Victoria Infant and Nursery School
126%
Capacity
226
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About Victoria Infant and Nursery School
Victoria Infant and Nursery School is a state primary for children aged 2 to 7, located in the Westmorland and Furness local authority. It sits within a competitive local landscape where the top-performing peers, according to a local ranking, are Yarlside Academy, St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Ulverston, and Staveley CofE School. The school is currently oversubscribed: for its 47 places in the 2025/26 intake, it received 89 total applications, with 41 of those coming from first-preference families. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.89, meaning nearly two families applied for every place. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Victoria Academy, just 0.3 km away, but Victoria Infant and Nursery School holds its own with a Good rating from Ofsted. It is one of 121 primary schools in the LA, of which only six are rated Outstanding, so Good is a solid standing in this area.
Academically, the school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2018 rated it Good overall, with Good for both leadership and management and early years provision. Its ungraded inspection in 2024 confirmed the school remains Good. This is a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2016, when it was rated Requires Improvement across the board. The school serves 226 pupils, well above its stated capacity of 180, which suggests strong local demand. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 6.9%, below the national average, indicating a relatively advantaged intake. For context, the LA average Key Stage 2 attainment score is 58, though as an infant school (ages 2–7), Victoria does not sit KS2 SATs itself, so direct comparison isn't possible. The focus here is on early years and Key Stage 1 foundations.
The school offers a broad set of facilities including a forest school, sensory room, gymnasium, and chapel, plus sports like dance, tennis, gymnastics, netball, athletics, and rounders. Clubs include book club, coding, choir, science club, and film club. Its SEND provisions cover moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder, making it a genuinely inclusive setting. With nursery provision on site, it suits families looking for continuity from age 2 through to Year 2. The oversubscription means early application is essential, and the school's Good rating, improved trajectory, and strong local reputation make it a pragmatic choice for parents prioritising a stable, well-resourced infant school within the Westmorland and Furness area.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 2 to 7 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Oxford Street, Barrow-in-Furness, Westmorland and Furness, LA14 5QN |
| Headteacher | Lindsay Grayless |
| Local Authority | Westmorland and Furness |
| Number of Pupils | 226 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 6.9% |
| School Capacity | 226 / 180 (126% full) |
| Nursery Classes | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Apr 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (18 Apr 2024): School remains Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 13 Mar 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
6Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed47
89
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
41 families put this school as their 1st choice (46% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
Better than half 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
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British90.3%
- Asian4.0%
- White (other)0.9%
- Mixed0.9%
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
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
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.
17
Total schools
11
Oversubscribed
13
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About Victoria Infant and Nursery 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
Oxford Street, Barrow-in-Furness
Westmorland and Furness, LA14 5QN
Oxford Street, Barrow-in-Furness
Westmorland and Furness, LA14 5QN
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
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