Kirkby Stephen Grammar School
Christian Head, Kirkby Stephen, CA17 4HAOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Kirkby Stephen Grammar School is a secondary school in Kirkby Stephen for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 160 schools in Westmorland and Furness. It ranks 6th of 20 secondary schools in Westmorland and Furness. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 30 January 2024, report published 14 March 2024
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 30 January 2024
Kirkby Stephen Grammar School is a friendly and caring community. Pupils are safe. They are happy to attend school each day. Pupils act respectfully towards each other and to the staff. They benefit from strong relationships with teachers, who know them well. Furthermore, strong pastoral support underpins pupils' positive experience of school. The school helps pupils to understand and manage their well-being. The school successfully identifies and removes the barriers that some pupils have to learning. It has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. There is a range of exciting extra-curricular clubs and trips on offer. Pupils are keen to participate in these activities, and participation rates are high. For instance, nearly half of the school were involved in the recent school production. Sporting opportunities abound, and pupils are very proud of their sporting achievements. Students in the sixth form are keen to take on leadership responsibilities. This allows them to contribute positively to school life. Pupils are well versed in how to keep themselves safe, including online, and how to respond to local risk factors such as flooding.
What the school should improve
- Some staff do not use assessment strategies well enough to identify and address pupils' misconceptions and gaps in their knowledge. This prevents some pupils from building securely on what they have learned before. The school should ensure that teachers receive appropriate support to use assessment strategies to identify and then remedy gaps in pupils' learning.
- In a small number of subjects, some teachers do not design suitable learning activities for pupils. This hampers pupils from making the progress that they should through the curriculum. The school should ensure that leaders are suitably equipped to support staff to deliver the curriculum as intended.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
66 pupils in the year group
A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25
26 students
Average A level grade C, England average B-
Pupil numbers and mix
377 pupils on roll, with places for 545
Schools near Kirkby Stephen Grammar School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appleby Grammar School | 9 miles | Report card: Expected standard | Attainment 8: 40.7 |
| Settlebeck School | 12 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good | Attainment 8: 44.0 |
| Sedbergh School | 13 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 27.9 |
| The Queen Katherine School | 18 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Attainment 8: 48.8 |
| Barnard Castle School | 18 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Attainment 8: 43.0 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- CUMBRIA EDUCATION TRUST
- Age range
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Ms Nicola Tweddle
- Phone
- 01768371693
- Address
- Christian Head, Kirkby Stephen, CA17 4HA
- Local authority
- Westmorland and Furness
- URN
- 137107
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.