Our Lady's Catholic College

About Our Lady's Catholic College

Our Lady's Catholic College is a mixed Roman Catholic secondary school in Lancaster, part of the Lancashire local authority. It is one of 90 state secondary schools in the area, eight of which hold an Outstanding Ofsted rating. The nearest Outstanding school is Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy, just 1.8 kilometres away. Among its local peers, the school sits below the top-performing trio of Preston Muslim Girls High School, Eden Boys' School, Preston, and Holy Cross Catholic High School, which lead the LA on academic ranking scores. With 999 pupils on roll, it is a reasonably sized school for the area, and its headteacher is Helen Seddon. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection rated it Requires Improvement, a rating that places it below the majority of Lancashire secondaries and suggests there are clear areas for development that parents will want to investigate further.

Academic outcomes at Our Lady’s Catholic College are not detailed in the available data, so it is not possible to cite specific Progress 8 scores, KS2 SATs results, or A-Level attainment figures. The Lancashire local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.11, which is slightly below the national average of zero, but without the school’s own figure, it is hard to judge how it compares. The Ofsted Requires Improvement rating indicates that the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all require strengthening. Parents should note that the school has not yet demonstrated the consistent academic performance seen at top local peers like Holy Cross Catholic High School. The lack of published exam data means families will need to ask the school directly for its most recent results and look at how its sixth form, which serves pupils aged 16 to 18, prepares students for further study.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, science labs, and a chapel, which reflect its Catholic character. Sports provision is strong, with cricket, rugby, basketball, swimming, gymnastics, cross country, and hockey available. There is also an extensive clubs programme covering orchestra, choir, coding, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Young Enterprise, and eco and gardening clubs, which suggests a genuine effort to broaden pupils’ experiences beyond the classroom. The school is oversubscribed in some year groups, so early application is advisable, particularly for families who value the Catholic ethos. This school will suit parents who are comfortable with a Requires Improvement rating and want to see a school that is actively working on improvement, with good facilities and a wide co-curricular offer. Those prioritising strong academic outcomes may wish to look at the higher-performing schools nearby.

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