Ludlow Church of England School, Ludlow

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Ludlow Church of England School. As the only secondary school in Ludlow, we are privileged to serve this wonderful town and local area. We understand that all schools are always on a journey of improvement, as are the young people in our care."

In 2026, pupils at Ludlow Church of England School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.7 in Shropshire and 47 across England.

28% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 35% in Shropshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 41.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.47: 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 30.2, against 43.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 115 families put Ludlow Church of England School as their first choice and 158 named it as one of their preferences, for 118 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Ludlow Church of England School is one of 21 schools run by Diocese of Hereford Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

94 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ludlow Church of England School (as of September 2025): 32% would recommend the school, 57% say their child is happy there and 31% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (67%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (25%).

Of the 110 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 52% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

4.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 91 pupils (14.5%) received SEN support and 16 (2.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Ludlow Rail Station, about 1080 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School Grounds (adjacent), 60 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 60 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Shropshire (10), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Ludlow Church of England School issued 243 suspensions, 39 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Ludlow Church of England School are St Laurence CofE Primary School (1 mile) and Ludlow Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.