Boroughbridge High School
57%
Capacity
438
Pupils
2.8x
Demand
About Boroughbridge High School
Boroughbridge High School is a popular choice among local families, with 141 applications for 50 Year 7 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.82. That means nearly three families applied for every available spot, and 45 of those offers went to first-preference applicants. However, the school is currently rated Requires Improvement by Ofsted following its May 2023 inspection, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2012. The inspection report flagged behaviour and attitudes, as well as leadership and management, as areas requiring improvement, though quality of education and personal development were both judged Good. With 21.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage compared to the national secondary average.
Academically, the school's Progress 8 score of -0.48 places it in the bottom 50 nationally and ranks it 33rd out of 39 secondary schools in North Yorkshire. This is significantly below the local authority average Progress 8 score of 0.07, meaning pupils here make less progress than their peers across the county. The Attainment 8 score sits at 40, and just 31.5% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 58.4% at grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.46, with only 4.5% of pupils entering and achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. Progress in English is notably weak at -0.68, while maths progress is -0.34. The school does not have a sixth form, so pupils leave at 16.
The school offers a solid range of facilities including a theatre, music rooms, science labs, sports hall, astro turf, and tennis courts, plus a chapel on site. Sports provision includes basketball, rugby, swimming, rowing, and gymnastics, and there are clubs such as Model UN, choir, orchestra, gardening, and eco club. SEND support covers a broad spectrum including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. For families weighing up options, Boroughbridge is a heavily oversubscribed school that clearly appeals locally, but the Requires Improvement rating and below-average progress scores mean it is worth investigating what recent changes have been made since the 2023 inspection, particularly around behaviour and leadership.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Wetherby Road, York, North Yorkshire, YO51 9JX |
| Headteacher | Kathryn Stephenson |
| Local Authority | North Yorkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 438 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 21.9% |
| School Capacity | 438 / 763 (57% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
4 May 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Source: Ofsted, 11 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.48)
2579th of 3,141
Nationally
236th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
33rd of 39
In North Yorkshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2323%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 106 pupils).
- FE college58%
- School sixth form (stay)23%
- Apprenticeship8%
- Employment5%
- Not sustained4%
- Sixth form college1%
95% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2313%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 8 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
11%
Russell Group
11%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- Employment75%
- University (HE)13%
- Not sustained13%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Chemistry3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
12Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed50
141
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
45 families put this school as their 1st choice (32% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Source: boroughbridgehigh.com. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British90.4%
- Mixed3.7%
- White (other)3.4%
- Asian0.2%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
2
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
1
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Boroughbridge High School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Wetherby Road, York
North Yorkshire, YO51 9JX
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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