Austin Friars

Austin Friars carries an Augustinian foundation into a co-educational day school for children aged 3 to 18. The Friars of the Order of St Augustine founded it in 1951 as a boarding school for Catholic boys; St Monica's opened on the site for boys and girls in 1985, girls joined Austin Friars in 1986, and the school now combines junior, senior and sixth-form provision. Unity, truth and love remain its stated Augustinian values.

The setting has its own layered history. The senior building began as Saint Anna's House in 1892, before becoming part of a school that moved from its original single-sex and boarding identity towards the current mixed day-school model. That history gives continuity of tradition a place alongside a more open structure for families in Carlisle and beyond.

Admission is direct and begins with a visit and taster day. Senior applicants apart from sixth-form entrants take English, mathematics and non-verbal reasoning assessments; these are used for setting and support rather than as a selective pass mark. Sixth-form entry follows its own route. In its 2025 results, Austin Friars reported 32% of GCSE and IGCSE examinations at grades 9-7 and 63% of A-level grades at A*-B.

The current school therefore brings together a distinctive religious heritage, a full age range and a clear day-school rhythm. Families considering it need to look at the phase-specific visit and assessment process, as well as how the junior, senior and sixth-form stages connect for the intended entry year.