Furness AcademyWalney Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Barrow-in-Furness.
Summary of the comparison
Furness Academy and Walney Academy are secondary schools in Barrow-in-Furness.
Furness Academy scores 52 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Walney Academy scores 33 out of 100 (grade F, weak). Furness Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Furness Academy was judged Good and Walney Academy was judged in need of attention.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 40.8 for Furness Academy and 40.5 for Walney Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Furness Academy (45.7 in 2021-22, 40.8 in 2025-26) and has risen at Walney Academy (37.2 in 2021-22, 40.5 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | Barrow-in-FurnessFurness Academy | Barrow-in-FurnessWalney Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D52/100Stronger figure | F33/100 | |
| Local ranking | 16th of 20 in Westmorland and Furness Stronger figure | 20th of 20 in Westmorland and Furness | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: GoodStronger figure | Ofsted: Requires improvement | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,187 | 468 | |
| Capacity | 1,200 | 900 | |
| Location | Barrow-in-Furness, LA13 9BB | Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 3JT | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 40.8 Stronger figure | 40.5 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 31.7% Stronger figure | 27.3% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 52.9% Stronger figure | 52.7% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 221 | 110 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,188 | 518 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 29.9% | 25.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 1.9% | 2.7% | |
| SEN support | 10.9% | 19.9% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.5% | 7.3% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.3% Stronger figure | 9.3% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 25.7% Stronger figure | 26.4% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Furness Academy
Walney Academy
Full profiles: Furness Academy · Walney Academy