Kendal College, Kendal

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Kendal College on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Contribution to meeting skills needs - Expected standard. "Leaders work strategically with a range of employers and stakeholders to understand local and regional skill gaps."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established an inclusion team that ensures that learners' and apprentices' needs are identified accurately and, for the most part, swiftly."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Since the previous inspection, leaders have reviewed and subsequently strengthened their strategic leadership and governance."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that learners mostly receive the support that they need to make appropriate progress from their starting points."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have a generally accurate understanding of the quality of the curriculum, teaching and training."

Participation and development - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure learners study in safe and collegial learning environments."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to improve qualification achievement rates for young learners and learners with high needs studying GCSE English and mathematics"; "Leaders should implement actions to improve the progress that A-level learners make from their starting points so that they achieve the highest grades"; "Leaders should improve the precision of the targets set for apprentices to ensure that they make rapid progress from their starting points and achieve their apprenticeship in the planned time frame"; "Leaders should continue to implement actions designed to further reduce staff workload".

In its own words: "We are a further education college situated in Kendal on the edge of the Lake District National Park and is the leading training provider in the South Lakes. We specialise in further and higher education and training for businesses at all levels, including apprenticeships and NVQ training, sales, marketing, management, finance and business training."

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 11 November 2026, an open evening on Monday 7 December 2026, an open evening on Tuesday 16 March 2027 and an open evening on Tuesday 18 May 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

Of the 741 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 14% went on to university or other higher education, 17% to apprenticeships and 43% into work. 5% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

The nearest railway station is Station Entrance, about 1 mile away in a straight line.

15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is College (outside), 60 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Kendal College stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 126 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11), as is usual near a town centre.