Best secondary schools in North Yorkshire (2026)
North Yorkshire has 65 ranked secondary schools with published results. The top-ranked is Ripon Grammar School, in the top 4% in England. The average Attainment 8 here in 2025 was 46.5, against 46.1 for England. 4 are in England's top 10%, and 5 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 3 grammar schools.
| Rank | School | Attainment 8 (2023–2025 average) | Attainment 8 2025 | Trend | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 4% in England |
Ripon Grammar School Ripon · Grammar |
69.9 | 70.9 | 94% | Good | |
2 Top 4% in England |
Skipton Girls' High School Skipton · Grammar · Girls |
68.4 | 69.7 | 90% | Good | |
3 Top 5% in England |
Ermysted's Grammar School Skipton · Grammar · Boys |
66.0 | 67.3 | 87% | Good | |
4 Top 10% in England |
St Aidan's Church of England High School Harrogate · Church of England |
57.9 | 56.4 | 68% | Good | |
5 Top 11% in England |
Fulford School York |
57.6 | 55.2 | 63% | Outstanding | |
6 Top 12% in England |
Harrogate Grammar School Harrogate |
56.6 | 56.6 | 68% | Report card | |
7 Top 14% in England |
St Francis Xavier School - a Joint Catholic and Church of England Voluntary Academy Richmond · Roman Catholic/Church of England |
56.9 | 54.6 | 61% | Not judged | |
8 Top 15% in England |
St John Fisher Catholic Academy Harrogate · Roman Catholic |
55.5 | 55.1 | 62% | Good | |
9 Top 18% in England |
All Saints Catholic School York York · Roman Catholic |
54.0 | 53.7 | 57% | Outstanding | |
10 Top 20% in England |
Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy York · Church of England |
53.5 | 56.7 | 62% | Report card | |
11 Top 22% in England |
Manor Church of England Academy Nether Poppleton · Church of England |
51.8 | 54.0 | 65% | Report card | |
12 Top 22% in England |
Brayton Academy Selby |
51.1 | 53.4 | 68% | No rating | |
13 Top 23% in England |
Outwood Academy Easingwold Easingwold |
51.2 | 52.0 | 63% | Outstanding | |
14 Top 23% in England |
Lady Lumley's Academy Pickering |
50.6 | 52.7 | 70% | Good | |
15 Top 26% in England |
Tadcaster Grammar School Tadcaster |
51.3 | 50.0 | 50% | No rating | |
16 Top 26% in England |
Ryedale School Nawton |
51.9 | 51.7 | 49% | Outstanding | |
17 Top 26% in England |
Millthorpe School York |
50.8 | 53.2 | 63% | Good | |
18 Top 28% in England |
Scalby Academy Scarborough |
49.0 | 48.3 | 58% | No rating | |
19 Top 28% in England |
Outwood Academy Bydales Marske-by-the-Sea |
49.2 | 46.6 | 56% | Not judged | |
20 Top 29% in England |
Rye Hills Academy Redcar |
49.7 | 51.9 | 56% | Good | |
21 Top 29% in England |
Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary Redcar · Roman Catholic |
49.4 | 50.4 | 56% | Good | |
22 Top 32% in England |
Stokesley School Stokesley |
49.8 | 45.3 | 38% | Good | |
23 Top 32% in England |
Freebrough Academy Brotton |
47.9 | 46.4 | 60% | Outstanding | |
24 Top 32% in England |
Huntcliff School Saltburn-by-the-Sea |
49.2 | 49.3 | 57% | Good | |
25 Top 37% in England |
St Augustine's Catholic School - a Catholic voluntary academy Scarborough · Roman Catholic |
48.1 | 48.9 | 51% | No rating | |
26 Top 37% in England |
Huntington School Huntington (York) |
48.6 | 48.2 | 50% | No rating | |
27 Top 38% in England |
Acklam Grange School Middlesbrough |
49.0 | 48.5 | 49% | No rating | |
28 Top 43% in England |
Malton School Malton |
46.6 | 46.6 | 50% | Good | |
29 Top 45% in England |
Richmond School & Sixth Form College Richmond |
47.1 | 45.6 | 42% | Report card | |
30 Top 45% in England |
Joseph Rowntree School Huntington (York) |
46.8 | 48.2 | 46% | No rating | |
31 Top 47% in England |
Outwood Academy Ripon Ripon |
45.3 | 46.6 | 55% | Good | |
32 Top 47% in England |
Macmillan Academy Middlesbrough |
46.9 | 47.8 | 44% | Good | |
33 Top 49% in England |
Nunthorpe School & Sixth Form Middlesbrough |
46.6 | 47.0 | 45% | Requires improvement | |
34 Bottom 50% in England |
Laurence Jackson School Guisborough |
46.2 | 47.9 | 48% | Good | |
35 Bottom 48% in England |
King James's School Knaresborough |
45.8 | 46.1 | 41% | No rating | |
36 Bottom 48% in England |
Rossett School Harrogate |
45.7 | 44.1 | 37% | Not judged | |
37 Bottom 48% in England |
Upper Wharfedale School North Yorkshire |
45.7 | 48.3 | 61% | No rating | |
38 Bottom 45% in England |
Vale of York Academy York |
43.6 | 45.3 | 51% | Good | |
39 Bottom 43% in England |
Selby High School Specialist School for the Arts and Science Selby |
44.0 | 42.1 | 32% | No rating | |
40 Bottom 39% in England |
Barlby High School Barlby |
44.3 | 42.8 | 38% | Report card | |
41 Bottom 32% in England |
Thirsk School & Sixth Form College Sowerby |
43.0 | 43.5 | 39% | Report card | |
42 Bottom 31% in England |
The King's Academy Middlesbrough · Christian |
41.6 | 37.9 | 30% | Report card | |
43 Bottom 31% in England |
Whitby School Whitby |
42.1 | 39.5 | 32% | Requires improvement | |
44 Bottom 30% in England |
Bedale High School Bedale |
42.7 | 46.1 | 40% | Requires improvement | |
45 Bottom 29% in England |
Outwood Academy Acklam Middlesbrough |
40.5 | 42.9 | 47% | Not judged | |
46 Bottom 27% in England |
Settle College Giggleswick |
42.9 | 42.1 | 31% | No rating | |
47 Bottom 26% in England |
Outwood Academy Riverside Middlesbrough |
43.2 | 43.2 | 28% | Good | |
48 Bottom 26% in England |
Nidderdale High School Pateley Bridge |
41.6 | 41.8 | 31% | Report card | |
49 Bottom 25% in England |
St Peter's Catholic College Eston · Roman Catholic |
40.1 | 34.3 | 24% | Good | |
50 Bottom 24% in England |
Norton School Norton-on-Derwent |
40.7 | 41.0 | 36% | Good | |
51 Bottom 23% in England |
Wensleydale School Leyburn |
41.5 | 41.5 | 35% | Report card | |
52 Bottom 20% in England |
Outwood Academy Redcar Redcar |
39.1 | 37.3 | 33% | Report card | |
53 Bottom 17% in England |
Trinity Catholic College Middlesbrough · Roman Catholic |
38.8 | 42.6 | 40% | Not judged | |
54 Bottom 16% in England |
Boroughbridge High School Boroughbridge |
39.1 | 43.0 | 38% | Requires improvement | |
55 Bottom 15% in England |
Northallerton School & Sixth Form College Northallerton |
37.8 | 37.5 | 34% | Report card | |
56 Bottom 15% in England |
York High School York |
37.7 | 41.2 | 42% | Good | |
57 Bottom 13% in England |
Graham School Scarborough |
37.6 | 38.3 | 28% | Report card | |
58 Bottom 13% in England |
Filey Academy Filey |
36.4 | 35.7 | 46% | Not judged | |
59 Bottom 12% in England |
The Skipton Academy Skipton |
39.2 | 41.6 | 29% | Good | |
60 Bottom 10% in England |
Harrogate High School Harrogate |
36.6 | 39.1 | 31% | Report card | |
61 Bottom 6% in England |
Outwood Academy Normanby Eston |
33.7 | 35.4 | 30% | Inadequate | |
62 Bottom 4% in England |
Outwood Academy Ormesby Middlesbrough |
32.0 | 33.1 | 30% | Report card | |
63 Bottom 4% in England |
George Pindar School Scarborough |
33.9 | 33.4 | 18% | Not judged | |
64 Bottom 3% in England |
Lift Unity City Middlesbrough |
33.9 | 34.2 | 21% | Report card | |
65 Bottom 1% in England |
Risedale School North Yorkshire |
32.0 | 29.8 | 5% | Not judged |
Best secondary school in each town
- Skipton · best: Skipton Girls' High School
- Harrogate · best: St Aidan's Church of England High School
- York · best: Fulford School
- Scarborough · best: Scalby Academy
- Redcar · best: Rye Hills Academy
- Middlesbrough · best: Acklam Grange School
Also see
Questions
What is the best secondary school in North Yorkshire?
On exam results over the last three years, Ripon Grammar School is the top-ranked secondary school in North Yorkshire, in the top 4% of schools in England.
How are the schools ranked?
By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.