Best Schools in Lancashire

How many schools are there in Lancashire?

Lancashire has 1273 open schools: 905 state primary, 158 state secondary or all-through, 56 independent, 91 special and 63 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Lancashire are rated Outstanding?

159 schools in Lancashire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Lancaster University School of Mathematics, Winstanley College, East Lancashire Learning Group, Rainbow Hub School, Olive High Boys and 154 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 1057 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.

Lancaster University School of MathematicsWinstanley CollegeEast Lancashire Learning GroupRainbow Hub SchoolOlive High Boys

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Lancashire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 169 schools in Lancashire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Lancaster Girls' Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 72.1 and 96% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Lancaster Royal Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 71.6 and 94% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Clitheroe Royal Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 70.8 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Lancaster Girls' Grammar SchoolLancaster Royal Grammar SchoolClitheroe Royal Grammar School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Lancashire have the best SATs results?

13 of the 821 primary schools in Lancashire with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths, among them Arnside National CofE School, Austwick Church of England VA Primary School and Bowness Primary School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Arnside National CofE SchoolAustwick Church of England VA Primary SchoolBowness Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Lancashire?

Yes. Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, Lancaster Girls' Grammar School and Lancaster Royal Grammar School are state grammar schools in Lancashire. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Clitheroe Royal Grammar SchoolLancaster Girls' Grammar SchoolLancaster Royal Grammar School

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Lancashire?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Bury and Salford published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Chantlers Primary School, 0.386 miles for 2026 entry; Woodhey High School, 1.909 miles for 2026 entry; Cams Lane Primary School, 1.001 miles for 2025 entry; Hazel Wood High School, 1.43 miles for 2024 entry; Willow Tree Primary School, 0.314 miles for 2021 entry. We hold figures for 6 schools in Lancashire; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Chantlers Primary SchoolWoodhey High SchoolCams Lane Primary SchoolHazel Wood High SchoolWillow Tree Primary School

Source: Bury admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Lancashire?

Apply to your council - Lancashire, Bolton or Wigan, depending on your address - 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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.