Head of Religious Studies and Philosophy

Lancaster Royal Grammar School is one of the oldest state schools in the country. It was founded in the thirteenth century and endowed by John Gardyner in 1472. Originally situated close to the Priory Church and Lancaster Castle, the school moved to its present site in 1851.

Most pupils join in Year 7 having passed the 11+, and a substantial number also join the Sixth Form after taking GCSEs elsewhere. Smaller numbers join other year groups as boarders from the UK and overseas. From the outset the Free School of Lancaster educated boarding as well as day pupils, and of our current 1260 pupils about 170 are boarders. For these students, their education remains free, and parents only pay for the boarding element.

It is an exciting time for our growing school. We welcomed our first Sixth Form girls in 2019, and more than 140 girls have now joined the school as day students or boarders.

Our students are energetic and ambitious, and it is definitely “cool to succeed” at LRGS! Their academic record is excellent. LRGS consistently features as one of the top state schools in the country in terms of examination success. Those results include 63* A*/A grades at A-level in 2022, and 41% 9/8 grades at GCSE in 2022.  Over 90% of students go on to further education – typically 30-40 students will apply to Oxford and Cambridge each year. An average of 12 students per year gain Oxbridge places (14 in 2022), and most students proceed to Russell Group universities. Others go on to a range of competitive opportunities which have in recent years included RADA, the Dyson Institute, Glasgow School of Art, high-quality apprenticeships and US sports scholarships amongst others.

Our most recent Boarding Ofsted inspection (2019) found us Outstanding in all areas.  Inspectors commented: “This is a school that creates extraordinary positive experiences and maximises the progress of boarders”, and that staff “show exceptional levels of competency and compassion.”

We value and promote diversity amongst both pupils and staff. We are a caring school which offers strong and effective pastoral support to individuals. We are forward-looking and leaders in the area of student support and well-being.

A profusion of extra-curricular activities provides an exceptional range of social, cultural and sporting opportunities, including a full programme of Saturday games fixtures and thriving CCF and DofE provision.  A dynamic programme of overseas trips has recently included rugby and cricket tours to Argentina and Barbados, music tours to Italy and Spain, and a range of other expeditions from Iceland to Costa Rica.

We have made substantial investment into our estate and teaching facilities in recent years. This includes a £2.5 million Priority Schools Building project which has provided two new science laboratories and transformed Victorian boarding accommodation in Old School House into new classrooms and Sixth Form study and social space.