Queen Elizabeth Grammar School PenrithCaldew School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith and Caldew School are secondary schools.
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith scores 71 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and Caldew School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith is ahead on our composite score.
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith was judged Good and Caldew School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 65.2 for Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith and 40.5 for Caldew School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith (68.4 in 2021-22, 65.2 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Caldew School (46.1 in 2021-22, 40.5 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | PenrithQueen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith | CarlisleCaldew School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B71/100Stronger figure | D54/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 20 in Westmorland and Furness | 7th of 19 in Cumberland | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,026 | 990 | |
| Capacity | 1,065 | 1,050 | |
| Location | Penrith, CA11 7EG | Carlisle, CA5 7NN | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 65.2 Stronger figure | 40.5 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 85.4% Stronger figure | 23.2% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 93.7% Stronger figure | 51.8% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 158 | 168 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 121 | 61 | |
| A-level average points | 37.1 Stronger figure | 26.2 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | B- | C- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 36.9 Stronger figure | 30.8 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 22.3% Stronger figure | 8.3% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,036 | 989 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 5.1% | 20.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 7.8% | 3.8% | |
| SEN support | 5.4% | 12.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 0.7% | 5.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.3% Stronger figure | 8.7% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 10.1% Stronger figure | 25.2% | 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
A-level average points
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.
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith
Caldew School
Full profiles: Queen Elizabeth Grammar School Penrith · Caldew School