Moorfield Learning Centre, Barrow in Furness
Moorfield Learning Centre is an independent school for pupils aged 5 to 18 in Barrow in Furness. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Moorfield Learning Centre in detail
Moorfield Learning Centre in its own words
In its own words: "At Moorfield Learning Centre, our vision is clear: to provide a safe, positive, and nurturing environment in which young people can grow academically, socially and emotionally . ` We understand that mainstream school is not the right fit for every student, and we pride ourselves on offering an educational alternative for young people who find the traditional setting challenging."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Moorfield Learning Centre can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Moorfield Learning Centre has an education, health and care plan (12 of 12 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 820 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moorfield Street (at), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 272 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Ofsted also found the school was not keeping to the terms of its registration (for example its age range or pupil numbers).
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Moorfield Learning Centre excels at helping pupils who have missed education or faced school exclusion to rediscover their love of learning. The school creates a respectful, caring environment where pupils develop excellent behaviour and attendance, while an ambitious curriculum in music, art and other subjects builds genuine confidence. Staff provide outstanding support for pupils' future planning, with strong careers guidance that helps them progress to local colleges with clear ambitions.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding behaviour and attitudes - pupils manage their own behaviour exceptionally well and show extraordinary gains in attendance
- Ambitious and inspiring curriculum, particularly in music, art and design that develops pupil confidence and skills
- Effective personal development programme with strong careers guidance that helps pupils become aspirational about their next steps
- Skilled teaching that adapts learning to meet individual pupil needs, particularly in mathematics
- Caring environment that helps pupils who have experienced school exclusion or significant absences to re-engage with learning
Areas for Improvement
- Important knowledge in some subjects is not clearly identified, making it unclear for teachers what to teach and when
- Reading support for pupils at the earliest stages is not precise enough, and phonics teaching is not yet fully embedded
- Some pupils are not becoming confident and fluent readers as quickly as they could be
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with policies that meet current statutory requirements and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Music (learning to play and record instruments), art and design, visits to local industries and colleges, outdoor break areas
Moorfield Learning Centre is a good independent school that provides a fresh start for pupils who have missed significant periods of education. The school has established an ambitious curriculum and created a caring environment where pupils re-engage with learning and develop confidence for their future lives.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Moorfield Learning Centre can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
GCSE Subjects Offered
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of pupils
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby all-through school
Social & online
Keep up with Moorfield Learning Centre
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Moorfield Learning Centre.
- Little Rebels Holiday Club850m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 24
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 17 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
14%
Available places
12 pupils
84 places
72 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Barrow in Furness
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Barrow in Furness
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,857
Applications
1,903
Got 1st preference
96.4%
Got preferred school
99.5%
All secondary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
12
Total Pupils
11
Boys
1
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Moorfield Learning Centre
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Moorfield Learning Centre
What are GCSE results like at Moorfield Learning Centre?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Moorfield Learning Centre can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Moorfield Learning Centre's Ofsted rating?
Moorfield Learning Centre was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025.
Does Moorfield Learning Centre meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in March 2025, Moorfield Learning Centre met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Moorfield Learning Centre?
Moorfield Learning Centre has around 12 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Moorfield Learning Centre?
Moorfield Learning Centre is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
Does Moorfield Learning Centre have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Moorfield Learning Centre: Little Rebels Holiday Club (850m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Moorfield Learning Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 24 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 17 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Moorfield Learning Centre?
Moorfield Learning Centre is at Moorfield Street, Barrow in Furness, Barrow in Furness, Cumbria, LA13 9RS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)