Ullswater Community College
94%
Capacity
1,535
Pupils
1.4x
Demand
About Ullswater Community College
Ullswater Community College is a large secondary school in Westmorland and Furness, currently educating 1,535 pupils against a capacity of 1,625. That leaves some headroom, but demand is clearly strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 304 applications for 209 places, with 195 of those coming as first preferences. That works out at roughly 1.45 applicants for every spot, so oversubscription is a real factor for families considering it. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 18.4 per cent, which is above the national average for secondary schools and suggests a genuinely comprehensive intake. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and serves the 11-18 age range, with its own sixth form on site. Stephen Gilby is the headteacher, and the school operates as a state-funded community college in the Westmorland and Furness local authority area.
Academically, Ullswater sits in a solid middle ground. Its Progress 8 score of 0.01 is bang on the national average, and notably above the local authority average of -0.12, meaning pupils here make slightly more progress than peers across Westmorland and Furness. That places it 7th out of 19 schools in the LA on that measure, and in the top half nationally. Attainment 8 sits at 40.7, with 57.7 per cent of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is a healthy 50.7 per cent, though only 12.7 per cent actually achieve the full EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, the picture is similar: a value-added score of 0.08 is rated Average, with pupils averaging a C grade per entry and 29.07 points per entry. The most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2023 rated the school Good across all categories, including behaviour, personal development, and sixth-form provision — a clear improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in 2019.
The school is well equipped, with science labs, art studios, a sports hall, swimming pool, astro turf, library, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include basketball, athletics, tennis, gymnastics, netball, and football, while clubs range from coding and Model UN to orchestra, choir, and Young Enterprise. SEND provision is notably broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder, plus a resourced provision. For families in the Westmorland and Furness area, Ullswater is a strong, well-subscribed option that serves a genuinely mixed catchment, offers decent academic progress above the local average, and provides a wide range of extracurricular and SEND support. The oversubscription means applying early and as a first preference is wise.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Wetheriggs Lane, Penrith, Westmorland and Furness, CA11 8NG |
| Headteacher | Stephen Gilby |
| Local Authority | Westmorland and Furness |
| Number of Pupils | 1,535 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,535 / 1,625 (94% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Apr 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 25 May 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.01)
1482nd of 3,141
Nationally
155th of 445
In North West
7th of 19
In Westmorland and Furness
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
39.9
'22/23
32.0
'23/24
29.1
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2340%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 237 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)40%
- FE college38%
- Apprenticeship10%
- Employment8%
- Not sustained3%
97% 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.
Where school leavers go
2022/2347%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 106 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
14%
Russell Group
19%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)47%
- Employment42%
- Further education4%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Not sustained2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology22
- Religious Studies15
- Business Studies:Single13
- Biology12
- Physical Education / Sports Studies12
- Sociology12
- Art and Design (Fine Art)11
- English Literature11
- Mathematics10
- Geography9
- History9
- Physics8
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed209
304
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
195 families put this school as their 1st choice (64% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: ullswatercc.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British88.1%
- White (other)6.1%
- Mixed1.9%
- Asian0.9%
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.
6
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
4
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 Ullswater Community College
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
Wetheriggs Lane, Penrith
Westmorland and Furness, CA11 8NG
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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