Lancaster Independent School for Alternative Learning (Lisal)

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted rated this school Good at the inspection that started on 23 May 2023.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

At its last standard inspection the school met all of the independent school standards, the legal requirements every independent school must meet.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted non-association independent schools inspection data.

Results

We don't show GCSE or primary results for independent schools. DfE's tables often leave out the IGCSEs and other qualifications many independent schools use, so their published figures can look far lower than pupils' real results. Ask the school for its results.

Admissions

Independent schools run their own admissions and set their own fees. Contact the school directly.

Pupils, staff and SEND

Comparisons are with primary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25.

Nearby primary schools

• Willow Lane Community Primary School 0.2 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 46% met expected standard (KS2)
• Lancaster Dallas Road Community Primary School 0.5 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022) · 65% met expected standard (KS2)
• Lancaster Ryelands Primary School 0.6 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 2 strong, 5 expected · 63% met expected standard (KS2)
• St Josephs Catholic Primary School, Lancaster 0.8 miles · Ofsted: Requires improvement (2024) · 33% met expected standard (KS2)
• Morecambe and Heysham Grosvenor Park Primary School 0.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2014), confirmed 2023 · 70% met expected standard (KS2)
• The Cathedral Catholic Primary School, Lancaster 0.9 miles · Ofsted: Good (2016), confirmed 2025 · 80% met expected standard (KS2)
• Skerton St Luke's CofE Primary School 1.0 miles · Ofsted: Good (2022) · 40% met expected standard (KS2)
• Castle View Primary Academy 1.1 miles · Ofsted: No overall grade (2025) · 31% met expected standard (KS2)
• Bowerham Primary and Nursery School 1.2 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 6 strong, 1 expected · 60% met expected standard (KS2)
• Lancaster Christ Church CofE Primary School 1.2 miles · Ofsted: Report card 2026: 1 strong, 6 expected · 64% met expected standard (KS2)

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

Sources

• School details: Get Information about Schools (DfE), 26 September 2026. URN 132095.
• Inspections: Ofsted non-association independent schools management information, data to 31 July 2026.

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