Howden School
95%
Capacity
678
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About Howden School
Howden School has strong parent endorsement, with 90% of respondents to the most recent Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. The survey, which ran from September 2024 to September 2025 and collected 324 responses, shows particularly high satisfaction in several areas: 91% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 95% felt their child is safe. The school was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, receiving 185 applications for 140 places, with 133 first-preference offers made — an oversubscription ratio of 1.32. Parents also reported positively on behaviour, with 87% agreeing the school ensures pupils are well behaved, and on high expectations, with 91% agreeing the school holds high expectations for their child. The school's headteacher is Lisa Tester, and it serves 678 pupils aged 11 to 16 in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
Academically, Howden School's most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2025 judged it Good across all graded areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a notable improvement from its previous inspection in February 2023, when it was rated Requires Improvement across the board. However, the school's Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year was -0.52, which is well below average nationally and ranks it 16th out of 18 secondary schools in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.13, so Howden's result is significantly lower. The Attainment 8 score was 41.2, and 35.4% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score was 3.68, with 13.8% of pupils achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, science labs, and art studios, plus clubs such as debate, orchestra, film club, and young enterprise. Sports on offer include netball, rugby, football, and martial arts. Howden has a resourced provision and supports pupils with a variety of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech, language and communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. In the Parent View survey, 73% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that SEND children receive the support they need. The school has no sixth form, so pupils will need to move on elsewhere after Year 11. Given its oversubscription and strong parent satisfaction, Howden seems to suit families who value a supportive, community-focused secondary with improving Ofsted grades, though its academic outcomes are below the local average.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Derwent Road, Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 7AL |
| Headteacher | Lisa Tester |
| Local Authority | East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 678 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 18.9% |
| School Capacity | 678 / 710 (95% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Mar 2025Quality of Education
Good
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 5 May 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.52)
2630th of 3,141
Nationally
242nd of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
16th of 18
In East Riding of 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
2022/231%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 125 pupils).
- FE college54%
- Sixth form college27%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Employment5%
- Not sustained4%
- School sixth form (stay)1%
96% 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.
Ofsted Parent View
324 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
11Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
15Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed140
185
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
133 families put this school as their 1st choice (72% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half 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%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British94.5%
- White (other)2.7%
- Mixed1.9%
- Asian0.1%
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
2024/25Half 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.
3
Total schools
2
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 Howden 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
Derwent Road, Goole
East Riding of Yorkshire, DN14 7AL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
