Graham School
75%
Capacity
968
Pupils
1.6x
Demand
About Graham School
Graham School is a secondary school in North Yorkshire that receives strong interest from local families, with 273 applications for 173 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.58. Of those applicants, 121 were offered a first-preference place. However, the school does not currently publish a parent recommendation percentage, so it is not possible to gauge overall parental satisfaction from that metric. The school is led by headteacher Jonathan Newton and caters for 968 pupils aged 11 to 16, operating as a mixed, non-religious state school. With 36.9 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated the school as Requires Improvement overall, though inspectors noted that personal development is Good. Behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and the quality of education were all rated as Requires Improvement.
Academically, Graham School’s Progress 8 score of -0.53 is well below the national average and significantly below the North Yorkshire local authority average of 0.07. This places the school 34th out of 39 similar schools in the county, in the bottom 50 per cent nationally. The Attainment 8 score stands at 36.1, and just 28.4 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs, compared with 51.7 per cent achieving a grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.14, with only 4.7 per cent of pupils entering the EBacc and achieving a grade 5 or above. Progress in English and maths is negative, with English at -0.33 and maths at -0.39. The school does not have a sixth form, so all pupils leave at 16.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, library, ICT suite, art studios, gymnasium and chapel. Sports provision includes rugby, hockey, cricket, basketball, swimming, dance, rounders and martial arts, while extracurricular clubs cover the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, chess, science club, drama, art club and a newspaper club. SEND provisions are extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, visual and multi-sensory impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and other difficulties. Given its oversubscription but below-average academic outcomes, this school may suit families who value a broad range of facilities and SEND support over high exam performance, particularly those living within the catchment area.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Woodlands Drive, Scarborough, North Yorkshire, YO12 6QW |
| Headteacher | Jonathan Newton |
| Local Authority | North Yorkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 968 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 36.9% |
| School Capacity | 968 / 1,299 (75% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
27 Jun 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Source: Ofsted, 19 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.53)
2651st of 3,141
Nationally
244th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
34th of 39
In North Yorkshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly 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
2022/233%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 179 pupils).
- Sixth form college44%
- FE college28%
- Not sustained11%
- Employment7%
- Apprenticeship6%
- School sixth form (stay)3%
88% 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.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
14Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed173
273
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
121 families put this school as their 1st choice (44% 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: gra.hlt.academy. 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British76.3%
- White (other)6.1%
- Mixed2.9%
- Asian1.7%
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.
5
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
2
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 Graham 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
Woodlands Drive, Scarborough
North Yorkshire, YO12 6QW
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
