Vickerstown School
83%
Capacity
174
Pupils
1.6x
Demand
About Vickerstown School
Vickerstown School is a popular choice among local families, with 28 applications chasing just 17 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.65. Of those 28 applicants, 16 put the school as their first preference, and 16 first-preference offers were made, meaning every family who wanted it most got a place. The school is rated Good by Ofsted, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2010, with leadership and management also judged Good in the most recent graded inspection. With 174 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, there is some physical room, but demand clearly outstrips supply. The school serves a mixed community, with 19.7 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, slightly above the national average for primary schools.
Academically, Vickerstown's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 43 per cent, well below the Westmorland and Furness local authority average of 58 per cent. This places the school 81st out of 99 primary schools in the LA, and in the bottom 50 nationally on this metric. Individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story: 60 per cent met the expected standard in reading, 63 per cent in writing, and 53 per cent in maths. At the higher standard, just 3 per cent achieved the combined benchmark, though 17 per cent reached higher in reading alone. Average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 100 in maths, both close to the national average of 100. Progress measures are not available, so it is unclear how much value the school adds from pupils' starting points.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including an art studio, sensory room, gymnasium, outdoor playground and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cross country, rounders, cricket and netball, while clubs extend to choir, gardening, coding, science, chess and drama. SEND support is broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and a resourced provision. The school also has a nursery for three-year-olds. For families weighing up options, the nearest Outstanding-rated school is Victoria Academy, 2.8 km away. Vickerstown suits parents who value a Good-rated local school with strong community demand, a wide range of enrichment activities, and dedicated SEND support, but who are comfortable with below-average KS2 outcomes compared with the LA.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 3 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Mill Lane, Barrow-in-Furness, Westmorland and Furness, LA14 3XY |
| Headteacher | Mick Cull |
| Local Authority | Westmorland and Furness |
| Number of Pupils | 174 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.7% |
| School Capacity | 174 / 210 (83% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
14 Nov 2017Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 27 Mar 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (43%)
12089th of 13,686
Nationally
1788th of 2,065
In North West
81st of 99
In Westmorland and Furness
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
43%
Expected Standard
3%
Higher Standard
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed17
28
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
16 families put this school as their 1st choice (57% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British98.9%
- Asian0.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Vickerstown School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Mill Lane, Barrow-in-Furness
Westmorland and Furness, LA14 3XY
Mill Lane, Barrow-in-Furness
Westmorland and Furness, LA14 3XY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
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