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Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith

Penrith, CA11 7EG · Westmorland and Furness · Grammar school

Ofsted: Good · 2023 ★ Selective Mixed Secondary
OfstedGood
Pupils1036
FSM4.8%
Progress 8+0.35
A-level avgB-
Test boardConsortium: N/A
AI summary of the Ofsted report Inspected 2023-03-29 · Tap to collapse

Generated by AI from the official inspection report — not written by Ofsted or SchoolsGPT staff. Always read the full Ofsted PDF before relying on this summary.

Overview:

Pupils are happy to attend school, with high rates of attendance, and value the trusting and respectful relationships they have with staff. Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum, and pupils rise to expectations, try their best and achieve well. The school is a hive of activity, with many pupils joining in with extra-curricular clubs and activities.

Strengths:

  • Pupils are happy to attend school, with high rates of attendance.
  • Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum to ensure that pupils can live up to their aspirations.
  • Pupils value the support they receive from staff, who provide accurate explanations and present new ideas with clarity.
  • The school has a suitable programme to support pupils' and students' wider development, including careers advice and guidance.

Areas to improve:

  • Some subject leaders are not equipped well enough to support teachers to design and deliver some aspects of the curriculum with confidence.
  • Some teachers, particularly those at the earliest stages of their teaching careers, do not receive sufficient support to design learning well.

Safeguarding:

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders aware of the risks that pupils and students may face, and staff receiving regular and appropriate safeguarding training.

Open official report ↗

Catchment / designated area

(a) Designated catchment area, ranked by entrance-test score; (b) all other areas, ranked by proximity to school

Source: https://qegspenrith.education/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Queen-Elizabeth-Grammar-School-Admission-Policy-2025-2026.pdf

Ofsted judgement breakdown (2023-01-24)

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Effectiveness of leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding is effective?
Yes
Sixth form provision (where applicable)
Good

Oversubscription criteria

  1. Looked after — Looked After/Previously Looked After Children (incl. state care outside England)
  2. Sibling — Current Family Association: sibling attending the school at time of admission
  3. Pupil premium — Up to 10 places (2 per form group, PAN 160): Pupil Premium/Service Premium students
  4. Staff child — Children of permanent QEGS staff employed ≥2 years
  5. Catchment then distance — (a) Designated catchment area, ranked by entrance-test score; (b) all other areas, ranked by proximity to school

What the entrance test covers

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith uses GL Assessment papers: two multiple-choice papers of around 50 minutes each, covering English (reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation, grammar) and related reasoning/maths content. Register directly with the school in Year 5; the test is sat in September of Year 6 with results in October, before the 31 October application deadline. Check the school's admissions page for the current year's exact paper structure and dates.

University destinations

Oxbridge
6%
Russell Group
45%
Top-third university
55%
Any degree
89%

Of the 105-student 2019/20 leaver cohort, sustaining a higher-education destination the following year. This is the last cohort the Department for Education published with an Oxbridge/Russell Group breakdown — these categories were discontinued as official accountability measures after this release, so a more recent figure does not exist.

Similar schools nearby

Same area, prioritising the same phase — useful for shortlisting alternatives.

Ullswater Community College 0.4 mi · Secondary · Good Penrith, CA11 8NG North Lakes School 0.3 mi · Primary · Good Penrith, CA11 8NU Brunswick School 0.4 mi · Primary · Good Penrith, CA11 7LX St Catherine's Catholic Primary School, Penrith 0.6 mi · Primary · Good PENRITH, CA11 9EL Beaconside CofE Primary School 0.8 mi · Primary · Good Penrith, CA11 8EN Yanwath Primary School 1.3 mi · Primary · Good Penrith, CA10 2LA

Data sourced from GIAS, Ofsted and official Westmorland and Furness admissions publications. Figures can change year to year — always confirm with the school before applying.

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