Whitby School
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Whitby School is a council school in Whitby for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 975 pupils and room for 1,539. About 28 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 6 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2023.
Prospect Hill, Whitby, YO21 1LA01947 601901whitbyschool.co.ukMiss Julie Caddell principalAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 7 November 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Requires improvement overall.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 17 February 2022 | Ungraded | School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
225 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 | North Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 225 | 105 | 117 | 122 | 133 | 178 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 39.5 | 43.9 | 43.0 | 47.4 | 45.0 | 42.9 | 47.1 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.10 | -0.20 | -0.15 | +0.04 | +0.00 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 32% | 42% | 34% | 48% | 38% | 37% | 48% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 51% | 56% | 56% | 66% | 62% | 58% | 68% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.30 | 3.67 | 3.58 | 3.92 | 3.88 | 3.76 | 4.17 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 15% | 25% | 34% | 22% | 48% | 38% | 37% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 29.7 | 31.7 | 35.6 | 38.4 | 36.8 | 28.6 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 42.0 | 46.6 | 44.3 | 49.8 | 47.4 | 45.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 25.3 | 27.5 | 29.2 | 25.7 | 21.0 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 64.8 | 56.9 | 62.3 | 61.0 | 60.7 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 19 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Drama (19% here, 60% across England), Computer Science (29% here, 56% across England), History (27% here, 52% across England), Business (31% here, 51% across England).
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 | 221 | 7% | 37% | 55% | 53% | 2,655 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 221 | 15% | 44% | 66% | 54% | 2,251 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 218 | 8% | 42% | 63% | 58% | 2,580 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 185 | 1% | 28% | 46% | 36% | 2,065 of 3,084 |
| History | 122 | 12% | 27% | 38% | 52% | 2,880 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 100 | 8% | 36% | 50% | 51% | 2,339 of 3,116 |
| Art and Design | 99 | 8% | 49% | 75% | 58% | 1,908 of 2,818 |
| Business | 77 | 5% | 31% | 38% | 51% | 1,453 of 1,806 |
| Physical Education | 42 | 5% | 38% | 50% | 56% | 1,206 of 1,559 |
| Design & Technology | 34 | 12% | 41% | 53% | 50% | 890 of 1,478 |
| Computer Science | 31 | 10% | 29% | 42% | 56% | 1,608 of 1,861 |
| Physics | 27 | 41% | 85% | 93% | 82% | 1,370 of 2,546 |
| Religious Studies | 26 | 19% | 65% | 77% | 60% | 797 of 1,825 |
| Music | 26 | 23% | 69% | 77% | 61% | 198 of 395 |
| Drama | 26 | 0% | 19% | 39% | 60% | 816 of 844 |
| Biology | 26 | 50% | 89% | 100% | 82% | 1,210 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 26 | 42% | 92% | 100% | 81% | 968 of 2,537 |
| German | 20 | 25% | 75% | 85% | 63% | 200 of 571 |
| French | 17 | 18% | 53% | 65% | 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, 2025
47 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 47 | 74 | 91 | 75 | 167 | 196 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 25.59 | 24.78 | 32.62 | 30.93 | 27.38 | 28.18 |
| Average A level grade | C- | D+ | C+ | C | C- | C- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | – | 28.15 | 31.83 | 26.36 | 30.83 | 23.23 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | – | 0% | 20% | 18% | 6% | 6% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.58 | -0.60 | – | – | -0.43 | -0.38 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 26.93 | 31.85 | 33.42 | 31.83 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 90% | 85% | 96% | 100% | 65% | 91% |
A level subjects
3 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
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. 1 of the 3 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.
503 places were empty (33% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 31% since 2021/22.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to North Yorkshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 33 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for secondary schools with enough answers to publish.
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.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 0 pupils, for speech, language and communication.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in North Yorkshire with speech, language and communication provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (48), Specific learning difficulty (44), emotional and mental health (37), Autistic spectrum disorder (31), language and communications needs (14), Hearing impairment (4).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 975 | 1,041 | 832 | 780 | 786 | 765 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 26% | 25% | 22% | 18% | 16% | 15% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 2% | 2% | 1% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 14% | 11% | 12% | 12% | 13% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 86.9% 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 | 13.1% | 13.5% | 10.4% | 11.0% | 5.9% | 6.6% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 9.3% | 8.8% | 7.4% | 7.7% | 4.1% | 4.4% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.8% | 4.7% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 2.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 37.0% | 44.3% | 32.8% | 39.3% | 15.5% | 16.5% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 37.8 | 26.8 | 16.4 | 8.5 | 4.3 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 117 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 94%, compared with 94% 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% | 95% | 92% | 94% |
| Education | 80% | 81% | 77% | 86% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 7% | 7% | 3% |
| Work | 7% | 7% | 8% | 5% |
| Not in education, work or training | 3% | 5% | 4% | 6% |
After sixth form
Where the 83 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 61%, compared with 80% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 30% went on to degree-level study or training.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 76% | 83% | 89% | – |
| Education | 36% | 37% | 54% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 14% | 10% | 0% |
| Work | 31% | 32% | 24% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 24% | 16% | 7% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 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.
No other schools of this phase within 8 km.
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Whitby 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.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 6 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 6% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 4 to 9. 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% | below | -0.13 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 225 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.41 | Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.05 | DfE progress measure; 225 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well below | -0.18 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.14 | 2024/25; 975 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.08 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 225 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.02 | 117 pupils |
| What parents say | 5% | well below | -0.14 | Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 33 responses |
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 Whitby School a good school?
The figures are weak. Whitby School scores 6 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 4 to 9, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Whitby School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Whitby School requires improvement at its last full inspection on 7 November 2023.
How good are Whitby School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 32% 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 39.5, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Whitby School have?
975 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,539 places, so it is 63% full.
Is Whitby School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 503 places were empty in 2024/25 (33% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Whitby School?
Pupils were in school 86.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 37% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about Whitby School?
15% of the 33 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 15% say their child is happy there. Across England, 77% of parents would recommend their child's school.
How big are the classes at Whitby School?
The average class had 21.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 7% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Whitby School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for speech, language and communication. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Whitby School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 3 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Prospect Hill, Whitby, YO21 1LA
- Telephone
- 01947 601901
- Website
- www.whitbyschool.co.uk
- Principal
- Miss Julie Caddell
- Type of school
- Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- North Yorkshire
- Ward
- Whitby Streonshalh
- Constituency
- Scarborough and Whitby
- Setting
- Urban: Further from a major town or city
- URN
- 121667 · LAESTAB 8154039 · UKPRN 10007478
- Formerly
- Eskdale 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, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- 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.