Graham School

Graham School is making notable strides in delivering an ambitious and inclusive curriculum, with improvements evident in teaching practices and support for pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The safeguarding standards are met, creating a positive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. Despite these strengths, the school faces challenges in pupil achievement, particularly in national examinations, where results remain below national averages. Attendance issues also persist, and school leaders recognize the need for further improvement in these areas to enhance overall pupil outcomes.

Strengths

• Strong safeguarding standards that contribute to a safe environment.
• Improvements in curriculum delivery and teaching effectiveness.
• Effective support structures for pupils with special educational needs.
• Inclusive culture fostering engagement and support.
• Well-structured personal development curriculum that prepares pupils for modern society.
• Valuable careers education and guidance provision.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement in national examinations is below national averages.
• Attendance rates are below national averages and remain a significant concern.

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 Graham School attended 86.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 41.0% 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, 9.8% of pupils at Graham 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 Graham School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 11.1% of pupils at Graham School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.9% 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 Graham School received £8,989 and spent £7,634 for each of its 969 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,300,000 (£1,342 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Heartwood Learning Trust, income was £8,073 and spending £7,816 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 Scarborough · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Graham School is part of Heartwood Learning Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• George Pindar School Scarborough
• Burton Green Primary School York
• Skelton Primary School York
• Vale of York Academy York
• Forest of Galtres Anglican/Methodist Primary School York
• St James' Church of England Academy Hull
• Manor Church of England Academy York
• Poppleton Ousebank Primary School York
• Newland St John's Church of England Academy Hull
• Liberty Academy Hull

What is Graham School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Graham School is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Graham School last inspected by Ofsted?

Graham School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Graham School have?

Graham School has 893 pupils on roll.

What age range does Graham School cover?

Graham School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Graham School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 38.2, and 41% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Graham School?

Graham School is at Woodlands Drive, Scarborough, YO12 6QW.