Queen Elizabeth School

Queen Elizabeth School has demonstrated a good overall performance since its recent inspection, marking the first such evaluation under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school is characterized by a strong culture of scholarship and care, with proud pupils and staff who benefit from a well-organized curriculum that allows for good educational outcomes. Notably, the behaviour and attitudes of students are outstanding, contributing positively to the learning environment. Despite the many strengths, there are areas that require attention, particularly surrounding the support for reading and some inconsistencies in addressing gaps in understanding among students.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupils' and students' achievement.
• Well-thought-out, ambitious, and balanced curriculum.
• Pupils and students feel safe, happy, and supported.
• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes towards learning.
• Strong pastoral support for pupils and students.
• Effective careers guidance and support for future planning.
• Well-resourced libraries and a variety of extracurricular clubs.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not address pupils' misconceptions promptly.
• Inconsistent identification of pupils struggling with reading skills.

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 Queen Elizabeth School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.1% 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, 3.5% of pupils at Queen Elizabeth 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 Queen Elizabeth School had 12.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 50.6% 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, 18.4% of pupils at Queen Elizabeth School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 2024–25 Queen Elizabeth School received £7,434 and spent £7,346 for each of its 1,156 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £512,000 (£443 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Lunesdale Learning Trust, income was £7,777 and spending £7,726 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Queen Elizabeth School is part of Lunesdale Learning Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Queen Elizabeth Studio School

What is Queen Elizabeth School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Queen Elizabeth School is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Queen Elizabeth School last inspected by Ofsted?

Queen Elizabeth School was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Queen Elizabeth School have?

Queen Elizabeth School has 1,155 pupils on roll.

What age range does Queen Elizabeth School cover?

Queen Elizabeth School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Queen Elizabeth School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.4, and 70% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Queen Elizabeth School?

Queen Elizabeth School is at Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire, LA6 2HJ.