Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy

Secondary
Academy
Ages 11 to 18

Ofsted: Outstanding

Ashton Road, Lancaster, LA1 4RSOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy is a secondary school in Lancaster for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 692 schools in Lancashire. It ranks 1st of 5 secondary schools in Lancaster. Its latest Ofsted rating is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2022.

Ofsted inspection

Inspected 14 December 2022, report published 8 February 2023

Overall effectiveness: Outstanding
Quality of education: Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes: Outstanding
Personal development: Outstanding
Leadership and management: Outstanding
Sixth form provision: Outstanding
Safeguarding: Met

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

276 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score50.7

50.7, 4.6 above the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths58%

58%, 12.6 percentage points above the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths79.3%

79.3%, 14.5 percentage points above the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc23.9%

23.9%, 16.6 percentage points below the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score4.39

4.39, 0.3 above the England average of 4.09.

A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25

144 students

Average point score per A level entry33.68

33.68, 1.32 below the England average of 35.00.

Average A level grade C+, England average B-

Pupil numbers and mix

1,755 pupils on roll, with places for 1,754

Eligible for free school meals10.8%

10.8%, 15.7 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language8.4%

8.4%, 13.2 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support15.3%

15.3%, 0.5 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan2.2%

2.2%, 3.8 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy

School	Distance	Ofsted	Results
Jamea Al Kauthar	0.4 miles	Ofsted: Good	Attainment 8: 49.3
Lancaster Girls' Grammar School	0.5 miles	Ofsted: Good	Attainment 8: 73.4
Lancaster Royal Grammar School	0.7 miles	Ofsted: Good	Attainment 8: 74.1
Our Lady's Catholic College	1 mile	Ofsted: Requires improvement	Attainment 8: 41.3
Lancaster High School	1 mile	Ofsted: Good	Attainment 8: 35.6

School details

School type: Academy converter
Sector: Academy
Trust: THE BAY LEARNING TRUST
Age range: 11 to 18
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: Church of England
Sixth form: Yes
Headteacher: Mrs Helen Best and Ms Alexia Barnes
Phone: 0152464496
Website: ripleystthomas.com (opens in a new tab)
Address: Ashton Road, Lancaster, LA1 4RS
Local authority: Lancashire
URN: 136731

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.