Risedale School

Located in Hipswell, within the significant military hub of Catterick Garrison, Risedale School is a coeducational community secondary serving students aged 11 to 16. It is a school defined by its unique context; approximately half of its students come from military families, creating a high-mobility environment that requires exceptional pastoral agility.

The school entered 2026 under a new phase of leadership, with Mrs Lucy Greenwood having taken the helm as Headteacher in September 2024. The latest Ofsted inspection, conducted in December 2024, resulted in a Requires Improvement outcome across all key areas. While the inspection recognised the school as a safe and supportive environment where students build positive relationships with staff, it highlighted a significant gap between the school's high aspirations and current academic achievement. Current GCSE outcomes remain low, with an Attainment 8 score of 29.8, and the school is now intensely focused on a structured improvement plan to embed a more rigorous curriculum and raise standards.

The Risedale Family is more than a motto; it is the school's operational reality. The high proportion of service children brings a distinctive character to the corridors, where resilience and adaptability are necessary traits. Because many students join or leave the school mid-year as their parents are redeployed, there is a pervasive culture of immediate inclusion. New arrivals are welcomed into a community that understands the specific anxieties of military life, from parental deployment to the challenges of frequent relocation.

Physically, the school offers a functional and increasingly well-equipped campus. Every student benefits from their own Chromebook, a legacy of recent investments aimed at bridging digital divides and supporting learning beyond the classroom walls. The atmosphere is generally calm and orderly, though the 2024 inspection noted that a small number of students can display boisterous behaviour during social times. Leadership is currently working to address this through a revamped character education programme designed to nurture social responsibility and self-regulation.

Academic performance at Risedale currently reflects the challenges of its high-mobility cohort and the need for more consistent curriculum delivery. In the current GCSE dataset, the school has an average Attainment 8 score of 29.8, placing Risedale in the national lower band.

The school ranks 3,277th in England for GCSE academic outcomes (FindMySchool ranking) and ranks 1st in the Catterick Garrison area, although this local ranking is within a highly specific geographical context. The Progress 8 score of -0.56 indicates that students, on average, make about half a grade less progress than their peers nationally across their eight best subjects. Only 0.9% of students achieved a grade 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc). These figures have prompted the new leadership to overhaul subject-level planning to ensure students accumulate knowledge more effectively.

The curriculum at Risedale spans Key Stages 3 and 4, with a range of academic and vocational options. Teaching is structured to support a mixed-ability intake, but the 2024 Ofsted report identified that teachers do not always provide activities that help students build deep knowledge consistently. In some subjects, the most important information students need to learn has not yet been clearly identified.

Under Mrs Greenwood's leadership, there is a renewed focus on pedagogical consistency. The school identifies students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) effectively, though the application of support strategies in the classroom remains an area for improvement. The focus is now on ensuring that high expectations are matched by high-quality, evidence-based instruction across every department, from mathematics to the creative arts.

Where Students Go Next

As an 11 to 16 school, Risedale students typically transition to local further education colleges or sixth form centres. Popular destinations include Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form College in Darlington and Darlington College.

The school provides a coherent careers programme that adheres to the Gatsby Benchmarks, offering students insights into technical qualifications and apprenticeships. Given the local context, many students also look toward the Armed Forces or civilian roles within the garrison infrastructure. The school's transition coordinate works to ensure that however long a student is at Risedale, they leave with a clear plan for their post-16 journey.

Admissions are coordinated by North Yorkshire Council. For the 2027 entry, the application deadline is 31 October 2026, with National Offer Day set for 1 March 2027. Parents should be aware that the school has historically been oversubscribed. In a recent intake, there were 134 applications for 92 initial offers, representing 1.46 applications per place.

For families moving into Catterick Garrison mid-term, the school and Local Authority coordinate to manage the high volume of in-year applications. Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Comparison Tool to view performance metrics alongside nearby alternatives in Richmond and Darlington.

Pastoral care is where Risedale truly shines, acting as a stable anchor for its service children. The school employs a full-time counsellor and a dedicated service children's advocate. This team is expert in managing the emotional impact of military life, providing a "Risedale Family" support network that is frequently praised by parents.

The 2024 inspection confirmed that students feel safe and have trusted adults they can turn to. Safeguarding procedures are robust, and the school has made significant strides in reducing persistent absence, particularly among vulnerable groups. This supportive atmosphere is intended to provide the emotional security students need to engage with their academic studies.

The extracurricular programme is diverse, aiming to provide a "rounded and mindful experience" as stated in the school's vision.

STEM: Innovation and Technology

The school is particularly strong in STEM activities. The Lego Robotics Club is a popular fixture, and the school participates in the Greenpower Education Trust racing challenges, where students design, build, and race electric cars. These initiatives allow students to apply mathematical and scientific principles in a high-stakes, practical environment.

Beyond STEM, Risedale offers the Duke of Edinburgh Award at Bronze and Silver levels, taking full advantage of its proximity to the Yorkshire Dales. The creative arts are represented through various music and drama clubs, and the school’s radio station provides a platform for student voice and communication skills.

The school day runs from 8:40 am to 3:10 pm. Wraparound care details are not published; families should contact the school directly for information regarding breakfast or after-school provision. The school is accessible via local bus routes serving the Garrison and surrounding villages. Parents are encouraged to use the FindMySchool Map Search to check precise distances and transport routes.

Fees & Financial Aid

As a state-funded community school, Risedale has no tuition fees. All core curriculum resources, including the personal Chromebooks, are provided free of charge. Families may be asked to contribute toward optional trips, uniform, and specific extracurricular materials. Support is available for families eligible for Free School Meals or those identified as disadvantaged through the Pupil Premium and Service Pupil Premium grants.

• Improvement Trajectory: The December 2024 Ofsted report of Requires Improvement indicates the school is currently in a transitional phase. While leadership has identified the correct priorities, the impact on student results is not yet fully realised.
• Academic Intensity: Families seeking a highly competitive academic "exam factory" may find Risedale's current results a point of concern. The focus here is balanced between academic recovery and intensive pastoral support.
• Garrison Context: The high mobility of the student body means social groups and class compositions can change frequently. This suits adaptable students but may be a challenge for those who prefer long-term peer stability.
• Secondary Only: As the school only caters for ages 11 to 16, families must begin planning for sixth form or college transition early in Key Stage 4.

Risedale School is a community institution with a heart that beats for its military families. It offers an environment of exceptional safety and belonging, led by a new Headteacher with a clear mandate for academic reform. Best suited to local families who value a supportive, inclusive atmosphere and are willing to partner with the school as it works to elevate its academic standing. The challenge lies in the current results; the reward is a school that truly understands and cherishes its unique student population. Families interested in this school can use the Saved Schools feature to track its progress during this improvement cycle.