Ofsted: Expected standard trending_up Places Available emoji_events #5 in Westmorland and Furness public Top 20% UK

The Queen Katherine School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

person Mr Jon Hayes (Headteacher)

corporate_fareCUMBRIA EDUCATION TRUST

location_onKendal, LA9 6PJ

language Visit Website phone 01539743900

verified

Ofsted

Expected standard

Inspected 2026

groups

Students

950

trending_up

Attainment 8

49.3

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GCSE Rank

#5 in Westmorland and Furness

#1,252 of 4,024 nationally

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The Queen Katherine School is a Academy converter secondary school in Kendal, serving ages 11-19. Assessed at Expected standard by Ofsted on its latest Report Card inspection.

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School Summary

The Queen Katherine School is an academy converter in Kendal, Westmorland and Furness, admitting pupils aged 11-19. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of CUMBRIA EDUCATION TRUST. The school has approximately 910 pupils on roll, of whom 16% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2026, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 49.3, placing the school #5 in Westmorland and Furness and #1,252 of 4,024 nationally. 44.30% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 23.2% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 14 A-level subjects. 54.9% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 27.5% at A*–A. In the 2022/23 leavers cohort, 32.4% progressed to Top-Third Higher Education institutions (ranked #298 nationally), out of 32.9% progressing to higher education overall. A-level value added: -0.32 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2026. The school's current overall rating is Expected standard. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Expected standard, behaviour and attitudes Strong standard, personal development Strong standard, and leadership and management Strong standard.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 1.0× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 18.7:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 4.9 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2026

Attainment 8 Score

49.3

across 8 GCSE slots

Grade 5+ E&M

44.30%

Grade 4+ E&M

62.30%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)23.2%

5+ GCSEs (4+ incl. E&M)60.70%

Triple Science Entry23.00%

EBacc Slot Score14.6 / 30

2025

Attainment 8 Score

48.8

across 8 GCSE slots

Grade 5+ E&M

49.70%

Grade 4+ E&M

67.30%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)23.1%

Entering EBacc30.30%

EBacc APS4.27

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.08

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

49.1

Grade 5+ E&M

45.00%

Entering EBacc36.30%

EBacc APS4.28

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.33

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

50.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc35%

EBacc APS4.42

2022

Progress 8 Score

0.32

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

54.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc22%

EBacc APS4.6

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.02

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

48.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc13%

EBacc APS4.13

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.11

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

52.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc18%

EBacc APS4.51

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2026

Stayed in Education / Employment

93.8%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)85%

Apprenticeships6.3%

Employment2.5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)5.6%

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

99%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)82%

Apprenticeships6%

Employment10%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)1%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

99%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)90%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)1%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)87%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment7%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)91%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)87%

Apprenticeships7%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.32

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

B-

Students

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*7.7%

Achieving A*–A27.5%

Achieving A*–B54.9%

VA Banding Below average

Retention rate95.4%

A-level subjects offered14

2024

A-Level Value Added

+0.15

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

B-

Students

Retention rate92.90%

Post-18 Destinations 90.4% sustained

school Higher Education (University) 32.9%

handshake Apprenticeships 11%

work Employment 39.7%

Not sustained / NEET6.8%

2023

Avg Grade

B-

Students

Retention rate93.20%

Post-18 Destinations (2022/23 leavers)91.9% sustained

school Higher Education (University) 45.9%

stars Top-Third Universities 32.4%

handshake Apprenticeships 9.5%

work Employment 27%

Not sustained / NEET8.1%

2022

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate98.7%

Post-18 Destinations 82.6% sustained

school Higher Education (University) 53.3%

handshake Apprenticeships 3.3%

work Employment 25%

Not sustained / NEET15.2%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results & 16-19 Destination Measures

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Ranking History & Trajectory

National & Local Authority position based on DfE performance data · Methodology

Year	Secondary Overall (Nat)	LA Rank	GCSE Attainment	Progress 8 Rank	A-Level VA	Top-Third Uni	Overall Uni (HE)
2026	#1,022 / 4,024	#5	#1,252	#1	—	#298	#2,322
2025	#762 / 3,948	#4	#1,302	#1	#2,044	#298	#2,322
2024	#925 / 4,450	#6	#1,259	#1,381	#596	#298	#2,322
2023	#700 / 4,321	#3	#1,076	#765	—	—	#1,808
2022	#629 / 4,199	#5	#854	#781	—	—	#1,547
2019	#1,189 / 2,711	#8	#1,068	#1,325	—	—	—
2018	#788 / 2,537	#5	#568	#1,083	—	—	—

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

06 May 2026

Inspection Report

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30 March 2022

Inspection Report

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22 May 2018

Inspection Report

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05 December 2017

Inspection Report

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11 July 2017

Inspection Report

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07 December 2016

Inspection Report

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12 May 2015

Inspection Report

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14 February 2012

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

7 Evaluations

2026-05-06

S5 Inspection REIF Report Card

Report Card

info

Why no single overall grade?

From autumn 2024 / 2025, Ofsted replaced single-word headline grades (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate) with individual area judgements on a Report Card.

Curriculum & Teaching

Expected standard

Achievement

Expected standard

Attendance & Behaviour

Strong standard

Personal Development

Strong standard

Inclusion

Strong standard

Leadership & Governance

Strong standard

Post-16 Provision

Strong standard

verified_user Safeguarding: Met

2022-03-30

Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1 EIF

Good

Education

Good

Behaviour

Good

Development

Good

Leadership

Good

verified_user Safeguarding: Met

2018-05-22

Schools into Special Measures Visit 3 Legacy

Requires improvement

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Requires improvement

verified_user Safeguarding: Met

2017-12-05

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

2017-07-11

None Legacy

No Judgement

Education

No Judgement

2016-12-07

None Legacy

Inadequate

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Inadequate

2011-03-16

None Legacy

Outstanding

Education

Outstanding

Leadership

Outstanding

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

4.8%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

2.6%(24 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 917 pupils. During this period, there were 44 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 4.8%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	917	44	4.8%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	929	46	5.0%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	933	17	1.8%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	936	39	4.2%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	940	52	5.5%	8.2%	1
2022/23 (Summer term)	950	53	5.6%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	950	43	4.5%	6.4%	1
2022/23 (Autumn term)	963	56	5.8%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	948	40	4.2%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	953	35	3.7%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	952	36	3.8%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	984	15	1.5%	3.6%	1
2020/21 (Spring term)	991	5	0.5%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	986	19	1.9%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,041	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,041	13	1.2%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,043	19	1.8%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,068	18	1.7%	3.1%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,079	25	2.3%	3.8%	3
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,087	60	5.5%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,110	34	3.1%	3.4%	1
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,111	22	2.0%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,119	41	3.7%	3.7%	1
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,210	34	2.8%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,217	53	4.4%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,221	52	4.3%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Specific Learning Difficulty 66 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 43 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 30 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 22 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 14 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 5 pupils

Hearing Impairment 2 pupils

Physical Disability 1 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

Overall, how do parents view this school?

77%Positive

My child is happy at this school.

80%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

83%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

When bullying took place, the school dealt with it quickly and effectively.

strongly agree33%

agree19%

disagree11%

strongly disagree14%

not applicable81%

Neither agree nor disagree22%

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree38%

agree38%

disagree7%

strongly disagree4%

Neither agree nor disagree13%

When the school makes decisions it has the child's best interests at heart.

strongly agree40%

agree26%

Neither agree nor disagree12%

disagree12%

strongly disagree7%

Don't know2%

The school gives my child the right support to enable them to learn well.

strongly agree39%

agree34%

Neither agree nor disagree9%

disagree9%

strongly disagree7%

Don't know2%

The school communicates well with me about the things I need to know.

strongly agree45%

agree32%

disagree9%

strongly disagree6%

Neither agree nor disagree8%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly.

strongly agree44%

agree24%

disagree7%

strongly disagree9%

don't know1%

not applicable9%

Neither agree nor disagree7%

Does your child have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)?

yes27%

no73%

My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree42%

agree21%

disagree21%

strongly disagree15%

Neither agree nor disagree2%

Would you recommend this school to another parent?

yes80%

no20%

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School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ranking History & Trajectory

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

Overall, how do parents view this school?

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

When bullying took place, the school dealt with it quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

When the school makes decisions it has the child's best interests at heart.

The school gives my child the right support to enable them to learn well.

The school communicates well with me about the things I need to know.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly.

Does your child have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND)?

My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

Would you recommend this school to another parent?

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Westmorland and Furness

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith

Queen Elizabeth School

Cartmel Priory CofE School

Ulverston Victoria High School

Kirkbie Kendal School

Kirkby Stephen Grammar School