Vickerstown School, Barrow-in-Furness

Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades Vickerstown School on 7 areas: 2 expected standard, 4 needs attention and 1 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils enjoy coming to school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils develop a secure sense of who they are and their place in the world."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teaching does not help pupils to learn consistently well."

Early years - Needs attention. "Some children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have gaps in their knowledge."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders consistently identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Over time, those responsible for governance and trustees have overseen a decline in the quality of education provided by the school."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Over time, too few pupils have reached the expected standard across subjects by the end of Year 6."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should make sure that teachers identify and rectify gaps and errors in pupils' handwriting, spelling and grammar so that pupils develop the knowledge they need to write fluently and accurately"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils gain the knowledge expected across the curriculum to raise achievement, particularly in English and mathematics"; "Leaders should refine the early years curriculum so that adults can identify and address gaps in children's knowledge, particularly for disadvantaged children, and more children are ready for Year 1"; "Leaders should make sure that the pupil premium strategy identifies precisely the barriers that disadvantaged pupils face so that teachers can adapt their teaching effectively to meet their needs"; "Leaders and trustees should make sure that they use evidence carefully to check on the impact of their actions so that the improvements they intend make a difference to pupils' outcomes".

In its own words: "We aim to provide an outstanding education in the heart of the community and as such we make every effort that the children at Vickerstown have the best academic start and grounding possible to enable them to become successful members of society"

In 2025, 27% of Year 6 pupils at Vickerstown School reached the expected standard in reading and 23% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 74% and 73% in Westmorland and Furness and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 60% in reading and 53% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 15 families put Vickerstown School as their first choice and 29 named it as one of their preferences, for 15 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Vickerstown School are St Columba's School (0.5 miles, Good, 60% reading, 37% maths); South Walney Infant and Nursery School (0.7 miles, Good); South Walney Junior School (0.7 miles, 83% reading, 83% maths); and Brisbane Park Infant School (0.9 miles, Good).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Vickerstown School.

Vickerstown School is one of 6 schools run by South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, an academy trust.

33 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Vickerstown School (as of April 2026): 61% would recommend the school, 70% say their child is happy there and 17% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (70%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (17%).

0.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 31 pupils (19.9%) received SEN support and 19 (12.2%) 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.

Vickerstown School has a resourced provision for autism, physical disability and severe learning difficulties: 8 places, 8 pupils on roll.

Vickerstown School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 26 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School playing fields (outside), 150 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 92 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Vickerstown School issued 14 suspensions, 8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.