Harrogate High School

Harrogate High School demonstrates a strong overall performance with notable improvements in teaching, safeguarding, and behavior since the last inspection. The school leaders have successfully fostered an inclusive culture and have taken significant steps to improve attendance, though this remains a key area for leadership focus, particularly for disadvantaged students. Safeguarding practices are robust, contributing to a positive and safe environment where pupils feel supported and valued.

Strengths

• Effective leadership has driven significant improvements in teaching and curriculum delivery.
• Pupils exhibit positive behavior and attitudes towards learning.
• Inclusive culture is embedded across all school practices.
• Strong support systems are in place for pupils with special educational needs.
• Successful interventions have improved attendance significantly.
• Staff are well-supported and engaged with ongoing professional development.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievements at key stage 4 have not met national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils still have significant gaps in performance.
• Need for further improvements in attendance, especially for vulnerable pupils.

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 Harrogate High School attended 88.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.1% 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, 14.4% of pupils at Harrogate High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Harrogate High School had 15.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.6% 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, 21.8% of pupils at Harrogate High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.7% 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 2024–25 Harrogate High School received £8,939 and spent £8,889 for each of its 672 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £118,000 (-£176 per pupil).

Across all 15 schools of Northern Star Academies Trust, income was £7,474 and spending £7,332 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Harrogate · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Harrogate High School is part of Northern Star Academies Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Willow Tree Community Primary School Harrogate
• Starbeck Primary Academy Harrogate
• Hookstone Chase Primary School Harrogate
• New Park Primary Academy Harrogate
• Lapage Primary School and Nursery Bradford
• Byron Primary School Bradford
• Meadow Bank Community School Bradford
• Eastwood Community School Keighley
• Parkwood Primary School Keighley
• Victoria Primary School Keighley

What is Harrogate High School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Harrogate High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Harrogate High School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Harrogate High School have?

Harrogate High School has 579 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harrogate High School cover?

Harrogate High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Harrogate High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.5, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Harrogate High School?

Harrogate High School is at Ainsty Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG1 4AP.