Huntington School

About Huntington School

Huntington School is a large, mixed secondary in York, currently home to 1,464 pupils against a capacity of 1,545, meaning it is not quite full but still in high demand. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 477 applications for 230 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.07, with 227 first-preference offers made from 264 first-preference applications. Its free school meal rate of 15.5% sits slightly above the national average for secondary schools, suggesting a genuinely mixed intake that reflects the wider community. The school is non-religious, with no formal faith designation, and operates a co-educational model across the full 11-18 age range. As one of only four state secondaries in York rated Outstanding by Ofsted, Huntington competes directly with other high-performing schools in the area, including Fulford School and All Saints Catholic School, which rank above it on Progress 8. Its size and popularity mean that families applying from outside the immediate catchment should be prepared for a competitive admissions process.

Academically, Huntington delivers solid but not exceptional results. Its Progress 8 score of 0.06 is rated as Average, meaning pupils achieve broadly in line with expectations, though this is below the York local authority average of 0.22. The school ranks sixth out of eight secondaries in York on this measure, placing it in the bottom half of the local table. At GCSE, 71.8% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, while 47% achieved a grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score of 4.41 reflects a curriculum that encourages breadth, with 66.7% of pupils entering the EBacc suite of subjects. At A-level, the picture is stronger: the school's value-added score of 0.22 is rated Above Average, and the average grade achieved per entry is a B, with 25.8% of entries graded AAB or higher. The sixth form is officially rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and the school's progress banding at this level places it above the national norm.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, astro turf, playing fields, music rooms, art studios, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision is varied, with rowing, rugby, cricket, swimming, and martial arts among the options, while extracurricular clubs span coding, debate, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, and Young Enterprise. Huntington also maintains a resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs, covering areas such as autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and physical disability. For families weighing up options in York, Huntington represents a solid state choice with a strong sixth form, though its GCSE Progress 8 is less competitive than some local peers. It is best suited to families who value a large, inclusive school with strong post-16 outcomes and a wide range of enrichment activities, and who are prepared for the oversubscription process.

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