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Dalton-in-Furness, North West
Dowdales School is a secondary community school in Dalton-in-Furness, North West.
Government data shown for the 2024/25 academic year
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Dowdales School is a secondary community school in Dalton-in-Furness, North West. It has not yet been rated by students on y.school. Be the first to rate this community school and help other students and parents understand what the school experience is really like.
In terms of academic performance, Dowdales School has a Progress 8 score of -0.29 (below the national average), an Attainment 8 score of 44.1, 59% of students achieving grade 4+ in English and Maths.
The school has 413 pupils on roll, a teacher turnover rate of 5.4%, 16% of pupils eligible for free school meals, an overall absence rate of 10.1%.
All student scores on y.school are calculated from anonymous ratings using a transparent, deterministic methodology. Scores are freshness-weighted (18-month half-life) and include confidence tiers based on sample size, diversity, and consistency. For full details, see the y.school methodology.
Profile completeness: 4 of 8 data domains · Partial coverage
5.6
Average
/ 10
Data Score
Computed from 16 government data points. Not based on student reviews.
Source: DfE / Ofsted · context onlyGovernment data is shown for context and does not influence the student-review Student Score. Small schools can show extreme percentages from small sample sizes.
Latest government data shown is for the 2024/25 academic year; some figures cover earlier years.
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Dowdales School has a Progress 8 score of -0.29, which is below the national average of 0. Progress 8 measures how much progress students make between the end of Key Stage 2 and their GCSE results, compared to students with similar starting points nationally.
The school's Attainment 8 score is 44.1. Attainment 8 measures the average achievement of students across 8 qualifications including English, Maths, three EBacc subjects, and three open group qualifications.
59% of students at Dowdales School achieved grade 4 or above in both English and Maths GCSEs.
Dowdales School has an overall absence rate of 10.1%. The national average for secondary schools was approximately 8.5% (DfE, 2023/24).
The teacher turnover rate at Dowdales School is 5.4%. This measures the percentage of teachers who left the school in the past year.
Dowdales School has 413 pupils on roll.
16% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is used as a proxy for socioeconomic disadvantage.
24% of pupils receive SEN (Special Educational Needs) support or have an Education, Health and Care plan.
Based on the latest government data. Every child is different — use this as a starting point, not a verdict.
In context — vs similar-intake schools
Bottom 25% for its intakeDowdales School is in the bottom 25% for Progress 8 among schools with a similar intake (11–17% of pupils eligible for free school meals).
Compared with 697 schools nationally that have a similar share of disadvantaged pupils (11–17% of pupils eligible for free school meals). Raw league-table positions are heavily shaped by intake; this comparison isolates how a school performs relative to others facing similar circumstances. Progress 8 already accounts for prior attainment. Source: Department for Education.
See the schools that most outperform their intakeSchools like this one
Matched on the share of disadvantaged pupils plus special-needs, English-as-an-additional-language and school size — so you can compare like with like, not just by postcode.
National percentiles (100 = best) for the area around the school · 5/5 measures · Police.uk, DEFRA, NaPTAN, DfT STATS19, MHCLG IoD 2025.
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