Parkside Academy

School overview

Parkside Academy is a primary school serving BARROW-in-FURNESS, Westmorland and Furness, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. It has 281 pupils aged 2 to 11 on roll. Ofsted rated the school 'Good' in January 2026. 71% of its pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2, above the national average (national figure: 61%). The proportion reaching the expected standard has risen by 15.0 percentage points year on year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 39% of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 105 in reading and 105 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 7% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). Getting a place is straightforward: for the September 2026 intake every family who made Parkside Academy their first choice was offered one of its 27 Reception places. Overall pupil absence was 4.0%. There are about 33.5 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 42% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.