School profile

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith

Secondary · Academy converter · Penrith, CA11 7EG

Good

Map showing Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#150 of 3,312

Better than 95% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

A-level 2024/25

#744 of 2,536

Better than 70% of schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 24 Jan 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,026
GenderMixed
Admissions policySelective
Head teacherHeadteacher David Marchant
TrustCHANGING LIVES LEARNING TRUST
Local authorityWestmorland and Furness
Opened01 May 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136732.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolWestmorland and FurnessEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.65.2, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness44.946.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.93.7%, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness63.4%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.85.4%, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness42.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.38.6%, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness8.7%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths91.1%, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness58.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4158--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolWestmorland and FurnessEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.37.14, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness32.7935
Average A-level gradeB---
Average points, best three A-levels36.91, similar to England, better than Westmorland and Furness33.2335.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB---
AAB or better22.3%, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness15.5%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.0.06, similar to England--
A-level progressAverage, similar to England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study124--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.z--

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,026
Girls472
Boys554
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.4.3%
First language not English8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,065
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.3.7%
Sixth form places2024/25240
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.50
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.9
Average class size21.6

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
81.2%
Other White
4.5%
White and Asian
2.9%
Indian
2.6%
Other mixed
1.6%
African
1.4%
Other Asian
1.3%
Chinese
1.2%
Other ethnic group
1%
White and Black African
0.9%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher18.3
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.8
Teachers (FTE)56.19
Teaching assistants (FTE)8
Support staff (FTE)29.05
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2558.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2548.6
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.6

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.158
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.227
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.175
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.158
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)87

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolWestmorland and FurnessEngland
Overall absence5.2%, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.8.7%, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness20.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.2%, better than England, better than Westmorland and Furness3.3%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate2.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions2.2%
Permanent exclusion rate0.1%
Permanent exclusions1

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.98.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.94.4%
School sixth form82%
Further education12.4%
Employment2.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.1.9%
Apprenticeship1.2%
Sixth form college0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.83.2%
Higher education46%
Employment26.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.14.2%
Apprenticeship6.2%
Further education3.5%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryNorth Lakes SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.4 miSecondaryUllswater Community CollegeFoundation school
Good
0.4 miPrimaryBrunswick SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimarySt Catherine's Catholic Primary School, PenrithAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryBeaconside CofE Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.3 miPrimaryYanwath Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.4 miNot applicableHunter Hall SchoolOther independent school
Unrated

Frequently asked questions about Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith

What is Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith's Ofsted rating?

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 24 Jan 2023.

How does Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith rank in England?

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith ranks 150 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 95% of schools) and 744 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (better than 70% of schools).

What are Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 85.4% of pupils at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 65.2 (England 46.2).

What are Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith was B-, and 22.3% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith made 158 offers from 227 applications (1.4 per offer), and 158 of 175 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith?

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith has 1,026 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith?

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith had 1,065 school places in 2024/25.

Does Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith have a sixth form?

Yes, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith has a sixth form with 240 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith?

At Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith, the average class had 21.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18.3 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith?

In 2025/26, pupils at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith missed 5.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 8.7% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.