Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

A town in Westmorland and Furness

Town
5 schools and nurseries
1,704 pupils

In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, more than across England. Results at 11 are above England, and results at 16 were above England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street

A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Kirkby Lonsdale at a glance

Strong primary inspections, weaker attendance

How Kirkby Lonsdale's schools compare with England, area by area.

Primary inspections
Better than England
100% Good or Outstanding. England 95%.
Results at 11
Better than England
70% met the expected standard. England 62%.
Results at 16
Better than England
Attainment 8 was 49.3 in 2026; England is 46.2.
Attendance
Needs attention
20% of pupils miss a lot of school. England 18%.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out

Schools and nurseries51 primary · 2 secondary · 1 nursery
Primaries Good or better100%England 95%
Met the standard at 1170%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths53%Attainment 8 49.3, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary5%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school20%England 18%

Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.

All Kirkby Lonsdale primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

1 mainstream schools in Kirkby Lonsdale, best first

St Mary's CofE Primary School

Carnforth, LA6 2DN · State · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

Ofsted:Outstanding in every area

Results well above the England average.

31 first choices, 29 offers made

Met the standard at 1170%

England 62%

Days missed: 3.0%
Pupils: 220
Pupils per teacher: 22.5

See all 2 primary schools

Top Secondary Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

2 mainstream schools in Kirkby Lonsdale, best first

Queen Elizabeth School

La6 2hj · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

258 first choices, 248 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1658.4

England 46.2

Days missed: 6.9%
Pupils: 1,155
Pupils per teacher: 12.7

Queen Elizabeth Studio School

La6 2hj · Studio School · Secondary · Ages 14 to 19

Ofsted:Expected standard or better

Results below the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1640.0

England 46.2

Days missed: 8.8%
Pupils: 329
Pupils per teacher: 3.6

See all 3 secondary schools

Nurseries in Kirkby Lonsdale

1 in Kirkby Lonsdale, highest Ofsted grade first

Smile Day Nursery & Out of School Club

Carnforth, LA6 2NP · Nursery

Ofsted:Good

Nurseries don't sit tests, so there are no results to compare.

Sixth Forms in Kirkby Lonsdale

3 in Kirkby Lonsdale, by the school's Eduscope score

Queen Elizabeth School

La6 2hj · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

258 first choices, 248 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1658.4

England 46.2

Days missed: 6.9%
Pupils: 1,155
Pupils per teacher: 12.7

Queen Elizabeth Studio School

La6 2hj · Studio School · Secondary · Ages 14 to 19

Ofsted:Expected standard or better

Results below the England average.

Attainment 8 at 1640.0

England 46.2

Days missed: 8.8%
Pupils: 329
Pupils per teacher: 3.6

Underley Garden School

Carnforth, LA6 2DZ · Independent · All-through · Ages 5 to 19

ISI:Inspected

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed: –
Pupils: 101
Pupils per teacher: –

Special Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

1 in Kirkby Lonsdale. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Underley Garden School

Carnforth, LA6 2DZ · Independent · All-through · Ages 5 to 19

ISI:Inspected

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed: –
Pupils: 101
Pupils per teacher: –

Private Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

1 in Kirkby Lonsdale. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Underley Garden School

Carnforth, LA6 2DZ · Independent · All-through · Ages 5 to 19

ISI:Inspected

Specialist provision. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed: –
Pupils: 101
Pupils per teacher: –

The map

Every school in Kirkby Lonsdale, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list

All on the map5Primary2Secondary3Nursery1

Good2
Not graded yet3

Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

Westmorland and Furness (5)

By age

What's on offer for each age

Pick a stage to see every Kirkby Lonsdale school for that age, with filters for type, faith and Ofsted grade.

More ways to narrow it down

Here's how Kirkby Lonsdale's schools break down by type, faith and more.

Postcodes

Browse Kirkby Lonsdale by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

LA6 (5)

Kirkby Lonsdale vs England

How good are Kirkby Lonsdale's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Kirkby Lonsdale

Kirkby LonsdaleEngland

Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade.
100%
England 95%
Above England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
1 of the 1 with a grade.
100%
England 93%
Above England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
70%
England 62%
Above England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
53%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
20%
England 18%
Worse than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
5%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 1 school that has one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

Outstanding0
Good1
Requires improvement0
Inadequate0

How it has changed

Kirkby Lonsdale in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11

70% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).

Grade 5 or above in English and maths

53% in 2026.

Pupils who miss a lot of school

20% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).

Living here

What it's like for families

Kirkby Lonsdale has 5 schools and nurseries.

There are 6% more pupils than in 2018.

5% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Kirkby Lonsdale's state schools each January.

1,6082018

1,6792019

1,7502021

1,7692022

1,7772023

1,7512024

1,7162025

1,7042026

Up 6% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

Free school meals

Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.

Kirkby Lonsdale5%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Find a school to follow

Questions

Questions parents ask about Kirkby Lonsdale

A woman holding a child's hand by an orange wall

Nearby areas

How many schools are in Kirkby Lonsdale?

Kirkby Lonsdale has 5 schools, including 2 primary schools, 3 secondary schools, 1 nursery, 1 independent school, 1 special school. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Kirkby Lonsdale?

The highest-ranked schools in Kirkby Lonsdale on Eduscope are St Mary's CofE Primary School, Queen Elizabeth School, Queen Elizabeth Studio School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.

What percentage of schools in Kirkby Lonsdale are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Kirkby Lonsdale hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 0 schools rated Outstanding and 1 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Kirkby Lonsdale perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Kirkby Lonsdale, 70% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.

What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Kirkby Lonsdale?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Kirkby Lonsdale is 8.9:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.

What is the persistent absence rate in Kirkby Lonsdale schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Kirkby Lonsdale is 19.8%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.

How many pupils attend schools in Kirkby Lonsdale?

There are 1,704 pupils enrolled across schools in Kirkby Lonsdale, with 220 in primary and 1,484 in secondary. 7.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How many private schools are in Kirkby Lonsdale?

There is 1 independent school in Kirkby Lonsdale, a special school for children with special educational needs, where councils usually pay the fees. You can compare it on Eduscope, including inspection reports where available.

How do I choose the right school in Kirkby Lonsdale?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 5 schools in Kirkby Lonsdale by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.

Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.

Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Strong primary inspections, weaker attendance

Primary inspections

Results at 11

Results at 16

Attendance

The highest-rated schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Top Primary Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Top Secondary Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Nurseries in Kirkby Lonsdale

Sixth Forms in Kirkby Lonsdale

Special Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Private Schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Every school in Kirkby Lonsdale, on one map

Apply through the council where you live

What's on offer for each age

Nurseries

Primary

Secondary

Special schools

More ways to narrow it down

Browse Kirkby Lonsdale by postcode

How good are Kirkby Lonsdale's schools?

Numbers that sum up Kirkby Lonsdale

Ofsted grades

How it has changed

What it's like for families

Pupil numbers

Free school meals

Dates to know

Keep up with schools in Kirkby Lonsdale

Questions parents ask about Kirkby Lonsdale

Nearby areas