Carnforth High School, Carnforth

Ofsted's report card from its 14 April 2026 inspection grades Carnforth High School on 6 areas: 4 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders and staff have prioritised improving pupils' attendance."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "This is an inclusive school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders and those responsible for governance understand the needs of the school and its community."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's personal development programme is well planned and logically ordered."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils' attainment in public examinations at the end of key stage 4 has been typically below the national average."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teachers generally check learning well to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently use assessment information to adapt their teaching so that gaps in pupils' knowledge are closed effectively"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers set suitably ambitious tasks, so that pupils develop a deeper knowledge of the curriculum and achieve what they are capable of"; "Leaders should continue their work to improve pupils' attendance so that attendance rates rise consistently"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance should closely monitor the impact of the actions taken to improve aspects of the school. This is to ensure that there is consistent improvement over time".

In its own words: "Our vision and values are part of everything we do at Carnforth High School, both in and out of the classroom. An overview of the school's senior leadership team, their roles and how to contact them."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include drama, chess, STEM, cooking, art, knitting, debating and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at Carnforth High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Lancashire and 47 across England.

37% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Lancashire and 47% in England.

That is up from 39.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.29: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 35.5, against 46.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.

For September 2026 entry, 100 families put Carnforth High School as their first choice and 569 named it as one of their preferences, for 135 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Carnforth High School is one of 6 schools run by The Bay Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.2 in 2024/25.

Of the 116 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 60% to a further education college, 10% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

4.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Carnforth Rail Station, about 730 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is High School (outside), 80 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 39 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lancashire (109).

In 2024/25, Carnforth High School issued 400 suspensions, 58.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Carnforth High School are Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Carnforth (under 0.1 miles); Carnforth Christ Church, Church of England, Voluntary Aided Primary School (0.3 miles); Carnforth Community Primary School (0.3 miles); and Over Kellet Wilson's Endowed Church of England Primary School (1.2 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.