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Best secondary schools in Westmorland and Furness

19 of 20 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Westmorland and Furness schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 John Ruskin School Coniston 0.5 Good about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
2 Settlebeck School Sedbergh 0.45 Not judged declining about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 Queen Elizabeth School 0.37 Good about even 1.04 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith Penrith grammar 0.35 Good about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Kirkbie Kendal School Kendal 0.12 Good about even 1.06 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
6 The Queen Katherine School Kendal hidden gem 0.08 Good about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
7 Appleby Grammar School Appleby-in-Westmorland 0.01 Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 Ullswater Community College Penrith hidden gem 0.01 Good improving about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 Kirkby Stephen Grammar School Kirkby Stephen -0.02 Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
10 Cartmel Priory CofE School Grange-over-Sands hidden gem -0.08 Good about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 The Lakes School Windermere hidden gem -0.11 Good about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
12 Ulverston Victoria High School Ulverston -0.11 Not judged improving about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 Samuel King's School Alston -0.24 Good about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
14 Dowdales School Dalton-in-Furness hidden gem -0.29 Good declining about even 0.96 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 Furness Academy Barrow-in-Furness -0.36 Good improving about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
16 Dallam School Cumbria -0.43 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
17 Queen Elizabeth Studio School -0.48 Good — approximate
18 St Bernards Catholic High School, Barrow Barrow-in-Furness hidden gem -0.63 Good undersubscribed 0.79 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
19 Walney School Barrow-in-Furness -1.2 Not judged improving about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate

Also in Westmorland and Furness

1 further secondary school with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Westmorland and Furness, not a fairer one.

Applying in Westmorland and Furness

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Westmorland and Furness admission criteria.

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