Furness College

About Furness College

Furness College is a state-funded secondary school in Westmorland and Furness, serving students aged 16 to 99. It is a mixed, non-religious institution with a capacity of 1,200, led by headteacher Scott Cubitt. In the local authority, the school ranks 14th out of 19 schools of the same type based on Progress 8 scores, placing it in the bottom half of the league table. The top-performing peers in the area are John Ruskin School, Settlebeck School, and Queen Elizabeth School, all of which achieved higher Progress 8 scores. Furness College sits in the bottom 50% nationally for this key measure, and its ranking within the North West region is 301st out of 445 schools. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, receiving 389 applications for 254 places, with 260 first-preference applications and 250 offers made to first-preference candidates.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023, Furness College was rated Good overall, with Good ratings for quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. This matches its previous inspection in September 2017, which also awarded a Good overall effectiveness. For Key Stage 4 outcomes in the 2023/24 academic year, the school’s Progress 8 score was -0.36, which is below the local authority average of -0.12 and places the school in the ‘Below average’ banding nationally. The Attainment 8 score was 40.9, and the EBacc average point score was 3.27. Only 5.7% of pupils entered the EBacc, and 3.3% achieved it at grade 5 or above in English and maths. The basics measure at grade 4 or above in English and maths was 54.5%, but this dropped to 32.5% at grade 5 or above. The school’s performance in English and maths Progress 8 was notably lower than the open element, with English at -0.53 and maths at -0.42.

The school offers a wide range of facilities including science labs, a swimming pool, art studios, music rooms, a sixth form centre, playing fields, and a chapel. Sports on offer include cross country, hockey, football, rugby, swimming, athletics, basketball, and martial arts, while clubs cover art, orchestra, science, newspaper, choir, and coding. Furness College provides support for a broad spectrum of special educational needs and disabilities, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 29.5% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It is a good fit for families seeking a large, inclusive sixth-form college environment with strong pastoral and SEND support, though those prioritising high academic progress may want to compare outcomes with the top-ranked local schools.

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