St Columba's School

Westmorland and Furness · LA14 3AD

General information Primary School · 3-11 years Who goes here 212 pupils, 8.5% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 16.5% on SEN support Behaviour 4.8% absence rate Staff 10.6% turnover Financials £6,887 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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St Columba's School

General Information

Address: Church Lane, Walney Island, Barrow-in-Furness, LA14 3AD – View on map
Phone: 01229471522
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Claire O'Donnell
Age range: 3-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 21 families put it first for 21 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 9 · 2024 11 · 2025 10 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

212 pupils out of 240 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 18
% eligible for free school meals: 8.5%
Pupil mix: 1 in 10 (similar to the Westmorland and Furness average)
English as an additional language: 1% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 10.6% a year (Westmorland and Furness 12.8%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 17% moved to another school, 83% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house. This is a small staff, so one or two teachers leaving moves the figure a lot.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Westmorland and Furness: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 1 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 3 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 0 (0.0 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Westmorland and Furness, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 4.8%
Persistently absent pupils: 10.2%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 16.5%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 8.5%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 15 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 11 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 7 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 11 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 5 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 1 pupil
Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2022 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 30% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 0% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 28 percentage points below the Westmorland and Furness average (58%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Below (3-year average 54% against an expected 63%)
3-year average (expected standard): 54%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 60% · Writing 60% · Maths 37% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 63%
Average test scores: reading 103, maths 98
Based on: 30 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolWestmorland and Furness averageEngland↘ Falling Down 45 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 28 percentage points below the Westmorland and Furness average (58%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 90th of 98 junior and primary schools in the area

=87St James' CofE Junior School31%
=90Shap Endowed CofE Primary School30%
=90St Columba's School30%
=92Coniston CofE Primary School27%
=92Lindal and Marton Primary School27%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

=1Morland Area CofE Primary School100%
=1Yanwath Primary School100%
#3Yarlside Academy97%
=4Holme Primary School89%
=4Milnthorpe Primary School89%
=4Skelton School89%
#7Arnside National CofE School88%
#8Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School83%
=9Armathwaite School80%
=9Crosthwaite CofE School80%
=9George Romney Junior School80%
=9Grasmere CofE Primary School80%
#13St Mark's CofE Primary School79%
=14Ghyllside Primary School78%
=14Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Dalton-In-Furness78%
=16Ivegill CofE School77%
=16Kirkby Stephen Primary School77%
=18Ambleside CofE Primary School75%
=18Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal75%
=18Grange CofE Primary School75%
=18Temple Sowerby CofE Primary School75%
=22Goodly Dale Primary School73%
=22Stramongate Primary School73%
#24Sir John Barrow School72%
=25Parkside Academy71%
=25St Patrick's CofE School71%
=27Chetwynde School70%
=27Dalton St Mary's CofE Primary School70%
=27St Mary's CofE Primary School70%
=30Church Walk CofE Primary School69%
=30Heron Hill Primary School69%
=32Allithwaite CofE Primary School67%
=32Bolton Primary School67%
=32Kirkoswald CofE School67%
=32Low Furness CofE Primary School67%
=36Castle Park School66%
=36South Walney Junior School66%
=38Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and Nursery65%
=38Pennington CofE School65%
=38St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston65%
=38Victoria Academy65%
=42Clifton Primary School64%
=42Leven Valley CofE Primary School64%
=44Brough Community Primary School63%
=44Broughton CofE Primary and Nursery School63%
=44Langwathby CofE Primary School63%
=44Storth CofE School63%
=48Holy Family Catholic Primary School62%
=48Warcop CofE Primary School62%
=50Burton Morewood CofE Primary School60%
=50Flookburgh CofE Primary School60%
=50Greengate Junior School60%
#53Penny Bridge CofE School58%
=54Calthwaite CofE School57%
=54Cartmel CofE Primary School57%
=54Orton CofE School57%
=54Roose School57%
#58Staveley CofE School55%
=59Barrow Island Community Primary School54%
=59Old Hutton CofE School54%
=61Grayrigg CofE School53%
=61Stainton CofE Primary School53%
=63Cambridge Primary School52%
=63High Hesket CofE School52%
#65Beaconside CofE Primary School51%
=66Appleby Primary School50%
=66Croftlands Junior School50%
=66Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary School50%
=66Lowther Endowed School50%
=66St George's CofE School50%
=71St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Barrow48%
=71St Thomas's CofE Primary School48%
=73Newbarns Primary and Nursery School47%
=73St Martin & St Mary Church of England Primary School47%
#75Plumpton School45%
=76St Oswald's CofE Primary School44%
=76St Paul's CofE Junior School44%
#78Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Barrow43%
=79North Lakes School39%
=79St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Penrith39%
=81Alston Primary School38%
=81Levens CofE School38%
=81Penruddock Primary School38%
#84Burlington CofE School36%
#85Sedbergh Primary School35%
#86Threlkeld CofE Primary School33%
=87Long Marton School31%
=87Newton Village Academy31%
=87St James' CofE Junior School31%
=90Shap Endowed CofE Primary School30%
=90St Columba's School30%
=92Coniston CofE Primary School27%
=92Lindal and Marton Primary School27%
#94Askam Village School26%
#95Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School24%
#96Dean Barwick Primary School20%
#97Vickerstown School15%
#98Lazonby C of E Primary School0%

View full Ofsted inspection report

66th of 82 primary schools in Westmorland and Furness for Ofsted rating

#64Skelton SchoolGood
#65St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, PenrithGood
#66St Columba's SchoolGood
#67St George's CofE SchoolGood
#68St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Crosthwaite CofE SchoolOutstanding
#2Sir John Barrow SchoolOutstanding
#3Allithwaite CofE Primary SchoolGood
#4Appleby Primary SchoolGood
#5Armathwaite SchoolGood
#6Arnside National CofE SchoolGood
#7Asby Endowed SchoolGood
#8Askam Village SchoolGood
#9Barrow Island Community Primary SchoolGood
#10Beaconside CofE Primary SchoolGood
#11Beetham CofE Primary SchoolGood
#12Bolton Primary SchoolGood
#13Brough Community Primary SchoolGood
#14Broughton CofE Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#15Burlington CofE SchoolGood
#16Burton Morewood CofE Primary SchoolGood
#17Calthwaite CofE SchoolGood
#18Cartmel CofE Primary SchoolGood
#19Clifton Primary SchoolGood
#20Coniston CofE Primary SchoolGood
#21Crosby Ravensworth CofE SchoolGood
#22Crosscrake CofE Primary SchoolGood
#23Culgaith CofE SchoolGood
#24Dalton St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#25Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and NurseryGood
#26Dean Barwick Primary SchoolGood
#27Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, KendalGood
#28Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGood
#29Flookburgh CofE Primary SchoolGood
#30Ghyllside Primary SchoolGood
#31Goodly Dale Primary SchoolGood
#32Grange CofE Primary SchoolGood
#33Grasmere CofE Primary SchoolGood
#34Grayrigg CofE SchoolGood
#35Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary SchoolGood
#36Heron Hill Primary SchoolGood
#37Holme Primary SchoolGood
#38Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolGood
#39Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#40Ivegill CofE SchoolGood
#41Kirkby Stephen Primary SchoolGood
#42Kirkoswald CofE SchoolGood
#43Langwathby CofE Primary SchoolGood
#44Lazonby C of E Primary SchoolGood
#45Levens CofE SchoolGood
#46Lindale CofE Primary SchoolGood
#47Long Marton SchoolGood
#48Low Furness CofE Primary SchoolGood
#49Lowther Endowed SchoolGood
#50Milburn SchoolGood
#51Milnthorpe Primary SchoolGood
#52Morland Area CofE Primary SchoolGood
#53Nenthead Primary SchoolGood
#54Old Hutton CofE SchoolGood
#55Orton CofE SchoolGood
#56Patterdale CofE Primary SchoolGood
#57Pennington CofE SchoolGood
#58Penny Bridge CofE SchoolGood
#59Roose SchoolGood
#60Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, BarrowGood
#61Sedbergh Primary SchoolGood
#62Selside Endowed CofE Primary SchoolGood
#63Shap Endowed CofE Primary SchoolGood
#64Skelton SchoolGood
#65St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, PenrithGood
#66St Columba's SchoolGood
#67St George's CofE SchoolGood
#68St Mark's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#69St Martin & St Mary Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#70St Mary's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#71St Oswald's CofE Primary SchoolGood
#72St Patrick's CofE SchoolGood
#73Stainton CofE Primary SchoolGood
#74Stramongate Primary SchoolGood
#75Tebay Primary SchoolGood
#76Temple Sowerby CofE Primary SchoolGood
#77Threlkeld CofE Primary SchoolGood
#78Vicarage Park CofE Primary SchoolGood
#79Warcop CofE Primary SchoolGood
#80Ambleside CofE Primary SchoolRequires improvement
#81St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, WindermereRequires improvement
#82Kirkby Thore SchoolInadequate

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,887 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

74th of 101 primary schools in Westmorland and Furness for spending per pupil

#72Allithwaite CofE Primary School£7,068
#73Askam Village School£7,064
#74St Columba's School£6,887
#75St Martin & St Mary Church of England Primary School£6,877
#76Milnthorpe Primary School£6,818

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Milburn School£22,597
#2Nenthead Primary School£20,940
#3Asby Endowed School£19,280
#4Lowther Endowed School£18,058
#5Patterdale CofE Primary School£16,333
#6Langdale CofE School£15,585
#7Hawkshead Esthwaite Primary School£15,560
#8Dent CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School£15,243
#9Crosby Ravensworth CofE School£13,533
#10Lindale CofE Primary School£11,806
#11Cartmel CofE Primary School£11,662
#12Selside Endowed CofE Primary School£11,417
#13Newton Village Academy£10,766
#14Vicarage Park CofE Primary School£10,639
#15Old Hutton CofE School£10,600
#16Tebay Primary School£10,600
#17Culgaith CofE School£10,401
#18Dean Barwick Primary School£10,387
#19St Cuthberts Catholic Primary School, Windermere£10,066
#20Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School£10,040
#21Calthwaite CofE School£9,938
#22Flookburgh CofE Primary School£9,763
#23Kirkoswald CofE School£9,732
#24Greystoke Primary School£9,611
#25Vickerstown School£9,579
#26St George's CofE School£9,552
#27Temple Sowerby CofE Primary School£9,435
#28Clifton Primary School£9,395
#29Crosscrake CofE Primary School£9,360
#30Beetham CofE Primary School£9,351
#31Grasmere CofE Primary School£9,316
#32Grayrigg CofE School£9,313
#33Burlington CofE School£9,253
#34Orton CofE School£9,204
#35Storth CofE School£9,110
#36Penruddock Primary School£9,083
#37Brough Community Primary School£9,020
#38Bolton Primary School£8,877
#39Armathwaite School£8,656
#40Shap Endowed CofE Primary School£8,654
#41Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Barrow£8,631
#42Goodly Dale Primary School£8,603
#43Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary School£8,572
#44Staveley CofE School£8,539
#45Cambridge Primary School£8,501
#46St Patrick's CofE School£8,319
#47Long Marton School£8,310
#48Crosthwaite CofE School£8,297
#49St Oswald's CofE Primary School£8,183
#50Levens CofE School£8,166
#51Alston Primary School£8,161
#52Church Walk CofE Primary School£8,104
#53Low Furness CofE Primary School£8,104
#54Warcop CofE Primary School£8,101
#55Lindal and Marton Primary School£8,090
#56Morland Area CofE Primary School£8,084
#57Barrow Island Community Primary School£8,018
#58Coniston CofE Primary School£7,922
#59Sir John Barrow School£7,848
#60Arnside National CofE School£7,830
#61Leven Valley CofE Primary School£7,749
#62Ivegill CofE School£7,636
#63Dalton St Mary's CofE Primary School£7,629
#64Plumpton School£7,582
#65Appleby Primary School£7,572
#66Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School, Dalton-In-Furness£7,533
#67Holme Primary School£7,468
#68Skelton School£7,390
#69Broughton CofE Primary and Nursery School£7,363
#70High Hesket CofE School£7,260
#71St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Barrow£7,249
#72Allithwaite CofE Primary School£7,068
#73Askam Village School£7,064
#74St Columba's School£6,887
#75St Martin & St Mary Church of England Primary School£6,877
#76Milnthorpe Primary School£6,818
#77Beaconside CofE Primary School£6,790
#78Roose School£6,766
#79Stainton CofE Primary School£6,763
#80St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Penrith£6,731
#81Parkside Academy£6,633
#82St Mark's CofE Primary School£6,598
#83Kirkby Stephen Primary School£6,508
#84Newbarns Primary and Nursery School£6,423
#85Pennington CofE School£6,419
#86Sedbergh Primary School£6,361
#87Burton Morewood CofE Primary School£6,308
#88Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and Nursery£6,298
#89Ghyllside Primary School£6,274
#90Heron Hill Primary School£6,147
#91Grange CofE Primary School£6,102
#92St Thomas's CofE Primary School£6,044
#93Holy Family Catholic Primary School£6,021
#94St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston£5,937
#95Langwathby CofE Primary School£5,935
#96St Mary's CofE Primary School£5,934
#97Dean Gibson Catholic Primary School, Kendal£5,790
#98Yarlside Academy£5,709
#99Yanwath Primary School£5,145
#100Stramongate Primary School£3,533
#101Castle Park School£3,305

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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