Queen Elizabeth School, Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale
Queen Elizabeth School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale, part of Lunesdale Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 2nd-highest of the 20 schools in Westmorland and Furness with published results, and 319th of 3,298 across England. It was 78% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 offers for September 2027: Monday 1 March 2027
Applications closed on 31 October. Late applications are still accepted but considered after on-time ones.
Data last updated 1 Nov 2026
Queen Elizabeth School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Queen Elizabeth School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 58.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.8 in Westmorland and Furness and 47 across England.
70% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Westmorland and Furness and 47% in England.
That is down from 59.6 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.37: pupils made above 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 51.1, against 59.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at Queen Elizabeth School
For September 2026 entry, 258 families put Queen Elizabeth School as their first choice and 461 named it as one of their preferences, for 248 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 18 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Queen Elizabeth School
The trust
Queen Elizabeth School is one of 2 schools run by Lunesdale Learning Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
60 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Queen Elizabeth School (as of September 2026): 83% would recommend the school, 77% say their child is happy there and 40% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (85%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (40%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 106 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 97% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 26% to a further education college and 1% into work.
Of the 107 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 40% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 43% into work. 32% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
8.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Queen Elizabeth School had 103 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Queen Elizabeth School.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Queen Elizabeth School (outside), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Queen Elizabeth School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 6 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Westmorland and Furness (11).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Queen Elizabeth School issued 98 suspensions, 8.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
8.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
60 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.37 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 57.9 to 58.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 64% to 70% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 58.4 | 69.8% |
| Disadvantaged(10) | - | 51.1 | 40% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(116) | - | 59.1 | 72.4% |
| Boys(57) | - | 55.7 | 63.2% |
| Girls(69) | - | 60.7 | 75.4% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(125) | - | 58.3 | 69.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 106 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.09%
Exclusion rate
98
Suspensions
8.48%
Suspension rate
41 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,156 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Keep up with Queen Elizabeth School
Nurseries
The nearest nurseries and pre-schools to Queen Elizabeth School, with their latest published grades:
- Smile Day Nursery & Out of School Club - Day nursery, 0.5 milesOfsted, 28 October 2024: Good overall; safeguarding is effective
- The Mulberry Bush at Casterton - Day nursery, 1.4 miles
Term dates
Queen Elizabeth School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Westmorland and Furness's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Queen Elizabeth School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Queen Elizabeth School is in Westmorland and Furness; for families living there:
- Westmorland and Furness's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy 2027 to 2028 (Reception to Year 11)
- How to apply: Apply for school transport (Reception to Year 11)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight are DfT estimates (severity adjustment). Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Queen Elizabeth School
Will you get a place at Queen Elizabeth School?
For 2026 entry it had 258 first choices for 248 places. The report sets your home postcode against these figures.
£9.99 once (inc. VAT; £19.99 for up to three schools), or Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time. What's in the report
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
78%
Available places
1,150 pupils
1,467 places
317 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Across Westmorland and Furness council
Places available
2,857
Applications
1,903
Got 1st preference
96.4%
Got preferred school
99.5%
All secondary applications across Westmorland and Furness council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Future places in the local planning area
DfE estimates the South Cumbria planning area (Westmorland and Furness) will have 625 spare secondary places in 2027/28.
Source: Department for Education, School capacity: Academic year 2024/25 (published 19 March 2026), estimates of future school place demand by planning area. Council pupil forecasts against reported places, counting places councils and DfE plan to add or remove; rounded to whole places. Explore Education Statistics
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
213
SEN Support
46
EHC Plans
22.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,155
Total Pupils
562
Boys
593
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
103
Teachers
11.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,196
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,518
Per pupil
£6876k
Total funding
£99k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
19.1%
Persistent absence
1,047
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Queen Elizabeth School
Questions parents ask about Queen Elizabeth School
What are GCSE results like at Queen Elizabeth School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Queen Elizabeth School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 58.4. 70% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Queen Elizabeth School's Ofsted rating?
Queen Elizabeth School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2022. At its previous graded inspection in 2008 it was rated Outstanding.
Is it hard to get a place at Queen Elizabeth School?
Queen Elizabeth School was not full in 2025: it ran at 78% of its 1467 places.
How big are the classes at Queen Elizabeth School?
Classes at Queen Elizabeth School average 19.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Queen Elizabeth School?
Queen Elizabeth School has around 1155 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Queen Elizabeth School?
6.9% of sessions were missed at Queen Elizabeth School in 2024/25. 19.1% of pupils were persistently absent.
How many road collisions happen near Queen Elizabeth School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. The typical figure for schools in Westmorland and Furness is 3 (the median across 161 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Queen Elizabeth School?
Queen Elizabeth School is at Kirkby Lonsdale, Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancashire, LA6 2HJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)