Ulverston Victoria High School

Ulverston Victoria High School is a good school across all inspected areas, including sixth-form provision, and it was also judged good at its previous inspection. Pupils are proud of their school, behave respectfully and benefit from a calm, caring environment with trusting relationships. Most pupils, including those with SEND and those in the sixth form, achieve well, and reading is a particular strength. The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum, strong governance and effective leadership that has addressed previous areas for improvement. Pupils enjoy an extensive range of clubs, trips and leadership opportunities, and the personal development and careers programmes prepare them well for adulthood. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main areas for improvement relate to the quality of teaching in some lessons. Occasionally, learning activities do not help pupils develop sufficient depth of subject knowledge, and teaching does not consistently address gaps or misconceptions. When this happens, some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready and do not achieve as well as they could.

Strengths

• Pupils are proud ambassadors who contribute to a calm and respectful atmosphere
• Pupils form trusting relationships with staff who care for them well
• Pupils with SEND receive accurate identification and effective guidance and support
• Most pupils, including sixth-form students, achieve well
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious with carefully considered important knowledge
• Sixth-form students have access to a wide range of academic courses and appropriate remote education
• The school supports pupils to move on to appropriate destinations in education, apprenticeships and employment
• Staff have strong subject knowledge and benefit from comprehensive training that supports workload
• Reading is a strength, with effective support for pupils who need help to become fluent readers
• Pupils are well mannered, respectful and have positive attitudes to learning
• Attendance is good and support for the small number of pupils needing help with behaviour or attendance has improved rates
• The personal development programme develops character, resilience and responsibility
• Careers education is comprehensive and prepares pupils well for next steps
• Governors have a precise understanding of the school and provide robust support and challenge
• An extensive range of clubs, trips and leadership opportunities develops pupils' talents and aspirations
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• At times, learning activities do not help pupils develop sufficient depth of subject knowledge
• Teaching does not consistently address gaps or misconceptions in pupils' learning
• Some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready
• As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could

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 Ulverston Victoria High School attended 90.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 24.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 6.3% of pupils at Ulverston Victoria High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Ulverston Victoria High School had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 13.9% of pupils at Ulverston Victoria High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Ulverston Victoria High School received £7,669 and spent £8,057 for each of its 1,319 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £1,969,000 (-£1,493 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 Ulverston Victoria High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ulverston Victoria High School is Good, from an inspection in November 2025.

When was Ulverston Victoria High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ulverston Victoria High School was last inspected in November 2025.

How many pupils does Ulverston Victoria High School have?

Ulverston Victoria High School has 1,319 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ulverston Victoria High School cover?

Ulverston Victoria High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Ulverston Victoria High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.3, and 44% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Ulverston Victoria High School?

Ulverston Victoria High School is at Springfield Road, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0EB.