Carnforth High SchoolLancaster High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Carnforth High School and Lancaster High School are secondary schools.
Carnforth High School scores 48 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Lancaster High School scores 45 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Carnforth High School is ahead on our composite score.
Carnforth High School was judged the expected standard and Lancaster High School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 43.5 for Carnforth High School and 41.8 for Lancaster High School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Carnforth High School (46.5 in 2021-22, 43.5 in 2025-26) and has risen at Lancaster High School (39.3 in 2021-22, 41.8 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | CarnforthCarnforth High School | LancasterLancaster High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D48/100Stronger figure | D45/100 | |
| Local ranking | 59th of 82 in Lancashire Stronger figure | 64th of 82 in Lancashire | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Expected | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 657 | 567 | |
| Capacity | 754 | 750 | |
| Location | Carnforth, LA5 9LS | Lancaster, LA1 3LS | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 43.5 Stronger figure | 41.8 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 36.6% | 36.8% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 57.1% | 60.4% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 112 | 106 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 685 | 591 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 31.8% | 46.5% | |
| English as an additional language | 2.6% | 16.4% | |
| SEN support | 12.3% | 22.7% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.1% | 2.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 12.0% Stronger figure | 14.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 33.1% Stronger figure | 42.1% | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Carnforth High School
Lancaster High School
Full profiles: Carnforth High School · Lancaster High School