Dowdales School: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 153 families put Dowdales School as their first choice and 360 named it as one of their preferences, for 160 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has risen from 118 in 2021 to 153 in 2026, while places went from 125 to 160.
Across Westmorland and Furness, 96% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 100% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Westmorland and Furness lodged 50 appeals against secondary school offers; 43 reached a hearing and 21 succeeded (48.8% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 160 | 153 | 360 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 189 | 168 | 374 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2024 | 174 | 162 | 322 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2023 | 146 | 138 | 323 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2022 | 132 | 126 | 303 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 125 | 118 | 304 | 0.9 | 0 |
| 2020 | 136 | 113 | 294 | 0.8 | 0 |
| 2019 | 162 | 155 | 346 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 173 | 172 | 408 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2017 | 183 | 183 | 426 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 193 | 188 | 391 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 213 | 208 | 438 | 1.0 | 0 |
| 2014 | 186 | 186 | 428 | 1.0 | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.