The Whitby High School

The Whitby High School is a large secondary school that is performing at the expected standard in leadership and governance, personal development and wellbeing, and post-16 provision, but requires attention in achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and inclusion. Leaders have strengthened their vision and quality assurance, and standards of behaviour have improved, but pupils' outcomes at key stage 4 remain below national average and attendance rates are too low. The sixth form is a notable strength, with higher-quality teaching and improving attainment over time. However, historic weaknesses in the curriculum and inconsistent teaching, particularly for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, mean that some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Leadership and governance have been strengthened, with a clear vision and rigorous quality assurance.
• The sixth-form provision is well led, with a broadened curriculum and higher-quality teaching.
• Students in the sixth form achieve well and benefit from effective assessment and support.
• Personal development and wellbeing provision is effective, including a redesigned PSHE curriculum.
• Pastoral support is strong, helping pupils with their mental health and self-esteem.
• Disadvantaged pupils are given the same enrichment opportunities as their peers.
• Behaviour has improved, and pupils typically behave well in lessons.
• The careers programme is comprehensive and tailored to local needs.
• Pupils take pride in leadership roles and contribute to decision-making.
• The school has a warm and welcoming environment, and pupils feel safe.
• Leaders have strengthened engagement with parents and carers.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' outcomes at key stage 4 are below national average due to low expectations and historic curriculum weaknesses.
• The quality of teaching varies across the curriculum, and assessment is not consistently used effectively.
• Attendance rates remain too low and persistent absenteeism is above national average.
• Some pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils do not attend school regularly enough.
• Support for pupils with SEND is inconsistent, and some staff do not have high enough expectations of them.
• Strategies to improve teaching are not yet fully embedded.
• Gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, particularly in writing, are not addressed swiftly enough.
• The revised PSHE curriculum needs further embedding to ensure pupils develop secure knowledge.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Whitby High School attended 88.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 30.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 9.1% of pupils at The Whitby High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Whitby High School had 14.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 7.0% of pupils at The Whitby High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 The Whitby High School received £8,944 and spent £9,019 for each of its 1,398 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,199,000 (£858 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Ellesmere Port · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

What is The Whitby High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Whitby High School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was The Whitby High School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Whitby High School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does The Whitby High School have?

The Whitby High School has 1,398 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Whitby High School cover?

The Whitby High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Whitby High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.0, and 32% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Whitby High School?

The Whitby High School is at Sycamore Drive, Whitby, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, CH66 2NU.