Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
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Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School is a free school in Blackburn for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 873 pupils and room for 1,000. About 23 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 38 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 21% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2019.
West Park Road, Blackburn, BB2 6DF01254 686300qegsblackburn.comMrs Claire Gammon acting headAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 25 September 2019, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 5 March 2025 said: “Some aspects not as strong”.
This inspection is more than 7 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 5 March 2025 | Ungraded | Some aspects not as strong |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
141 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 141 | 140 | 140 | 137 | 123 | 125 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 47.0 | 46.7 | 48.2 | 51.3 | 54.6 | 53.2 | 46.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.22 | -0.15 | +0.07 | +0.04 | -0.01 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 37% | 44% | 44% | 50% | 57% | 61% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 68% | 66% | 69% | 71% | 82% | 83% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.30 | 4.29 | 4.42 | 4.72 | 5.06 | 5.05 | 4.12 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 76% | 74% | 84% | 85% | 59% | 69% | 43% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 47.0 | 42.0 | 41.4 | 47.1 | 45.8 | 43.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 46.9 | 48.1 | 50.5 | 52.9 | 56.5 | 54.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 24.5 | 30.8 | 35.3 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 61.0 | 58.1 | 67.2 | 61.3 | 59.3 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: German (20% here, 63% across England), Physical Education (23% here, 56% across England), French (29% here, 60% across England), Spanish (24% here, 54% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 142 | 11% | 41% | 70% | 53% | 2,398 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 141 | 14% | 65% | 80% | 58% | 908 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 141 | 18% | 59% | 83% | 54% | 1,051 of 3,210 |
| Combined Science | 116 | 10% | 39% | 66% | 36% | 1,165 of 3,084 |
| Business | 80 | 8% | 50% | 78% | 51% | 847 of 1,806 |
| Religious Studies | 76 | 15% | 57% | 82% | 60% | 1,115 of 1,825 |
| Geography | 70 | 10% | 39% | 59% | 51% | 2,199 of 3,116 |
| History | 64 | 16% | 39% | 56% | 52% | 2,302 of 3,126 |
| Spanish | 58 | 3% | 24% | 47% | 54% | 1,790 of 1,941 |
| Computer Science | 47 | 11% | 43% | 49% | 56% | 1,293 of 1,861 |
| Design & Technology | 46 | 13% | 37% | 61% | 50% | 1,000 of 1,478 |
| Art and Design | 45 | 22% | 49% | 73% | 58% | 1,893 of 2,818 |
| German | 30 | 3% | 20% | 43% | 63% | 558 of 571 |
| Biology | 27 | 41% | 85% | 96% | 82% | 1,400 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 26 | 42% | 77% | 92% | 82% | 1,719 of 2,546 |
| Physical Education | 26 | 0% | 23% | 50% | 56% | 1,429 of 1,559 |
| Chemistry | 25 | 48% | 80% | 100% | 81% | 1,559 of 2,537 |
| French | 24 | 4% | 29% | 42% | 60% | 1,821 of 1,974 |
| Classical Civilisation | 17 | 0% | 29% | 41% | 58% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2023
56 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Blackburn with Darwen | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 56 | 38 | 41 | 40 | 40 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 70% | 82% | 59% | 68% | 30% | 58% | 61% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 14% | 11% | 12% | 5% | 3% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 105.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 | 106.0 | 104.0 | 104.2 | 105.3 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 106.0 | 108.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 | 105.0 | 103.7 | 104.1 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 108.0 | 109.0 | 107.0 | 107.0 | 106.0 | 105.0 | 104.8 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 79% | 87% | 78% | 85% | 75% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 84% | 92% | 85% | 85% | 95% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 82% | 87% | 76% | 83% | 33% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | -1.3 | +0.1 | – | -1.2 | -3.4 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | +0.1 | +1.6 | – | -2.9 | -1.8 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 75% | – | 33% | – | – | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 68% | – | 63% | – | – | – | – |
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
86 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 86 | 96 | 98 | 71 | 131 | 130 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 29.47 | 25.41 | 27.13 | 33.08 | 30.98 | 26.90 |
| Average A level grade | C | C- | C- | C+ | C | C- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 28.17 | 25.27 | 27.00 | 32.89 | 31.04 | 28.45 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 13% | 7% | 11% | 12% | 17% | 10% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.03 | -0.33 | – | – | +0.25 | -0.39 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 84% | 84% | 94% | 96% | 86% | 97% |
A level subjects
12 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 5 of the 7 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
At the end of primary school, 2023
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
About 128 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 32% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Blackburn with Darwen council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (36), emotional and mental health (29), Moderate learning difficulty (16), Specific learning difficulty (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), Other difficulty or disability (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 873 | 875 | 874 | 1,286 | 1,279 | 1,252 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 20% | 18% | 17% | 17% | 15% | 17% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 20% | 16% | 14% | 12% | 13% | 16% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 12% | 12% | 12% | 10% | 6% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 1% | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.0% | 8.9% | 8.7% | 7.8% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.2% | 6.7% | 6.5% | 6.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.8% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.9% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 26.6% | 32.2% | 30.4% | 27.9% | 10.7% | 11.2% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 7.0 | 5.4 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 3.7 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 140 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 86%, compared with 92% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 91% | 96% | 96% | 98% |
| Education | 86% | 93% | 94% | 95% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 1% | 2% | 1% |
| Work | 2% | 2% | 0% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 8% | 4% | 3% | 1% |
After sixth form
Where the 87 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 80%, compared with 94% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 86% went on to degree-level study or training.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 92% | 93% | 95% | – |
| Education | 76% | 69% | 75% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 3% | 0% | 4% |
| Work | 8% | 21% | 21% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 6% | 2% | 5% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tauheedul Islam Girls' High School | Academy | 0.7 miles | 866 | Outstanding 2022 | 100 | Compare |
| St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy | Academy | 0.7 miles | 1,483 | Good 2023 | 69 | Compare |
| Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School | Free school | 0.8 miles | 746 | Outstanding 2024 | 99 | Compare |
| Witton Park Academy | Academy | 1.0 miles | 1,243 | Report card 2026 | 4 | Compare |
| Pleckgate High School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 1,339 | Outstanding 2024 | 79 | Compare |
| Blackburn Central High School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 1,015 | Good 2022 | 33 | Compare |
| Our Lady and St John RC High School, a Voluntary Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 770 | Requires improvement 2023 | 1 | Compare |
| St Bede's Roman Catholic High School, Blackburn | Roman Catholic | 2.0 miles | 1,051 | No overall grade 2025 | 50 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School with the 45 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 45 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharples School | Academy | 10.5 miles | 1,214 | Not inspected | 92 | Compare |
| St James's Church of England High School | Academy | 14.7 miles | 1,053 | Good 2022 | 70 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 38 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 38% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 29 to 48. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | in line | +0.02 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 141 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 10% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 7.0 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.05 | DfE progress measure; 141 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.07 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.01 | 2024/25; 757 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.12 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 141 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | +0.00 | 140 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School a good school?
It is about average. Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School scores 38 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 21% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 29 to 48, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School good at its last full inspection on 25 September 2019. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 37% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 47.0, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How good are Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School's SATs results?
In summer 2023, 70% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 61%. 14% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School have?
873 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,000 places, so it is 87% full.
Is Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 128 places were empty in 2024/25 (13% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School?
Pupils were in school 92.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 27% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School?
The average class had 19.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. No class had more than 30 pupils.
Does Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C. 12 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- West Park Road, Blackburn, BB2 6DF
- Telephone
- 01254 686300
- Website
- www.qegsblackburn.com
- Acting Head
- Mrs Claire Gammon
- Type of school
- Free school (Free schools, free schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Qegs Blackburn Academy Trust (2 schools)
- Local authority
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Ward
- Shear Brow & Corporation Park
- Constituency
- Blackburn
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2014 (new provision)
- URN
- 141165 · LAESTAB 8896001 · UKPRN 10046858
- Formerly
- Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2022/23.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.