Best Schools in Kendal

How many schools are there in Kendal?

Kendal has 24 open schools: 16 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through, 4 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Kendal are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Kendal were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Cambian Whinfell School, Crosthwaite CofE School and Kendal Nursery School. Counting Good as well, 96% of the 23 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Cambian Whinfell SchoolCrosthwaite CofE SchoolKendal Nursery School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Kendal get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Kendal with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Queen Katherine School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.3 and 44% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Kirkbie Kendal School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.5 and 47% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Sandgate School, with an Attainment 8 score of 0.4 and 0% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Queen Katherine SchoolKirkbie Kendal SchoolSandgate School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Kendal have the best SATs results?

Of the 13 primary schools in Kendal with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Staveley CofE School (91% in reading, 100% in maths); Crosthwaite CofE School (90% in reading, 90% in maths); and St Patrick's CofE School (86% in reading, 93% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Staveley CofE SchoolCrosthwaite CofE SchoolSt Patrick's CofE School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Kendal?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Kendal selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Kendal have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Kendal have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Westmorland and Furness allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Kendal?

Apply to Westmorland and Furness through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.