St Anne's College Grammar School Review 2026: Small all-through independent in Lytham St Annes

A small, all-through independent day school that runs from age 2 through to 18, with a structure that keeps younger pupils and older students under one umbrella while still separating day-to-day experience by department. The setting has long roots in the town, the school states it was founded in 1886 and moved into its purpose-built Clifton Drive premises in 1902.

Current leadership sits clearly at the centre of the organisation. Abigail Victoria Welsby is the headteacher, with the role starting in February 2023.

For families, the headline trade-off is straightforward. Class sizes and relationships can feel closer in a small school, but published outcomes and recent regulatory judgements point to the need for sustained improvement at secondary and sixth form stages.

This is a small community school in the true sense. Official listings put current roll numbers well below the stated capacity, which naturally shapes daily life. Small cohorts tend to mean pupils are well known by staff, older students are visible role models, and behaviour management can feel personal rather than system-led.

The site and its routines also suit an all-through model. Nursery provision sits within the same overall building footprint, with a practical focus on security and controlled access, including a keypad entry system referenced in the nursery facilities information. That matters for parents of younger children, especially those weighing convenience against the realities of a legacy building.

Leadership context is important here because it overlaps with a period of increased external scrutiny. The principal was appointed in February 2023, which places the current headship firmly within the timeframe of the most recent inspections and subsequent monitoring.

Performance data needs to be read with the realities of scale in mind. Very small year groups can cause year-to-year volatility, and a single subject entry can shift averages quickly. Even with that caution, the available headline indicators for secondary and sixth form outcomes sit well below England averages in the underlying dataset.

At GCSE level, the average Attainment 8 score is 19.4. The school’s GCSE outcomes place it 3,883rd in England and 3rd in the local area for this measure (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This positioning corresponds to below England average performance. The dataset also records 0% achieving grades 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate measure.

At A-level, the recorded proportions at A*, A, B, and A*-B are all 0% and the A-level ranking is 2,626th in England and 2nd locally (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). In a small sixth form, figures can reflect cohort suppression, exceptionally small entry sizes, or the absence of examinable entries in a given cycle, but the available indicator still signals that families should ask direct questions about recent sixth form cohorts and course viability.

It is worth emphasising what is and is not being measured. These are outcome indicators, not a judgement on relationships, pastoral support, or day-to-day teaching strengths which can exist even when exam outcomes are inconsistent.

The curriculum narrative on the school website leans towards a traditional subject structure with some practical emphasis, especially in science at Key Stage 3. Science is described as skills-based, with a strong practical element and two lower-school laboratories equipped with interactive boards. The implication for students is a timetable that aims to keep scientific enquiry and technique visible, not just exam content coverage.

A distinctive feature is the school’s Microsoft Office Specialist authorised testing centre status, with structured opportunities for students from Year 8 through sixth form to take Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certifications, including pathways to Associate and Master. For some learners, that provides a concrete skills credential that sits alongside academic courses and can support employability narratives.

The area to watch is consistency across subjects and key stages. Recent regulatory evaluations have focused on curriculum design, delivery, and the reliability of systems. Families considering entry from Year 7 upwards should probe how curriculum sequencing is managed, how gaps are identified, and how subject leadership is supported, especially where staffing is inevitably lean in a small school.

Because this is an all-through setting, many families will be looking for continuity rather than a single transition point. The school’s published admissions messaging reinforces that it accepts pupils into the junior stages by interview, and into the senior stage typically at age 11, with an entrance examination structure for senior admissions.

For younger pupils, the “next step” question is usually internal progression into the junior school and then into the grammar school years. The benefit is reduced churn at key transition points, which can be valuable for pupils who respond well to familiarity and steady routines.

For older students, sixth form scale is the key practical factor. A progress monitoring inspection report dated November 2024 states that at the time of that inspection there were no students on roll in the sixth form. That does not prevent sixth form provision in principle, but it does change the day-to-day experience, subject breadth, and peer group that families often expect from sixth form education.

Admissions are direct to the school rather than local authority coordinated, with different entry mechanics depending on age.

Nursery and early years entry

Nursery provision runs from age 2, with facilities describing both indoor areas and outdoor space, including an early years garden with raised beds for planting and growing, plus a tarmac area and a tarmacked playground suited to mobility aids. Entry is typically handled through contact with the school and a visit, followed by an offer subject to availability.

Junior school entry

The junior admissions guidance describes entry by interview for infant entry, with later junior entry possible following an individual assessment and interview. The practical implication is that the school can accommodate midstream moves where it has space and where the assessment suggests a workable fit.

Senior school entry and Year 7

Senior entry is typically in September at age 11, with the school advising early provisional applications. The entrance examination is described as running at regular intervals from December onwards, assessing mathematics, English, and creative writing, with speed not treated as a prominent factor. This design will appeal to families who prefer assessments that reward reasoning and expression over time-pressured technique.

Sixth form entry

The school states that applications from sixth form students are welcomed, with individual arrangements on entry qualifications, courses, and fees handled directly. The key question for families is whether cohort size supports a broad subject offer in the year of entry.

For parents comparing options, FindMySchool’s Saved Schools feature can be useful for keeping a shortlist that spans independent and state alternatives, especially if you are weighing the certainty of continuity against broader sixth form scale elsewhere.

Pastoral strength is a recurring theme in the formal reporting and in the school’s own messaging. In day-to-day terms, a small school often enables earlier intervention, quicker communication with parents, and fewer pupils “falling through gaps”.

The October and December 2023 Ofsted inspection judged overall effectiveness as Requires improvement, with Good grades for behaviour, personal development and early years.

Following that, a progress monitoring inspection in November 2024 recorded improvements in compliance and systems, including clear measures around supervision, anti-bullying policy, fire safety compliance, and staff suitability checks, alongside ongoing work to make sure standards are met consistently.

The practical takeaway for families is that safeguarding and supervision systems have been a recent focus area, and you should expect to see clear, documented routines around attendance, supervision at social times, and reporting mechanisms.

Enrichment is best evidenced here through specific, named activities. For the junior school, the website describes house competitions including Music, Chess, Short Tennis, Spelling and General Knowledge, plus Recorder Groups, Choir, Computer Club, Dance Club and Gardening Club. That mix suggests a deliberate balance between performance, academic stretch, and practical interests.

Trips and educational visits also look more developed than the school’s small size might imply. The junior programme lists residential visits to France, plus a set of named day visits including the Lancashire Science Festival, the Roman Museum at Ribchester, and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. For pupils, the implication is learning that is periodically anchored by off-site experiences, which can support motivation and context.

Sport is described as running at specialist venues within the locality, with a range of team and individual activities named, including swimming alongside field sports. For families, the implication is that sport exists as a regular part of school life, but not necessarily through an extensive on-site sporting estate.

As an independent school, fees are a central part of the decision.

Published termly fees indicate:

• Junior school fees are £2,520 per term plus VAT.

• Senior school fees are from £3,500 per term plus VAT.

The fee pages also reference discounts for siblings and state that fees include textbooks and exercise books, with payment by term in advance or spread by standing arrangement.

On financial support, the school states that scholarships and bursary awards are available based on academic performance, with discussion handled directly with the principal. Families considering affordability should ask how awards are structured in practice, whether any support is means-tested, and how it interacts with sibling discounts.

Nursery fee structures are published separately by sessions, and parents should consult the school’s nursery fees information directly for current early years pricing and funding arrangements.

The attendance policy states that the school day starts at 9:00am and ends at 3:30pm for juniors and 3:45pm for seniors. That provides a clear baseline when comparing wraparound options and commuting routines.

Wraparound care details are not clearly set out in the publicly accessible pages used for this review. Families who need early drop-off or later collection should confirm current availability and costs directly with the school.

Parking is described as roadside for nursery, which will matter at peak drop-off times.

• Recent regulatory trajectory. The school has been under inspection and subsequent monitoring, with clear expectations placed on leadership consistency and curriculum design. Families should ask what has changed since 2023 and how impact is tracked over time.

• Sixth form scale. A recent monitoring report noted no students on roll in the sixth form at the time of inspection. If sixth form matters to your plan, confirm subject availability, class sizes, and whether courses run every year.

• Outcomes volatility in small cohorts. Small entry sizes can make headline results swing sharply from year to year, so parents should look for multi-year patterns and evidence of stable staffing and course continuity.

• Facilities trade-offs. Some activities rely on local specialist venues rather than extensive on-site provision, which can be positive for variety but less convenient for timetabling and transport.

St Anne's College Grammar School suits families who prioritise an all-through, small-school experience and who value close relationships, a controlled environment, and continuity from early years through senior school. It can also suit students who benefit from structured, skills-oriented options such as MOS certifications alongside academic study.

The limiting factor is not ethos, it is confidence in sustained academic outcomes and the practical scale of provision at GCSE and sixth form stage. Who it suits most is a child who will thrive in a smaller setting, with parents prepared to ask detailed questions about curriculum consistency, exam pathways, and sixth form viability before committing.