Moving to Kendal, Cumbria

[Millie72]

We are looking to make a family move to Kendal next year, with one child at secondary school and one entering sixth form/ college. We have noticed that the largest secondary school, Queen Katherine School has recently moved from 'outstanding'(1) to 'inadequate'(4) - ofsted grading. Can anyone share their thoughts on how the school is trying to make progress or what it is like to be there as a child/ parent? Thank you!

Kendal College is good, but both schools in the town have 6th Forms. I would take Ofsted crap with a pinch of salt; go, look round, get a feel of it. The other school, Kirkbie Kendal, does not have such a good reputation but it plods along. There are other options; Kirkby Lonsdale has the lovely QES, depending on how far into Kendal you are.

Dh and I both teach near there but not in Kendal. Dh is a deputy head and very knowledgeable about local schools. He says avoid QKS but says that Kirbie Kendal is great. Dallam School in Milnthorpe is very good, as is QES in Kirkby Lonsdale.

KKS has really pulled itself up in the last few years. Dallam is good to a point, but less able pupils struggle there. Carnforth is dreadful and getting worse. Anywhere else is too far out. If you have private school fee money, Sedbergh and Windermere schools are good. If you have kids who are smart cookies, Lancaster has 2 grammars, which are superb.

Queen Katherine has had that change because of security on site (anyone can just wonder on/off the premises) and it is obviously a prerequisite for any score above that. On that assessment the schools classes were not even judged, they were instantly listed as inadequate until that was sorted. KKS is of similar teaching/discipline standard (or was when my DH attended - he is now 30).
I am sure they will sort out their security issue swiftly, however both schools are good.
Hope that helps

Hmm. You'll get different views from different people of course. I'd disagree with those comments about Dallam and Sedbergh, having worked in both of them. It does depend on what your dc are like and what's most important to you though.

It's not the security that dh says is dodgy at QKS. Smarshian I don't think you can judge a school on what it was like over a decade ago really.

What a great response so far, everyone! Thank you all.

Yes, we do need to have a look personally to get an impression of the different secondary schools, you are right.

We realise that schools can fluctuate over time periods. Both kids are pretty 'able' pupils, which should help them.

Any further impressions and opinions very welcome ...

Lancaster Grammar is great by all accounts. From what I hear about Sedbergh the results are not amazing. You may end up with a half-decent rugby player, if that's what floats your boat.

I've heard a lot of bad things about Dallam recently. My niece and nephew (different years) have both recently left after pretty bad bullying and I know a few other parents from my son's primary school who aren't impressed with the pastoral care etc.

QES at Kirby Lonsdale seems to be the favoured school at the moment for a comp, but as others have said, both of Lancaster's grammar schools are excellent. Quite a lot of kids move there from other comps for their sixth forms. Because they're not "super selective", they're not ridiculously strict and pressured. I know more about the boys school than the girls as my son goes there - he's had a great time and thoroughly enjoys it, even though he's a "geek" and not into the great sports etc that they do.

QES is great. But I'm pretty happy with Dallam. Dd goes there.

I have a friend up that way and her DC is going to Settlebeck. Tiny school but apparently very good.

Thanks all for your very helpful tips ... It is important to us that any Secondary school has a strong focus on Pastoral Care alongside academic achievement to bring out the best. It seems that many pupils must be travelling quite some distance to reach their chosen school from Kendal...is this correct? Are there good transport links to enable this for pupils or is it down to parent 'taxiing'?

There are quite a lot of dedicated school buses.

There's a huge backstory to the QKS ofsted. It's worth reading the Westmorland Gazette and the school responses to try to understand it better. The ofsted report itself was pretty good for sixth form, less so for KS3&4. Gets very mixed reviews from parents locally.

Kirbie Kendal was always seen as a 'worse' school that QKS but it has an improving reputation and has increased numbers in year 7 this year. All the staff I've met seem great. They do a lot of high profile drama/musical events in town. The building itself is rather decrepit if that matters to you.

If it's only the Kendal schools you're interested in then it's worth visiting both.

Further out, both QES and Dallam run buses from Kendal. QES has been sitting on an outstanding ofsted for years and is long overdue a visit, but everyone I know who works there or has kids there raves about it. Go to visit, and try to peak behind the scenes - the newer 'public' areas are a bit different to some of the classrooms.

Dallam is also overdue ofsted. Lots of changes (for the better I'm led to believe) since the current headteacher started about three years ago. Quite a few staff seem to send their kids there which seems very positive. Mixed reviews from parents.

In the other direction you have Lakes school near Windermere (ofsted have just visited - report due any day) but more pupils seem to head into Kendal from that side rather than out.

Personally, I'm seriously considering moving out of Kendal to get into catchment for Cartmel Priory School. Excellent pastorally and rapidly improving academic results. No sixth form though so might not work for you.

Bit late to your thread sorry. We moved to Kendal June 2016 and put 14 yr old ds in QKS. Didn't work for us so moved him to QES after 1 year. Very happy there. Dd in sixth form at Lancaster girls grammar which has proved to be outstanding in our opinion. Have two older children at University and have moved about quite a bit so have a lot of different school cultures experience . Hope your move goes well and children settle wherever you chose.