Lancaster High School

Central Lancaster High has demonstrated a solid performance as it undergoes its first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school is rated as good in all key areas including the quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Notably, the school has been able to create an ambitious curriculum that effectively supports a diverse student body, including those with special educational needs. However, some challenges remain, particularly regarding student attendance and the consistent delivery of the personal, social, and health education curriculum.

Strengths

• High-quality education delivered by staff with high expectations.
• Strong leadership and support from the overseeing trust.
• Thoughtfully designed curriculums that facilitate step-by-step knowledge acquisition.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND, allowing them to succeed.
• Successful implementation of behavior policies leading to a calm learning environment.
• Comprehensive personal development program with opportunities for extra-curricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Minority of pupils have inconsistent experiences in PSHE education.
• Some pupils exhibit persistent absenteeism, hindering their learning.

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 Lancaster High School attended 85.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 42.1% 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, 18.1% of pupils at Lancaster High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 pupils were 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 Lancaster High School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.5% 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, 23.3% of pupils at Lancaster High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.9% 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 2024–25 Lancaster High School received £11,790 and spent £11,704 for each of its 594 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £3,000 (-£4 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of The Bay Learning Trust, income was £8,281 and spending £8,251 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 Lancaster · Lancashire local authority: places and applications

Lancaster High School is part of The Bay Learning Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy Lancaster
• Morecambe Bay Academy Morecambe
• Carnforth High School Carnforth
• Barnacre Road Primary School Longridge
• Longridge High School Preston

What is Lancaster High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lancaster High School is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.

When was Lancaster High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lancaster High School was last inspected in October 2023.

How many pupils does Lancaster High School have?

Lancaster High School has 567 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lancaster High School cover?

Lancaster High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Lancaster High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.8, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Lancaster High School?

Lancaster High School is at Crag Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 3LS.