Westmorland and Furness / Westmorland and Furness 11+
Ullswater Road, Penrith, CA11 7EG
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith
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A selective co-educational grammar school in Penrith, Cumbria, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,036 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective co-educational grammar school in Penrith, Cumbria, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,036 pupils on roll. Families looking at Penrith, Cumbria will usually see Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith as a selective option for boys and girls aged 11-18, with sixth form continuing the academic journey on the same site. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 1,036 pupils on roll and 160 Year 7 places.
For parents thinking about the 11+, the admissions picture is one of the clearest differentiators here. The current route includes FSCE, with 160 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks high by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
On current official measures, the school offers a clear academic profile for parents to weigh up. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at 0.35 and Attainment 8 at 65. 91.9% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 22.3% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level. Destinations data also suggest strong progression after sixth form, with 64% moving into higher education.
Published school information highlights facilities such as Library. The wider offer currently includes Sport. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is likely to appeal most to families who want strong academic expectations but also need the practical details, culture, and selective route to line up sensibly.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Westmorland and Furness and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Westmorland and Furness and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Westmorland and Furness and England.
Oversubscription detail is still being reviewed, so use the official admissions policy before relying on a summary.
Entry is through the FSCE entrance test for Year 7. The 2027 test date is 17 September 2026.
English is included in the published format.
Maths, Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Creative writing
Registration opens
1 May 2026
Registration closes
12 July 2026
Entrance test
17 September 2026
Read the admission arrangements
Check the 2027 entry arrangements before registering so eligibility, oversubscription, and evidence requirements are clear.
Open policyRegister for the entrance test
Registration opens on 1 May 2026 and closes on 12 July 2026.
Open test guideSit the FSCE entrance test
The entrance test is scheduled for 17 September 2026.
Open test guideSubmit the Common Application Form
List the school on the local authority application by the national deadline.
Open policyLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 68.4 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 64.1 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 65 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 64.8 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B+ average (43.0 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (36.5 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | B- average (37.4 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (37.1 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 99% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 100% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 97% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 2% |
Latest inspection: 25 January 2023
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Best Grammar Schools in Westmorland and Furness
Compare the best grammar schools in Westmorland and Furness for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. In Westmorland and Furness, catchment, competition for places, and each school's own admissions rules matter more than a single shared test route.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith currently uses FSCE.
1. Read the admission arrangements: Check the 2027 entry arrangements before registering so eligibility, oversubscription, and evidence requirements are clear. 2. Register for the entrance test: Registration opens on 1 May 2026 and closes on 12 July 2026. 3. Sit the FSCE entrance test: The entrance test is scheduled for 17 September 2026. 4. Submit the Common Application Form: List the school on the local authority application by the national deadline.
Registration opens: 1 May 2026. Registration closes: 12 July 2026. Entrance test: 17 September 2026
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 25 January 2023.