St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Barrow, Barrow-in-Furness

Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Roman Catholic
Ages 211

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~710m)Possible (~1.0km)Unlikely (~1.3km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Kevin McGoldrick
Pupils:210 / 246 capacity
LA:Westmorland and Furness
Phone:01229828406
Address:Schneider Road, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 4AA
Trust:MATER CHRISTI MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 January 2023

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 5 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 21 April 2026View full report
URN:149498
UKPRN:10091668
Diocese:Diocese of Lancaster
Constituency:Barrow and Furness
Urban/Rural:Urban: Further from a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Pius X creates a warm, inclusive environment where all children feel valued and safe. The school excels at supporting vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils with specialist help, including providing transport to improve attendance. Younger pupils are building strong foundations in reading, writing and maths through a well-designed, interesting curriculum.

Key Strengths

  • Strong focus on personal development, wellbeing and kindness between pupils
  • Highly trained staff who provide excellent pastoral support and help vulnerable pupils attend school
  • Early years provision is well-designed with good phonics teaching and nurturing staff
  • Leaders have successfully improved the curriculum for younger pupils
  • Inclusive approach with specialist support for pupils with additional needs

Areas for Improvement

  • Some older pupils have gaps in their learning and do not reach expected standards by end of Year 6
  • Staff do not always spot and correct mistakes quickly enough during lessons
  • Leaders need to monitor more closely how well older pupils are catching up with curriculum changes

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have created an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Monday miles local area exploration, museum visits, annual theatre visits, careers event at local secondary school, play pals programme, Pius Calling community event

St Pius X Catholic Primary School is a caring community where pupils feel safe and enjoy learning, though some older pupils have not yet benefited fully from recent curriculum improvements and do not attain as well as pupils nationally by the end of Year 6.

At a Glance

32.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading-25ppMaths-17ppWriting-4pp

Reading has declined from 81% to 56%. Maths has declined from 87% to 70%. Writing has declined from 74% to 70%.

Class Sizes

24.0

Avg class size

28.0

Infant (KS1)

27.5

KS2

9

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

85%

Available places

210 pupils

246 capacity

36 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Barrow-in-Furness

Low pressure
New homes approved:269
Projected new pupils:67

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Barrow-in-Furness

Admissions Demand - Westmorland and Furness

Low demand0.65x oversubscription

Places available

2,627

Applications

1,698

Got 1st preference

97.9%

Got preferred school

99.4%

Primary admissions across Westmorland and Furness (2025/26)

Inspection History(2)

21 April 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
6 January 2023

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.38056%

Overall absence

9.58084%

Persistent absence

167

Enrolments

Authorised2.93749%
Unauthorised1.44306%
Persistent (10%+)9.58084%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

5.60473%
22/23
6.27855%
23/24
4.38056%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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