Rastrick High School
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Rastrick High School is a converter academy in Brighouse for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,774 pupils, 24 more than it has places for. About 22 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 66 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 75% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Field Top Road, Rastrick, Brighouse, HD6 3XB01484 710235rastrick.polarismat.org.ukMr Mathew Williams headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 11 October 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
352 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Calderdale | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 352 | 348 | 306 | 288 | 261 | 236 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 49.9 | 48.3 | 46.1 | 52.0 | 48.9 | 49.8 | 49.7 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.06 | -0.09 | +0.33 | -0.13 | +0.37 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 61% | 54% | 50% | 60% | 51% | 53% | 52% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 77% | 72% | 70% | 76% | 73% | 75% | 70% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.35 | 4.15 | 3.82 | 4.46 | 4.28 | 4.38 | 4.33 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 27% | 22% | 10% | 18% | 27% | 47% | 37% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 40.0 | 41.7 | 35.1 | 43.6 | 38.6 | 40.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 52.8 | 50.6 | 49.2 | 54.5 | 51.9 | 52.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 30.5 | 29.2 | 34.7 | 24.4 | 33.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 62.0 | 63.5 | 71.8 | 58.1 | 62.2 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 20 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 351 | 22% | 66% | 83% | 53% | 620 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 351 | 23% | 69% | 81% | 54% | 511 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 347 | 18% | 61% | 79% | 58% | 1,226 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 284 | 6% | 47% | 73% | 36% | 700 of 3,084 |
| History | 133 | 39% | 65% | 74% | 52% | 703 of 3,126 |
| Art and Design | 133 | 30% | 81% | 96% | 58% | 450 of 2,818 |
| Geography | 130 | 12% | 55% | 71% | 51% | 1,057 of 3,116 |
| French | 100 | 36% | 76% | 85% | 60% | 526 of 1,974 |
| Physical Education | 98 | 29% | 71% | 79% | 56% | 416 of 1,559 |
| Business | 91 | 14% | 62% | 81% | 51% | 483 of 1,806 |
| Spanish | 78 | 28% | 69% | 86% | 54% | 487 of 1,941 |
| Biology | 65 | 37% | 83% | 88% | 82% | 1,501 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 65 | 34% | 85% | 88% | 81% | 1,383 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 65 | 25% | 86% | 88% | 82% | 1,317 of 2,546 |
| Social Studies | 57 | 18% | 60% | 74% | 54% | 412 of 1,043 |
| Computer Science | 42 | 7% | 45% | 79% | 56% | 1,202 of 1,861 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 21 | 33% | 71% | 81% | 52% | 220 of 1,098 |
| Religious Studies | 18 | 67% | 100% | 100% | 60% | – |
| Music | 14 | 57% | 93% | 93% | 61% | – |
| Drama | 12 | 25% | 33% | 67% | 60% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2018
173 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 173 | 171 | 173 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 27.82 | 25.06 | 25.11 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C- | C- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 30.21 | 25.74 | 24.53 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 10% | 8% | 3% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.23 | -0.23 | -0.22 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 86% | 98% | – |
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.
How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (319 offers for 360 places).
| Entry | Places | Put it first | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 360 | 332 | 319 | – all offered | LA |
| 2025 Secondary | 360 | 349 | 338 | – all offered | LA |
| 2024 Secondary | 360 | 355 | 326 | – all offered | LA |
| 2023 Secondary | 360 | 386 | 343 | – all offered | LA |
| 2022 Secondary | 360 | 369 | 329 | – all offered | LA |
| 2021 Secondary | 345 | 337 | 293 | – all offered | LA |
| 2020 Secondary | 345 | 381 | 319 | – all offered | LA |
| 2019 Secondary | 345 | 306 | 292 | – all offered | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (55), Specific learning difficulty (41), language and communications needs (41), Moderate learning difficulty (40), Autistic spectrum disorder (31), Other difficulty or disability (9).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,774 | 1,780 | 1,776 | 1,734 | 1,673 | 1,612 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 22% | 21% | 19% | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 5% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 6% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 10% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 10% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 7.7% | 8.2% | 8.6% | 8.0% | 4.8% | 5.7% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 2.0% | 3.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.8% | 4.2% | 4.5% | 3.5% | 2.8% | 2.3% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 20.6% | 23.2% | 25.9% | 25.4% | 13.0% | 14.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 15.6 | 16.7 | 14.8 | 11.1 | 5.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 306 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 81%, compared with 97% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 94% | 93% | 96% | 93% |
| Education | 87% | 85% | 91% | 89% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| Work | 1% | 2% | 1% | 1% |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 5% | 4% | 7% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighouse High School | Academy | 1.2 miles | 1,317 | Report card 2026 | 17 | Compare |
| All Saints Catholic College | Roman Catholic | 1.5 miles | 899 | Good 2022 | 61 | Compare |
| Lightcliffe Academy | Academy | 1.8 miles | 788 | No overall grade 2024 | 25 | Compare |
| Park Lane Academy | Academy | 2.3 miles | 481 | Report card 2026 | 23 | Compare |
| North Huddersfield Trust School | Foundation | 2.3 miles | 995 | Good 2022 | 25 | Compare |
| The Brooksbank School | Academy | 2.6 miles | 1,446 | No overall grade 2025 | 78 | Compare |
| Netherhall Learning Campus High School | Council | 3.2 miles | 823 | Requires improvement 2024 | 19 | Compare |
| Appleton Academy | Academy | 3.3 miles | 1,207 | Report card 2026 | 7 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Rastrick High School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Rastrick High School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Brooksbank School | Academy | 2.6 miles | 1,446 | No overall grade 2025 | 78 | Compare |
| Honley High School | Academy | 6.1 miles | 1,240 | Good 2023 | 73 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 66 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 66% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 56 to 73. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | in line | +0.06 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 352 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | +0.02 | DfE progress measure; 352 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.03 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.03 | 2024/25; 1,824 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.04 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 352 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.02 | 306 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Rastrick High School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Rastrick High School scores 66 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 75% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 56 to 73, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Rastrick High School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Rastrick High School good at its last full inspection on 11 October 2023.
How good are Rastrick High School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 61% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 49.9, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Rastrick High School have?
1,774 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,750 places, so it is 101% full.
Is Rastrick High School oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at Rastrick High School?
Pupils were in school 92.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Rastrick High School?
The average class had 24.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 25% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Rastrick High School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 94% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Field Top Road, Rastrick, Brighouse, HD6 3XB
- Telephone
- 01484 710235
- Website
- www.rastrick.polarismat.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr Mathew Williams
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- Polaris Multi Academy Trust (7 schools)
- Local authority
- Calderdale
- Ward
- Rastrick
- Constituency
- Calder Valley
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 September 2011 (academy converter)
- URN
- 137444 · LAESTAB 3815402 · UKPRN 10035142
- Formerly
- Rastrick High School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Calderdale council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.