Withernsea High School
58%
Capacity
731
Pupils
1.2x
Demand
About Withernsea High School
Withernsea High School is a mixed state secondary for 11 to 16 year olds in the East Riding of Yorkshire, an area with 19 secondary schools in total. It currently ranks 15th out of those 18 schools on Progress 8, placing it in the bottom half of the local authority. The top-performing peers in the area are Goole Academy, South Hunsley School and Sixth Form College, and Woldgate School and Sixth Form College, all of which recorded higher Progress 8 scores. The school is led by headteacher Mark Crofts and has a capacity of 1,267, though it currently holds 731 pupils, leaving significant room for growth. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2025 saw the school drop from a previous Good rating to Requires Improvement across all graded areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school does not have a sixth form, so students must move on after Year 11.
Academically, Withernsea’s Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year was -0.38, which is below the local authority average of -0.13 and places the school in the bottom 50 nationally. Its Attainment 8 score stands at 36.6, and just 26.3% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 46.7% at grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.24, with only 7.8% of pupils entering and achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above. Progress in maths was close to the national average (0.01), but English progress was weaker at -0.53, and the open element of Progress 8 was -0.59. The school’s EBacc entry rate of 29.3% is relatively low. These figures suggest that while some pupils perform in line with expectations, particularly in maths, overall outcomes are significantly below both local and national averages.
On the practical side, Withernsea offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, astro turf, sports hall, science labs, and a library, plus clubs such as Young Enterprise, Model UN, and Debate. Sports on offer include swimming, tennis, football, rugby, and martial arts. The school has a dedicated resourced provision and supports pupils with a variety of SEND needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. In the Parent View survey, 66% of respondents would recommend the school, though responses were mixed: 74% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 78% agreed or strongly agreed that their child does well. For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, the school was oversubscribed, receiving 166 applications for 141 places, with 137 first-preference offers made. This suggests it remains a popular choice locally despite its current Ofsted rating and academic challenges.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Hull Road, Withernsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, HU19 2EQ |
| Headteacher | Mark Crofts |
| Local Authority | East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Number of Pupils | 731 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 40.2% |
| School Capacity | 731 / 1,267 (58% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Apr 2025Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Since Sep 2024, Ofsted no longer assigns a single overall grade
Source: Ofsted, 9 Jun 2025. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.38)
2420th of 3,141
Nationally
220th of 306
In Yorkshire and the Humber
15th of 18
In East Riding of 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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/234%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 126 pupils).
- Sixth form college37%
- FE college29%
- Not sustained13%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Employment8%
- School sixth form (stay)4%
87% 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.
Ofsted Parent View
77 responsesWould Recommend This School
Source: Ofsted Parent View (GOV.UK statistical data), Sep – Sep 2025
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed141
166
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
137 families put this school as their 1st choice (83% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:10
Source: withernseahigh.org.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
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British94.5%
- Mixed2.6%
- White (other)0.8%
- Asian0.4%
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
1
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 Withernsea 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
Hull Road, Withernsea
East Riding of Yorkshire, HU19 2EQ
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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