Head: David Marchant
An accessible co-educational grammar school in Westmorland and Furness with a Good Ofsted rating.
0
Year 7 Places
0.0:1
Applicants/Place
0
Pupils
Max Score
280
Applications
241
Offers Made
153
Catchment, then Score
Catchment area students get priority. Within catchment, places by test score.
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School's designated catchment area
Local Authorities
Postcode Areas
Sibling Priority
Pupil Premium
10 places
Out-of-Area
Appeals Deadline
2026-03-30
Process
Using the Notice of Appeal form provided by the school, appeal applications should be made to: Chair of Governors, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Ullswater Road, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7EG.
Waiting List
A waiting list will be maintained, in accordance with the over-subscription criteria, for applicants who have achieved the required standard in the entrance test. Each time an applicant qualifies for the waiting list, it will be re-ranked using the oversubscription criteria.
1. Register
1 May 2026
2. Take Test
Other Standalone
3. Results
19 Oct 2026
4. Offer Day
1 Mar 2027
This school uses its own 11+ entrance test, testing Verbal Reasoning, Maths, Non-Verbal Reasoning. multiple-choice and written response questions. School uses FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise) test for Year 7 entry. The test evaluates application of knowledge and skills from KS2 subjects taught up to and including the Year 5 programme of study. Founded in 1564 by Royal Charter, currently has 1040 students on roll with 236 in sixth form. School report shows overall effectiveness as Good in 2023 Ofsted inspection.
Registration Opens
Registration opens for the 11+ exam
1 May 2026
Open Evening
Open Evening: Tuesday 23 rd June 5-8pm
23 Jun 2026
5:00pm
Registration Deadline
Final day to register for the 11+ exam
15 Jul 2026
Exam Date
11+ entrance exam
19 Sep 2026
9:00am
Results Released
11+ results released to parents
19 Oct 2026
CAF Deadline
Common Application Form deadline (all LAs)
31 Oct 2026
National Offer Day
National Offer Day — places confirmed
1 Mar 2027
64.7
Attainment 8
86.9%
Grade 5+ Eng & Maths
The school's 2025 results at a glance — GCSE (Key Stage 4) and A-Level (sixth form) shown separately. Each tile shows the latest figure and how it moved on the year before.
64.7
Attainment 8
Average achievement across 8 qualifications
87%
English + Maths 5+
Grade 5 or above in both
96%
English + Maths 4+
Grade 4 or above in both
64%
EBacc Entry
Entered the English Baccalaureate suite
6.00
EBacc APS
Average points across EBacc subjects
B-
Avg A-Level Grade
Average grade achieved across all A-Level entries
37.1
A-Level avg points
Average point score per entry (A* = 60, A = 50, B = 40)
22.3%
AAB+ at A-Level
Achieved AAB or better in their best three A-Levels — a key benchmark for Russell Group entry
The same numbers in context — against the England state-funded average, the typical grammar school, and grammars with a similar intake.
Bar shows this school. Ticks mark the England state-funded average (grey) and the typical grammar-school average (indigo).
Grammar median computed from up to 163 grammars.
Strong averages can hide gaps. These tiles split the same cohort by disadvantage and by sex — a small gap means the school delivers for everyone, not just the strongest intake.
DfE breakdown, 2024/25
Whether pupils choose to stay on after GCSEs, and which way the headline results have been moving over recent years.
97%
continued to sixth form
% of pupils who stayed on after GCSEs
High retention is a positive sign — pupils choose to stay and the sixth form supports them through. Low retention can indicate weaker post-16 provision or curriculum mismatch.
The end of the journey — what leavers do after sixth form, and how this school's university record compares.
66%
Continued in education
HE + FE + other
64%
Higher Education
−4pp vs grammar avg
Cohort destination breakdown
Destinations trend
Zooming in from whole-school figures to individual subjects — where entries concentrate, and which departments stand out in either direction.
Bar = entries · chip = grade 4+ pass rate
Bar = entries · chip = A*–E pass rate
Strongest at
Biology
119 entries
100%
+6.0pp vs school
Chemistry
118 entries
100%
+6.0pp vs school
Food Preparation & Nutrition
57 entries
100%
+6.0pp vs school
Watch list
Drama
31 entries
77%
-16.6pp vs school
Religious Studies
152 entries
84%
-10.5pp vs school
Strongest at
Maths
41 entries
100%
+0.0pp vs school
History
39 entries
100%
+0.0pp vs school
Biology
30 entries
100%
+0.0pp vs school
No subject clearly underperforms vs the school average.
Entry Requirements
Average Points Score (APS) of 48 in their best 8 qualifications. Students must achieve a minimum Grade 5 in GCSE English Language or GCSE English Literature and Grade 5 in GCSE Mathematics.
Subjects Offered
Largest group: White British (83.7%)
Pupils of White British heritage
Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese and other Asian heritage
More than one heritage — e.g. White & Asian, White & Black Caribbean
Black Caribbean, Black African and other Black heritage
A single heritage outside the groups above — e.g. Arab, White non-British
England avg ≈ 24%
≈ 20 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose family qualifies for free school meals (a measure of catchment affluence).
England avg ≈ 18%
≈ 10 pts below the England average — proportion of pupils whose first language is not English.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
Sixth Form
Good
Scale: Inadequate → Requires Improvement → Good → Outstanding
Per-pupil funding
2025/26≈ £335 (-5%) below the English average
Total grant: £5,323,935 · 800 pupils funded
How the 2025/26 allocation broke down. Each stream is a signal about the school's intake — bigger deprivation / EAL / SEN top-ups indicate a school serving a more challenging cohort.
Basic entitlement
£4,558,720
The school's core allocation — pupil numbers × the basic per-pupil rate — before any top-ups.
Pupil Premium
£41,925
Targeted funding for 39 disadvantaged pupils.
Deprivation top-up
£106,140
Aggregates FSM, FSM6 and IDACI deprivation bands.
EAL top-up
£3,190
English-as-additional-language premium — paid for pupils whose first language isn't English.
Prior attainment top-up
£21,169
Funding for pupils arriving below age-related expectations.
Notional SEN
£302,175
Earmarked SEN budget inside the schools block.
Lump sum
£145,100
Fixed per-school grant — size-independent.
Schools budget support grant
£47,990
Government pay-and-pension support grant.
National Insurance grant
£62,020
Compensation for the increase in employer NI contributions.
1,036 / 1,065(97%)
Subjects Offered
Entry Requirements
Average Points Score (APS) of 48 in their best 8 qualifications. Students must achieve a minimum Grade 5 in GCSE English Language or GCSE English Literature and Grade 5 in GCSE Mathematics.
1:17.8
Staff:Pupil Ratio
100%
Qualified Teachers
3.05%
Absence Rate
4.4%
Persistent Absence
Founded in 1564, the school has 1040 students on roll with facilities supporting a comprehensive academic curriculum and extensive extracurricular programme.
Sports
{"playing_fields":2,"pool":true,"gym":false,"courts":3,"astroturf":true}
STEM
{"science labs":4,"IT suites":2,"technology workshops":1}
Arts
{"drama theatre":true,"music rooms":2,"art studios":1}
Library
pupils, particularly those in key stage 3, are enthusiastic readers and inspectors observed pupils queuing out of the library door, keen to change the books that they had enjoyed
Capital Projects
Recent completion of new Sixth Form Centre (2022), ongoing refurbishment of science laboratories, planned new sports hall development for 2024-2025.
wide variety of extra-curricular clubs including rugby, badminton, food microbiology, electrics and circuits, and dance club
Sports
rugby, badminton
Music & Performing Arts
school production of 'Shrek'
Clubs & Societies
lunchtime activities such as rugby, badminton, food microbiology, electrics and circuits, and dance club
Duke of Edinburgh
Offered
Trips & Exchanges
[object Object], [object Object]
Community Service
Students in the sixth form are keen to raise money for local charities and a range of other good causes
Uniform
The school uniform consists of a navy blue blazer with the school logo, white shirt, black trousers, and black shoes. Girls may wear a navy blue skirt instead of trousers. Suppliers: Schoolwear Direct, Uniformity.
School Meals
The school offers a hot meal service, with a choice of main courses and desserts. Meals are cooked on site by the school's catering team.
Homework Policy
Homework expectations increase progressively: Year 7-8 approximately 1-1.5 hours per night, Year 9 approximately 1.5-2 hours, GCSE years 2-2.5 hours, A Level students expected to undertake significant independent study equivalent to classroom hours.
Behaviour Policy
High expectations of pupil behaviour with staff having trusting and respectful relationships with pupils. School deals with bullying incidents quickly and effectively.
Mobile Phone Policy
Mobile phones are not allowed in lessons or during school hours, except for students who have permission from the headteacher.
SEND Provision
Leaders have ensured that there are effective systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Leaders provide staff with appropriate information about the additional needs of this group of pupils.
Queen Elizabeth Penrith location. See the catchment description for its priority area.
Enter your postcode to see directions to Queen Elizabeth Penrith
Dedicated school bus services operate from Keswick, Windermere, Kendal, Carlisle, Workington, Whitehaven, Cockermouth, Wigton, Brampton, and surrounding villages. Full transport details available from the school office.
Nearest Station: Penrith Station
Transport Info
School is located on Ullswater Road, Penrith. Parents should contact Westmorland & Furness Council School Transport Team for transport eligibility information.
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