Voluntary aided school · Lancashire

Our Lady's Catholic College

11–18Ages
981Pupils
SecondaryPhase
Roman CatholicReligious character
Sixth formAges 16–18
119798URN

Morecambe Road, Lancaster, LA1 2RX · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Mar 2024 Previous framework

Requires improvement

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.8per place

0.2 above Lancashire median (2.5)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in LancashireSelective

459 applications for 166 places · 34th of 81 in Lancashire

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

41.1of 90

Lancashire 43.8 England 46.0

60th of 81 in Lancashire

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Requires improvement · 26 March 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Good	Requires improvement
Quality of education		Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership and management	Good
Sixth form provision	Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.8applications per place, Year 7

0.2 above Lancashire median (2.5) 0.5 above England median (2.2)

459 applications · 166 places offered · 132 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2025 2.9; Lancashire median median 2.7
2024 2.8; Lancashire median median 2.6
2023 3.3; Lancashire median median 2.6
2022 3.2; Lancashire median median 2.5
2021 3.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
2020 3.7; Lancashire median median 2.8
2019 3.8; Lancashire median median 2.7
2018 2.6; Lancashire median median 2.6
2017 3.0; Lancashire median median 2.7
2016 3.1; Lancashire median median 2.7
2015 3.5; Lancashire median median 2.7
2014 3.2; Lancashire median median 2.6

More applications per place than the Lancashire median in 12 of 13 years.

This school
Lancashire median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	166	459	2.8	132	0.80
Sep 2025	188	548	2.9	149	0.79
Sep 2024	184	512	2.8	134	0.73
Sep 2023	190	617	3.3	209	1.10
Sep 2022	187	595	3.2	165	0.88
Sep 2021	176	629	3.6	204	1.16
Sep 2020	180	671	3.7	210	1.17
Sep 2019	175	663	3.8	208	1.19
Sep 2018	187	491	2.6	155	0.83
Sep 2017	135	398	3.0	130	0.96
Sep 2016	116	364	3.1	101	0.87
Sep 2015	83	293	3.5	74	0.89
Sep 2014	109	348	3.2	90	0.83

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

164 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)41.160th of 81 in Lancashire

Lancashire 43.8 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths37%56th of 81 in Lancashire

Lancashire 39% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths54%

Lancashire 64% England 66%

This school
Lancashire median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.51

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	164	41.1	37%	54%	–
2024/25	155	41.3	35%	59%	–
2023/24	150	37.7	29%	50%	−0.51
2022/23	179	38.2	31%	49%	−0.40

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Our Lady's Catholic CollegeThis school
This school

Requires improvement2024

2.8applications per place 41.1Attainment 8
Lancaster Girls' Grammar School
1.0 km · Lancashire

Good2022

1.7applications per place 72.1Attainment 8 Selective
Lancaster Royal Grammar School
1.2 km · Lancashire

2026

1.8applications per place 71.6Attainment 8 Selective
Lancaster High School
1.2 km · Lancashire

Good2023

2.9applications per place 41.8Attainment 8
Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy
1.8 km · Lancashire

Outstanding2022

3.2applications per place 49.1Attainment 8
Morecambe Bay Academy
3.9 km · Lancashire

Good2023

1.9applications per place 39.7Attainment 8
Bay Leadership Academy
5.1 km · Lancashire

Good2022

3.0applications per place 37.0Attainment 8
Carnforth High School
8.3 km · Lancashire

2026

4.2applications per place 43.5Attainment 8
Garstang Community Academy
18.6 km · Lancashire

Requires improvement2024

2.3applications per place 45.0Attainment 8

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 119798 · 888/4717
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Religious character: Roman Catholic
Capacity: 1,148 pupils · 981 on roll
Free school meals: 40.4% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Morecambe Road, Lancaster, LA1 2RX
Local authority: Lancashire · Lancaster

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources