Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected categories. The school has effectively designed an ambitious curriculum that caters to all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), which has helped students achieve well. Pupils express satisfaction with their learning environment, highlighting the supportive relationships they build with staff and the school's prompt action in addressing any incidents of bullying. The leadership team has strengthened notably in recent months, fostering a positive school culture and prioritizing staff well-being.

Strengths

• High pupil attendance and positive relationships between pupils and staff.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum designed for all pupils.
• Effective support systems for pupils with SEND.
• Wide-ranging extra-curricular activities that enhance student engagement.
• Strong leadership and governance that challenges and supports school improvement.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subject leaders lack the necessary support to confidently deliver aspects of the curriculum.

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 Grammar School Penrith attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 10.1% 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, 2.2% of pupils at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith 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 Grammar School Penrith had 18.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.5% 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, 4.9% of pupils at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 0.9% 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 2022–23 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith received £8,354 and spent £8,131 for each of its 765 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £812,000 (-£1,061 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Changing Lives Learning Trust, income was £8,429 and spending £8,769 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 Penrith · Westmorland and Furness local authority: places and applications

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is part of Changing Lives Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Kirkby Thore School Penrith
• Settlebeck School Sedbergh
• Dearham Primary School Maryport
• Arlecdon Primary School Frizington
• Flimby Primary School Maryport
• West Lakes Academy Egremont
• Thornhill Primary School Egremont
• St Bees Village Primary School St Bees

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith last inspected by Ofsted?

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith have?

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith has 1,026 pupils on roll.

What age range does Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith cover?

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith for pupils aged 11 to 18.

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

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 65.2, and 85% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith?

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is at Ullswater Road, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7EG.