Furness Academy

Furness Academy
Address
Map
Park Drive

Barrow-in-Furness
,
Cumbria
,
LA13 9BB

England
Coordinates54°07′05″N 3°12′49″W / 54.118117°N 3.213487°W / 54.118117; -3.213487
Information
TypeAcademy
MottoAt the heart of the Barrow Community
Established2009
Local authorityWestmorland and Furness
SpecialistSTEM and Sport
Department for Education URN135940 Tables
OfstedReports
GenderCo-educational
Age11 to 16
Enrolment1150
Colour(s)   
Websitehttp://www.furnessacademy.co.uk/

Furness Academy is a secondary school in Barrow-in-Furness, England. It is the fourth academy to have been formed in the county of Cumbria after the closure of Alfred Barrow School, Parkview Community College of Technology and Thorncliffe School in 2009. Having utilised numerous buildings of the former Parkview and Thorncliffe Schools since 2009, a single £22 million building opened in the Parkside area of the town in September 2013.[1]

Since opening, Furness Academy has gained a somewhat tarnished reputation from having the highest exclusion rate in England (between 2009 and 2010),[2] and a number of Ofsted reports that judged it as inadequate.[3] The 2012 report led to the academy unsuccessfully challenging Ofsted in the High Court,[3] and the 2013 report led to the school's being placed in 'special measures' and the suspension of the academy's principal.[4]

The school was successfully moved out of special measures in 2015.[5] It also celebrated its best ever GCSE results in summer 2015.

In 2019, Furness Academy successfully merged with the Inspired Learning Trust, to form Furness Education Trust. This multi academy Trust comprises Furness Academy, Parkside Academy, Victoria Academy, Yarlside Academy and South Cumbria School Direct.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Redevelopment was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Exclusion was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference court was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference suspended was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Ofsted Report" (PDF).[permanent dead link]