Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School
81%
Capacity
849
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School in West Lancashire received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted following its most recent inspection in April 2025, a step up from the Inadequate grade it was given in June 2023. The inspection judged all four key areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — as requiring improvement. The most telling academic metric is the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.73, which is well below average nationally and places it 73rd out of 90 secondary schools in Lancashire. That score means pupils here achieve nearly three-quarters of a grade less per subject than students with similar starting points across England. The school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 39.3, and just 26.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 52.6% at grade 4 or above. Only 7.4% entered the EBacc combination of subjects.
The school’s Progress 8 score of -0.73 is significantly below the Lancashire local authority average of -0.11, and it ranks bottom among the eight schools in West Lancashire, as well as in the bottom 10% nationally. Breaking that down, progress in English (-0.75) and maths (-0.69) are both weak, while the EBacc element is the weakest at -0.89. The school’s EBacc average point score is 3.36, and only 32% of pupils entered the EBacc pathway. Parent opinion is divided: exactly half of the 72 respondents to the Parent View survey would recommend the school, and half would not. On specific questions, 58% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, while 42% disagreed or strongly disagreed. Similarly, 67% felt their child is safe, but 32% disagreed. Concerns about behaviour were more evenly split, with 52% agreeing the school ensures good behaviour and 43% disagreeing.
The school is a Roman Catholic secondary for pupils aged 11 to 16, with no sixth form. It has capacity for 1,047 pupils but currently enrols 849, and 40.5% of students are eligible for free school meals — well above the national average. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 224 applications for 131 places, with 69 first-preference offers made. Facilities include a chapel, science labs, sports hall, astro turf, music rooms, and a library. The school offers a range of clubs including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Young Enterprise, coding, and debate, plus sports such as netball, hockey, and tennis. SEND support covers autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, social and emotional mental health needs, and physical disabilities. This is a school that has made progress from its previous Inadequate rating but still faces significant challenges in raising academic outcomes and addressing parent concerns around behaviour and personal development.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Glenburn Road, Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, WN8 6JW |
| Headteacher | Mary Henshaw |
| Local Authority | Lancashire |
| Number of Pupils | 849 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 40.5% |
| School Capacity | 849 / 1,047 (81% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
23 Apr 2025Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 16 Jun 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.73)
2874th of 3,141
Nationally
387th of 445
In North West
8th of 8
In West Lancashire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/232%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 171 pupils).
- FE college61%
- Sixth form college20%
- Employment6%
- Not sustained6%
- Apprenticeship4%
- School sixth form (stay)2%
94% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Ofsted Parent View
72 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed131
224
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
69 families put this school as their 1st choice (31% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British84.3%
- White (other)10.5%
- Mixed1.5%
- Asian0.7%
- Black0.5%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
9
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Glenburn Road, Skelmersdale
West Lancashire, WN8 6JW
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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