St Columba's School

St Columba’s School is performing well overall, continuing to be recognized as a good school. Pupils are engaged and motivated, creating a positive learning atmosphere supported by dedicated staff. The school community fosters strong relationships, evidenced by good behavior and an emphasis on well-being. The curriculum is ambitious and effectively meets the needs of all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The involvement of parents and the local community is noteworthy, highlighting the school’s central role on Walney Island. Despite its strengths, there are some areas that require improvement. Specifically, leaders need to enhance their assessment practices in a few subjects where a comprehensive understanding of pupil achievement is currently lacking due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Ensuring that these assessment systems are robust will enable teachers to tailor learning effectively, helping all children to progress even further.

Strengths

• Pupils arrive happy and eager to learn.
• Strong community engagement and support from parents.
• Nurturing environment that enhances pupil well-being.
• Ambitious and well-ordered curriculum tailored for all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Effective teaching strategies and staff collaboration.
• Focused on reading as a central part of the curriculum.
• Effective behavior management leading to well-disciplined pupils.
• Opportunities for personal development and enrichment through various activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent assessment practices in a few subjects affecting pupil achievement understanding.

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 St Columba's School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.2% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Columba's 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 St Columba's School had 27.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.0% 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, 16.5% of pupils at St Columba's School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.5% 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 St Columba's School received £7,052 and spent £7,230 for each of its 212 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £186,000 (-£879 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 St Columba's School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Columba's School is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was St Columba's School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Columba's School was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does St Columba's School have?

St Columba's School has 212 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Columba's School cover?

St Columba's School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Columba's School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 30% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Columba's School?

St Columba's School is at Church Lane, Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 3AD.