Queen Elizabeth Studio School Review 2026: Technical pathways with a clear employer focus

A studio school only works when it genuinely feels different from a conventional secondary, and that is the point here. Students join at 14 for Key Stage 4, then progress through to 19, combining core GCSE study with vocational and technical pathways built around real employer input and project work. QEStudio shares a site with Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale, which expands access to specialist teaching and facilities beyond what a small, 14 to 19 setting could typically offer.

Leadership has been a key part of stabilising the model. The executive headteacher role is identified as Catherine O’Neill, appointed in September 2021, after significant senior leadership change in the early years of the school.

The atmosphere is shaped by the age range. With students arriving at 14, the culture is designed to accelerate maturity and purpose. External evaluation describes students as happy and proud of the school, and notes that many appreciate being treated as young adults. That is a useful cue for parents, because the fit tends to be strongest for teenagers who are ready for responsibility, and who respond well to learning that has an obvious line of sight to future careers.

The studio school model can be fragile if it becomes a narrow track. Here, the intent is broader. Students study English and mathematics as part of the core offer and then add pathway learning that is explicitly linked to employment skills, including structured work experience and employer projects. The school’s employer engagement strategy describes the approach as “bridging the gap” between school life and work, supported by an employer advisory board and a network of professional partners.

On headline performance measures, the picture is mixed and will matter to families deciding between a traditional GCSE route and a more applied model.

GCSE outcomes

Ranked 3144th in England and 7th in Lancaster for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This sits below the England average, within the bottom 40% of schools on this measure. Attainment 8 is 41.5 and Progress 8 is -0.48, indicating progress below the England average from students’ starting points. EBacc entry and higher-grade outcomes are also low on the available measures, which suggests the curriculum emphasis is not primarily EBacc-driven.

A-level outcomes

Ranked 2296th in England and 7th in Lancaster for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This also falls below the England average, within the bottom 40% on this measure. At A-level, 25.86% of grades are A* to B, compared with an England benchmark of 47.2% for A* to B; A* to A is 6.89% compared with an England benchmark of 23.6%.

For parents, the implication is straightforward. If your priority is a highly academic, exam-heavy route with strong headline grades, the published figures indicate you should scrutinise the offer carefully, ask how outcomes vary by pathway, and look closely at subject level patterns. If your child thrives with applied learning and a clearer employment line, then the question becomes whether the technical pathway and employer ecosystem outweigh the trade-offs in purely academic metrics.

Teaching is built around a dual structure: core GCSEs plus pathway learning, with additional option subjects available through the wider Queen Elizabeth School offer. The curriculum information highlights named elements that reinforce employability, including the accredited CREATE programme, National Enterprise Challenge, CSCS, Smallpeice Trust activity, and sector-relevant awards such as Essential First Aid and safeguarding-related qualifications in certain routes.

A key strength of the model is time architecture. Several pathways are described as being delivered on a whole-day structure (particularly in post-16), supported by professional partners. For students who struggle with constant subject switching, that coherence can improve focus. For others, especially those who prefer a traditional academic rhythm across many subjects each week, it can feel limiting.

Where Students Go Next

There is evidence of a deliberately broad definition of “success” here. Students are encouraged towards higher education, apprenticeships and employment routes, with work experience and employer contact presented as a normal part of development rather than an add-on.

Destination data for the most recent cohort provided shows a genuinely mixed set of outcomes: 43% progressed to university, 7% to further education, 2% to apprenticeships, and 39% to employment (cohort size 54 in the 2023 to 2024 cohort). This distribution reinforces the school’s positioning as a setting where students move into multiple post-18 routes, not a single university-only pipeline.

Extracurricular and wider development is also framed around maturity and leadership. The QESixth prospectus, which describes the shared sixth form ecosystem, references nationally recognised opportunities including Young Enterprise and the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

QEStudio is an “atypical” entry school in the sense that students can join at the start of Year 10, not only at Year 7. Westmorland and Furness Council’s coordinated admissions scheme explicitly notes this Year 10 entry point and advises parents to contact the school directly for application information.

For families living in Westmorland and Furness, the council’s published timeline for September 2026 secondary applications opens 3 September 2025 and closes 31 October 2025, with outcomes issued on 1 March 2026 (or the next working day). Families outside the area apply via their home local authority, even if the preferred school is in Westmorland and Furness.

Because this is a 14 to 19 setting, fit matters as much as logistics. Families should ask how the school supports transition from a prior Key Stage 3 experience, how pathway choices are guided, and how timetable structures work across the shared site. If you are comparing options, FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful for checking travel practicality, and the Local Hub comparison tools help put outcomes side-by-side with nearby alternatives.

The safeguarding position is clear and should reassure most families. Ofsted also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements were effective at the time of the latest inspection.

More broadly, the school’s culture is described as supportive, with staff and governors setting high expectations and students reporting positive relationships with staff. That combination tends to be most effective when paired with consistent routines, clear behaviour standards, and a well-understood escalation pathway for concerns.

The defining “beyond the classroom” offer is not a long list of clubs, it is regular contact with professional partners through workshops, project briefs, site visits, mentoring and placements. The employer engagement strategy sets out a structured approach, including an employer advisory board and partner tiers, which indicates this is designed to be systematic rather than occasional.

For students who like making and doing, the CREATE framework is intended to capture and develop employability skills over time, rather than treating them as informal. For students aiming for a blended programme, the curriculum material makes it explicit that pathway study can sit alongside A-level choices through the shared sixth form offer.

Morning registration is 8.40am, and the school day finishes at 3.10pm.

Transport is a practical consideration in a rural setting. School guidance emphasises applying to the relevant local authority for bus passes and transport arrangements, and notes that post-16 students typically need to apply for transport support and, in most cases, pay for a bus pass.

• Academic results are below England benchmarks. The GCSE and A-level rankings sit in the bottom 40% of schools in England on the measures provided. If you want a highly academic route, ask for subject-level patterns and how results vary by pathway.

• The model suits a particular learning style. Whole-day pathway structures and employer-linked projects can be excellent for practical learners; students who prefer a traditional subject-by-subject timetable may find it less comfortable.

• Entry at 14 is a major transition. Moving school for Year 10 can be a positive reset, but it is still a significant change socially and academically; ask how transition is managed and how quickly students settle into GCSE and pathway demands.

QEStudio is a purposeful option for 14 to 19 education, with a clear technical identity and a strong emphasis on employability, employer contact, and applied learning. The trade-off is that headline academic outcomes are currently weaker than England benchmarks on the measures provided. Who it suits: students who are motivated by practical, career-linked learning, and who will benefit from structured employer engagement alongside core GCSEs and post-16 options. Admission is the obstacle; the education model will only work if it matches your child’s learning preferences.