Nidderdale High School
93%
Capacity
395
Pupils
2.0x
Demand
About Nidderdale High School
Nidderdale High School in North Yorkshire holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement judgement. The school’s most recent graded inspection in 2012 gave it an overall effectiveness score of 2, and a subsequent ungraded inspection in 2023 confirmed it remains Good, with leadership and management also rated Good. On the most informative exam metric, Progress 8, the school scored -0.15, which places it in the ‘Average’ banding nationally. This is below the North Yorkshire local authority average of 0.07, and ranks Nidderdale 26th out of 39 secondary schools in the area. While the school is not among the top performers in the region, its Progress 8 score indicates that pupils are making broadly expected progress across their eight best subjects, with English progress (-0.04) and open subjects (-0.02) close to the national average.
Looking deeper at the 2023/24 GCSE results, the school’s Attainment 8 score stands at 41.5, and 51.9% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score is 3.45, though only 16.5% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects, and just 15.2% achieved a grade 5 or above across all EBacc components. Progress in maths (-0.54) and the EBacc subjects (-0.27) is notably weaker than in English, suggesting some variation in departmental performance. The school has no sixth form, so all pupils leave at 16. With 395 pupils on roll against a capacity of 425, it is not full, yet it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry: 165 applications for 81 places, with 77 first-preference offers made from 82 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.04.
Nidderdale offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, astro turf, and music rooms, alongside clubs such as Film Club, Science Club, Chess, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Sports provision includes football, rugby, swimming, cricket, and martial arts. The school’s SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that has turned around its Ofsted rating and now provides a solid, if not exceptional, academic experience. It will particularly suit families in the Pateley Bridge area who value a well-equipped secondary with strong extracurricular breadth and a clear focus on supporting pupils with additional needs.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Low Wath Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG3 5HL |
| Headteacher | Kath Jordan |
| Local Authority | North Yorkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 395 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 20.8% |
| School Capacity | 395 / 425 (93% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
18 Jan 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (18 Jan 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 16 Jan 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.15)
1895th of 3,141
Nationally
172nd of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
26th 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.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed81
165
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
82 families put this school as their 1st choice (50% 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: nidderdalehighschool.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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 British94.7%
- Mixed1.9%
- White (other)1.8%
- Asian0.3%
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 Nidderdale 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
Low Wath Road, Harrogate
North Yorkshire, HG3 5HL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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