Rastrick High School Review 2026: Oversubscribed local comprehensive with a strong culture of participation

A large 11 to 16 secondary in Rastrick, this is a school where scale and calm coexist. The pupil roll sits around 1,790, slightly above the stated capacity of 1,750, which gives it the feel of a busy community rather than a small setting.

The current head of school is Mathew Williams, in post since September 2013, which matters here because consistency is a recurring theme in both the school’s routines and its improvement story.

Ofsted’s most recent visit was an ungraded inspection in October 2023 (report published 27 November 2023). The overall judgement remained Good, with inspectors indicating the evidence gathered could support Outstanding at the next graded inspection.

For families, the practical headline is straightforward. This is a state school with no tuition fees. Entry is competitive, the school day is structured and long enough to support a serious academic rhythm, and extracurricular involvement is not a bolt-on but a defining part of how students experience the place.

The day-to-day tone is defined by high expectations that feel embedded rather than performative. Students are expected to be organised and punctual, with a timetable built around five one-hour lessons and an arrival expectation of 08:45. That structure is reinforced by form time and personal development sessions each week, which gives the school an obvious mechanism for communicating standards consistently across year groups.

The most persuasive evidence for culture is how the school describes participation. Extracurricular involvement is positioned as normal, not only for the confident or the already committed. Official reporting describes a calm and happy atmosphere, with behaviour presented as consistently strong and bullying described as rare and handled well. Those are not small claims for a large comprehensive.

Leadership sits within Polaris Multi Academy Trust, and trust structures are explicitly referenced in official reporting, including a trust chief executive and board oversight. For parents, the practical implication is that governance and school improvement capacity extend beyond the site, with access to shared expertise and policies across the trust.

A final note on identity. The school’s public-facing content leans heavily into a “broad horizons” message, particularly through enrichment and citizenship. It is not framed as a narrow exam machine. Instead, personal development, student leadership, charity work, and culture-focused activity are presented as core threads alongside academic study.

On headline GCSE measures, performance sits slightly above the England average on several indicators, with a Progress 8 score of +0.06 suggesting students make above-average progress from their starting points. Attainment 8 is 48.3 compared with an England benchmark of 45.9, and the school’s EBacc average point score is 4.15 compared with 4.08 for England.

Rankings in this review are based on FindMySchool’s proprietary rankings using official data. Ranked 1,862nd in England and 1st in Brighouse for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), results align with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), with a slight edge locally.

What does that mean in practical terms. This is a school where outcomes are credible and steady rather than extreme at either end. The implication for families is that day-to-day learning quality and consistency of teaching matter at least as much as any single headline grade statistic. If your child thrives on predictable routines, clear expectations, and the option to extend themselves through enrichment, the overall performance picture is supportive of that approach.

Curriculum intent is described in official reporting as carefully constructed and highly ambitious, with a strong focus on both academic learning and wider personal development. That matters because it signals coherence, not only a list of subjects. The inspection evidence also points to depth of learning, not only exam technique, which tends to show up in well-sequenced schemes of work and consistent classroom routines.

A useful window into pedagogy is how the week is designed. Assemblies and personal development sessions are built into timetabling, and afternoon registration is placed at the start of Period 4. In a school of this size, these are operational choices that help sustain order and communication across the community.

Music is a notable thread, not as a niche add-on but as both a curriculum subject and a participation route. The school describes Year 7 music as practical and participatory, including musical literacy and group music-making. Beyond lessons, instrumental and vocal tuition is offered across a wide range of instruments, with choirs, bands, and small ensembles presented as open access opportunities.

There is no sixth form. That means every student transitions at 16, so the quality of guidance on post-16 routes becomes especially important. Official reporting confirms the school meets provider access legislation requirements, which relates to giving students structured encounters and information about technical education and apprenticeships as well as academic options.

The implication for families is practical. Students need to make decisions earlier than peers in 11 to 18 schools, and parents should expect a purposeful careers programme in Key Stage 4. A sensible question to ask at open events is how the school supports a spread of routes, including college sixth forms, school sixth forms elsewhere, apprenticeships, and vocational pathways, plus how it tracks and supports applications.

Admissions are coordinated through Calderdale, and the school participates in the local coordinated admissions scheme. The published planned admission number is 360 for Year 7.

The oversubscription criteria are unusually detailed and parent-relevant. After children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, priority includes looked-after and previously looked-after children, children of staff, siblings, and then a music aptitude route capped at 15 places. Feeder primary schools are explicitly named, followed by catchment residence, then distance as the final ordering principle. Distance is measured in a straight line to the nearest designated school gate using the local authority’s geographic information system approach.

The music aptitude route is worth understanding because it is not vague. The admissions policy sets out a structured audition process and states applicants are ranked if more than 15 apply, with only those ranked 1 to 15 offered under this criterion. It also publishes a set of autumn 2026 deadlines and audition timing for that process. For families with musically committed children, this route can be meaningful, but it is still competitive.

For Calderdale’s secondary transfer timetable for the September 2026 intake, the application window ran from 23 June 2025 to 31 October 2025, with National Offer Day on 2 March 2026.

Parents considering admission should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to sense-check distance and local alternatives, particularly because the last-distance figure is not available here and oversubscription is clear from both policy and local authority framing.

Pastoral systems are described through both formal structures and practical resources. The school’s public student support content places emphasis on mental health resources, mindfulness, and online safety guidance, with signposting to external support and local services. For families, the implication is that support is framed as a shared responsibility between school, student, and home, with accessible guidance designed to reduce barriers to asking for help.

The other key pastoral clue is behaviour. Official reporting describes students as attentive in lessons and polite and courteous in the wider school, which typically aligns with consistent routines and clear staff training. In a large 11 to 16, this kind of consistency is not accidental. It tends to reflect leaders who prioritise behaviour systems, middle leadership, and follow-through.

Safeguarding is addressed through published policy and governance sign-off, including named safeguarding leads and review cadence. Parents do not need policy detail day to day, but the presence of current documentation and a defined review cycle indicates a compliance baseline that should reassure most families.

Extracurricular life here is not presented as a handful of clubs. Official reporting references over 50 clubs running each week, and the examples matter because they show breadth. British Sign Language and a pom pom club sit alongside more typical options, which suggests the menu is designed to catch different kinds of student interest, not only the sporty or the academic.

The school’s own enrichment content adds useful specificity. It references a programme that runs before and after the school day, with booking handled through ParentMail and activities described as open to all students. Trips and experiences listed include a visit linked to art and design technology at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, a history trip to First World War battlefields in France and Belgium, modern languages trips to Spain and France, ski trips in Austria and Italy, a Year 7 PGL residential, and a sports tour to Barcelona. These are the sorts of experiences that widen horizons for students who may not otherwise access them easily.

Music is a second pillar. Instrumental and vocal tuition spans strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, piano, and both electric and classical guitar. There is also a published calendar of performances and events across the year, which signals a programme with cadence rather than occasional concerts. For students, the implication is opportunity plus expectation. Performance requires practice and commitment, but it also creates a route to belonging for students who are less drawn to sport.

Academic enrichment also appears in reading culture. A recent school publication references a structured reading support approach involving Reading Leaders and a charity programme, pairing older students with younger reading partners. The implication is that literacy support is not treated purely as intervention, it is built into student leadership and responsibility.

The school day starts with an arrival expectation of 08:45, with lessons running through to around 15:30 (slightly earlier for some year groups). The library is open from 08:00 to 17:00 on most days, giving students a supervised space for reading and independent study beyond the timetable.

Transport planning is unusually well-covered for a school website. The school describes direct bus services from surrounding areas and lists specific routes that serve the site, which is helpful for families balancing commuting with after-school activities. There is also guidance on youth travel cards for local transport.

• Competition for places. The school is clear about oversubscription, a defined catchment, and a detailed priority order. If you are relying on entry in a future year, focus early on how your address interacts with feeder, catchment, and distance rules.

• No sixth form. Every student moves on at 16, which can be a positive fresh start but also means choices about post-16 routes arrive earlier than in 11 to 18 settings. Plan early, especially if you want a specific college course or sixth form.

• A very large community. With around 1,790 pupils, some children will love the anonymity and breadth, while others may prefer a smaller setting where they are known by a narrower staff team. Consider which suits your child’s temperament.

• Enrichment comes with logistics. Trips, clubs, and performances are a strength, but they also add calendar complexity for families. If you rely on public transport, check how late buses run and how students get home after after-school activities.

Rastrick High School offers a serious, structured education with a notably broad participation culture. Academic outcomes are solid and slightly above England benchmarks on key measures, while the wider offer, including extensive clubs, trips, and music opportunities, gives students multiple ways to belong and develop.

This suits families who want a high-expectations comprehensive with clear routines, strong behaviour norms, and plenty of options beyond lessons, and who can engage early with admissions criteria in a competitive local market. The limiting factor is admission rather than what happens once a place is secured.