The Lakes School

The Lakes School has shown significant improvement since its previous inspection where it was rated as Requires Improvement. The school is now performing at a Good level across multiple areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. Leaders and teachers have established a positive environment that ensures pupils feel safe and supported, while also fostering a sense of responsibility among students. Although most pupils work hard and showcase high standards, there remain some issues with the presentation of their work, affecting their ability to leverage past learning effectively.

Strengths

• Welcoming and supportive school environment
• Effective handling of misbehaviour and bullying
• Improved curriculum leading to higher pupil achievements
• Strong participation in extracurricular activities, including sports and local history projects
• Good support for pupils' personal development

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent expectations for pupils with SEND
• Some disorganization and untidiness in pupils' work
• A small cohort of pupils regularly absent from school

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Lakes School attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 11.2% of pupils at The Lakes School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Lakes School had 15.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.3% of pupils at The Lakes School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 3 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 The Lakes School received £9,398 and spent £9,745 for each of its 445 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £848,000 (-£1,906 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Westmorland And Furness · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

What is The Lakes School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Lakes School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was The Lakes School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Lakes School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does The Lakes School have?

The Lakes School has 445 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Lakes School cover?

The Lakes School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Lakes School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.1, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Lakes School?

The Lakes School is at Troutbeck Bridge, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1HW.