sir John Barrow School has demonstrated exceptional performance across all inspected areas, achieving an overall effectiveness rating of outstanding. The school boasts a curriculum that is ambitious and exciting, enabling pupils to achieve highly, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils express a strong sense of belonging, describing their experiences in incredibly positive terms. They thrive in an environment where supportive relationships and high expectations foster exemplary behavior and an intrinsic motivation to learn. With a strong focus on personal development, the school offers a diverse range of extracurricular activities that engage all students and promote a love of learning. The leadership team is dedicated to continuous improvement, ensuring that teaching practices are effective and that pupils are consistently assessed to support their learning journey. As this was the school's first inspection since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the positive evaluation reflects the successful adaptation and resilience shown by the school during challenging times.

Strengths

• Exceptional quality of education
• Outstanding support for personal development
• High expectations for behavior and achievement
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• Expert teaching of phonics
• Effective identification and support for pupils with SEND
• Wide range of extracurricular activities

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 Sir John Barrow School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.9% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Sir John Barrow 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 Sir John Barrow School had 20.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% 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, 10.6% of pupils at Sir John Barrow School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.8% 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 Sir John Barrow School received £7,171 and spent £7,823 for each of its 235 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £96,000 (-£409 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 Ulverston · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

What is Sir John Barrow School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sir John Barrow School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Sir John Barrow School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sir John Barrow School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Sir John Barrow School have?

Sir John Barrow School has 235 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sir John Barrow School cover?

Sir John Barrow School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Sir John Barrow School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sir John Barrow School?

Sir John Barrow School is at Argyle Street, Sir John Barrow School, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0BD.