Ryburn Valley High School
108%
Capacity
1,614
Pupils
2.0x
Demand
About Ryburn Valley High School
Ryburn Valley High School, a large mixed secondary in Calderdale, was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a significant improvement from its previous overall rating of Inadequate in 2012. The inspection judged both leadership and management and overall effectiveness as Good. Academically, the school’s most telling metric is its Progress 8 score of 0.21, which places it well above the local authority average of 0.06. This score ranks Ryburn 3rd out of 12 schools in Calderdale, putting it in the top 25% of the borough. Nationally, it sits in the top third of all schools, ranking 1042 out of 3141. The school’s Progress 8 banding is officially described as ‘Above average’, and it performs particularly strongly in maths, where the Progress 8 score reaches 0.48, and in English at 0.25. The Attainment 8 score stands at 48.7, and 72.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths.
At Key Stage 5, the school’s sixth form also performs well. The value-added score is 0.25, with a confidence interval ranging from 0.11 to 0.39, and the progress banding is again ‘Above average’. The average points per entry is 32.48, equivalent to a C+ grade, while the best three A-levels average a B-. Some 16.7% of entries achieved grades AAB or higher. The school’s EBacc entry rate is relatively low at 14.4%, and the EBacc average point score is 4.0, but the basics measure shows that 60% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. With 101 pupils in the sixth form cohort, the school offers a substantial post-16 provision. Compared with its previous inspection, the school has clearly turned around its academic trajectory, moving from Inadequate to Good and now delivering outcomes that consistently exceed the local average.
Ryburn Valley High School is oversubscribed, with 509 applications for 254 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, a ratio of 2:1. Of those, 276 were first-preference applications, and 248 first-preference offers were made. The school has a capacity of 1500 but currently houses 1614 pupils, so it is operating slightly above its official capacity. Facilities include a swimming pool, theatre, art studios, music rooms, a sixth form centre, and an ICT suite. Sports offered range from athletics and swimming to martial arts and hockey, while clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model United Nations, and Young Enterprise. The school provides for a wide range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and speech, language and communication needs. With 25.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. This is a solid, improving state secondary that suits families looking for strong academic progress, particularly in maths, and a broad extracurricular offer within a large school environment.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | St Peter's Avenue, Sowerby Bridge, Calderdale, HX6 1DF |
| Headteacher | Donna Watkins |
| Local Authority | Calderdale |
| Number of Pupils | 1,614 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 25.2% |
| School Capacity | 1,614 / 1,500 (108% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
13 Jul 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (13 Jul 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 23 May 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.21)
1042nd of 3,141
Nationally
90th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
3rd of 12
In Calderdale
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more 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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
36.9
'22/23
31.2
'23/24
32.5
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2346%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 260 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)46%
- FE college22%
- Sixth form college15%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Not sustained3%
- Employment2%
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
2022/2352%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 101 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
12%
Russell Group
13%
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.
- University (HE)52%
- Employment23%
- Not sustained10%
- Apprenticeship8%
- Further education2%
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- Biology30
- Psychology30
- Chemistry24
- Business Studies:Single20
- Art and Design (Photography)17
- English Literature16
- Media/Film/Tv Studies14
- Mathematics12
- Computer Studies / Computing10
- English Language10
- Film Studies9
- Physics8
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
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed254
509
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
276 families put this school as their 1st choice (54% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 14:40
Source: rvhs.co.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British92.3%
- Asian3.0%
- Mixed2.7%
- White (other)0.9%
- Black0.1%
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
2024/2575% 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.
7
Total schools
7
Oversubscribed
6
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 Ryburn Valley 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
St Peter's Avenue, Sowerby Bridge
Calderdale, HX6 1DF
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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