Wensleydale School

About Wensleydale School

Wensleydale School is clearly in demand among local families, with 95 first-preference applications for 80 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.71. Of those first-preference applicants, 79 received offers, meaning the school is heavily oversubscribed and competition for places is high. ParentView data isn't available in the school's records, but the high level of first-choice applications suggests a strong local reputation. The school is a mixed, non-denominational state secondary in North Yorkshire, led by headteacher Julia Polley, and caters for pupils aged 11 to 16. It has capacity for 440 pupils but currently has 388 on roll, so there is some room for growth. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with Good marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The sixth-form provision was rated Requires improvement, though the school does not currently operate a sixth form.

Academically, Wensleydale's Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year was -0.08, which is below the North Yorkshire local authority average of 0.07. This places the school 24th out of 39 secondary schools in the county, in the bottom half locally. Nationally, it ranks 1,714th out of 3,141 schools, putting it in the 54th percentile. The Attainment 8 score is 41.4, and 50.7% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 9-4 measure), though only 25.4% achieved a grade 5 or above in both subjects (the basics 9-5 measure). The EBacc average point score is 3.5, and just 18.3% of pupils entered the EBacc suite of subjects. Progress in maths is notably weaker than in English, with a Progress 8 maths score of -0.52 compared to -0.14 in English. The school's open element Progress 8 score is positive at 0.11, suggesting pupils perform better in non-core subjects.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, art studios, music rooms, and science labs. There are ten sports on offer, from rugby and hockey to martial arts and dance, plus a wide selection of clubs including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Young Enterprise, and an eco club. Wensleydale has a strong SEND provision, with support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. It also has a resourced provision. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying from outside the immediate catchment area should be aware that competition for places is high. With its Good Ofsted rating, broad extracurricular offer, and strong SEND support, Wensleydale suits families looking for a state secondary with a community feel, though those prioritising top-tier academic outcomes may want to consider higher-performing schools in the area.

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