Sir John Barrow School, Ulverston
Sir John Barrow School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ulverston. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 9 schools in Ulverston with published results, and 1,291st of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Westmorland and Furness (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sir John Barrow School in detail
Sir John Barrow School in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care, from £2.00 per day.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 91% of Year 6 pupils at Sir John Barrow School reached the expected standard in reading and 91% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Westmorland and Furness and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 81% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Sir John Barrow School
For September 2026 entry, 30 families put Sir John Barrow School as their first choice and 61 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Sir John Barrow School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sir John Barrow School are St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston (0.3 miles, 100% reading, 83% maths); Church Walk CofE Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 75% reading, 75% maths); Croftlands Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 71% reading, 79% maths); and Croftlands Infant School (0.8 miles, Good).
Sir John Barrow School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, UlverstonChurch Walk CofE Primary SchoolCroftlands Junior SchoolCroftlands Infant School
Who goes there
13.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 25 pupils (10.6%) received SEN support and 16 (6.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Sir John Barrow School had 14 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 550 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Neville Court (at), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 60 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences 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.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sir John Barrow School issued 4 suspensions, 1.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
13.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 81% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 87% to 91% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 74% to 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.1
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
29.8
KS2
9
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Sir John Barrow School
Dowdales cross country! Well done SJB
4 Oct 2026
World Poetry Day 2026
1 Oct 2026
⭐️STAR⭐️ Pupils ⭐️
30 Sep 2026
STAR Pupils⭐️⭐️⭐️
22 Sep 2026
STAR PUPILS????????⭐️????????
22 Sep 2026
Year 6 science- animals and their habitats
22 Sep 2026
From Sir John Barrow School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Sir John Barrow School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sir John Barrow School.
- Ulverston Leisure Centre Holiday Playscheme860m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Sir John Barrow School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Westmorland and Furness. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 16 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Thursday 20 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sir John Barrow School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sir John Barrow School is in Westmorland and Furness; for families living there:
- Westmorland and Furness's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy 2027 to 2028 (Reception to Year 11)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 33
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 23 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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
Your chances of a place at Sir John Barrow School
Will you get a place at Sir John Barrow School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sir John Barrow School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sir John Barrow School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sir John Barrow School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Westmorland and Furness, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sir John Barrow School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Westmorland and Furness got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
211 pupils
209 places
2 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ulverston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ulverston
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,590
Applications
1,692
Got 1st preference
96.1%
Got preferred school
99.4%
All primary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
17.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
235
Total Pupils
119
Boys
116
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,802
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,394
Per pupil
£1229k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
4.9%
Persistent absence
183
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Sir John Barrow School
Questions parents ask about Sir John Barrow School
What are SATs results like at Sir John Barrow School?
Of the pupils at Sir John Barrow School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 91% reached the expected standard in reading and 91% did so in maths.
What is Sir John Barrow School's Ofsted rating?
Sir John Barrow School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2012 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Sir John Barrow School?
No fixed boundary. When Sir John Barrow School is oversubscribed, Westmorland and Furness allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sir John Barrow School?
Sir John Barrow School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Sir John Barrow School?
Classes at Sir John Barrow School average 26.1 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Sir John Barrow School?
Sir John Barrow School has around 235 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sir John Barrow School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Sir John Barrow School in 2024/25. 4.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sir John Barrow School?
Apply through Westmorland and Furness's coordinated admissions process, naming Sir John Barrow School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Sir John Barrow School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Sir John Barrow School: Ulverston Leisure Centre Holiday Playscheme (860m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Sir John Barrow School's term dates?
Sir John Barrow School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Westmorland and Furness. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Wednesday 2 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Friday 16 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Thursday 20 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Sir John Barrow School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 33 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 23 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 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 Sir John Barrow School?
Sir John Barrow School is at Argyle Street, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0BD.
Sources: Westmorland and Furness term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)