St Aidan's Church of England High School
106%
Capacity
2,026
Pupils
3.3x
Demand
About St Aidan's Church of England High School
Parents considering St Aidan's Church of England High School will find strong signals of popularity and satisfaction. The school is heavily oversubscribed, with 897 applications for 270 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.32. Of those applicants, 298 put it as their first preference, and 249 first-preference offers were made. This level of demand suggests a school that local families actively choose. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated it Good overall, with two standout Outstanding judgements: behaviour and attitudes, and sixth-form provision. This is a notable turnaround from the previous inspection in 2021, where the school was rated Inadequate overall. Under headteacher Sian Dover, leadership and management are now rated Good, and personal development is also Good. With 2,026 pupils on a capacity of 1,903, the school is operating above its official capacity, which reflects its popularity.
Academically, St Aidan's delivers results that place it among the strongest schools in North Yorkshire. Its Progress 8 score of 0.72 is well above the local authority average of 0.07, ranking it second out of 39 schools in the area and in the top 10% nationally. The Attainment 8 score is 57.9, and 86.2% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The school also has a strong focus on the EBacc, with 71.5% of pupils entering the qualification and 52.6% achieving a grade 4 or above across the EBacc subjects. At sixth form, the school is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and its value-added score of 0.22 is above average. Students achieved an average of 37.45 points per entry, equivalent to a B- grade, and 23.2% of entries were at AAB or higher. The sixth form has 500 pupils, making it a substantial and well-established part of the school.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a library, ICT suites, science labs, music rooms, art studios, a gymnasium, playing fields, a chapel, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports on offer include football, rugby, cricket, rowing, gymnastics, martial arts, and cross country, while clubs include Model UN, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, science club, gardening, and film club. St Aidan's has a Church of England religious character and provides SEND support for a broad range of needs, including specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a large, popular, and academically high-performing secondary school that will particularly suit families seeking strong GCSE and A-level outcomes within a structured, oversubscribed environment.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Oatlands Drive, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 8JR |
| Headteacher | Sian Dover |
| Local Authority | North Yorkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 2,026 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 6.6% |
| School Capacity | 2,026 / 1,903 (106% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
19 May 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 14 Jul 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.72)
266th of 3,141
Nationally
10th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
2nd of 39
In North Yorkshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly 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
40.0
'22/23
36.0
'23/24
37.5
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
2022/2384%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 256 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)84%
- FE college10%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Employment1%
- Not sustained1%
99% 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
2022/2360%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 503 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
34%
Russell Group
37%
Top-third HE
2%
Oxford / Cambridge
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)60%
- Employment26%
- Not sustained6%
- Further education3%
- Apprenticeship2%
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- Psychology122
- Biology120
- Mathematics103
- Chemistry77
- History75
- Economics68
- Physics64
- Business Studies:Single57
- Geography57
- Sociology54
- Government and Politics53
- Media/Film/Tv Studies45
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
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
12Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed270
897
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
298 families put this school as their 1st choice (33% 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
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British82.8%
- Asian4.9%
- Mixed4.1%
- White (other)3.8%
- Black0.3%
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.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half 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.
10
Total schools
9
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About St Aidan's Church of England 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
Oatlands Drive, Harrogate
North Yorkshire, HG2 8JR
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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