Norton College, Malton Review 2026: A rural 11–16 school with a distinctive farm and a clear reset in expectations

A school farm with pigs, goats and an Animal Care Classroom is not a gimmick here, it is an integrated part of what makes Norton College feel different. The farm was re-opened in April 2022 and sits alongside a broader push to widen participation in clubs, enrichment and leadership roles.

Leadership is presented as a partnership, with Ms Domenica Wilkinson as Executive Headteacher and Mr Samuel Stones as Head of School. Mr Stones has worked at Norton College since 2015, and Ms Wilkinson has been Headteacher of Ryedale School since February 2021, alongside her executive role across schools.

The most recent graded inspection (7 to 8 February 2023) judged the school Good across every headline area, including sixth form provision at that time. It also described a period of turbulence followed by rising expectations for teaching and behaviour, with clear next steps still to tackle around literacy support and consistent behaviour routines.

A key practical point for families is post-16. A Department for Education decision confirmed the sixth form would not admit a Year 12 cohort from September 2025, and that the sixth form will close fully on 31 August 2026.

There is a deliberate “small school” narrative running through Norton College’s public-facing information, and it is reinforced by the way the school describes its catchment and community. The school farm page explicitly frames local employment around food production, food processing, forestry and rural tourism, and positions the farm as a skills and confidence builder for students growing up in that context.

The enrichment offer is structured around an internal House system, with four Houses named after local abbeys: Fountains, Jervaulx, Kirkham and Strensall. House points are tied to the school’s values and participation, and by Year 9 students can apply to become House Captains or Sports Captains. That matters because it creates visible leadership routes for students who are not necessarily “headline” academic high achievers but who thrive with responsibility, organisation and team roles.

Pastoral support is part of the school’s self-description, and the latest graded inspection supports the broad picture. Pupils were reported as valuing the pastoral support and being confident help is offered when life is challenging. At the same time, the report also noted that some pupils still experienced occasional disrespectful behaviour, albeit less than it used to be, which is an important nuance for parents weighing fit.

Leadership and governance sit within a multi-academy trust structure, and the 2023 inspection described extensive leadership change over the prior two years, alongside new monitoring and accountability systems. The practical implication is that families are looking at a school that has been actively re-shaped, with improvement work that is visible in curriculum breadth and expectations, rather than a static “as it has always been” model.

This section uses the FindMySchool rankings and metrics provided for the school, which are based on official results data.

GCSE performance indicators (most recent dataset in the provided metrics)

• Attainment 8 score: 40

• Progress 8 score: -0.51

• EBacc average point score: 3.62

• Percentage achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc: 13.1%

These figures point to a school where student outcomes, on average, have been below the national progress benchmark in the latest reported cycle, and where EBacc entry outcomes are a clear area for families to look at closely, particularly if a student is aiming for a strongly academic, language-rich pathway. (All figures above are from the provided dataset.)

Rankings context (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

Ranked 2,716th in England and 1st in Malton for GCSE outcomes, this sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile) for this measure. (FindMySchool ranking based on official data.)

That “local rank 1” point often matters to families because it signals relative strength within the immediate area, even where the England-wide position suggests broadly typical performance.

Sixth form outcomes (while the sixth form continues through its final cohort)

A-level headline grade proportions in the provided dataset are:

• A*: 2.22%

• A: 11.11%

• B: 22.22%

• A* to B: 35.56%

Ranked 1,920th in England and 2nd in Malton for A-level outcomes, this places A-level results below the England average in the latest dataset (bottom 40%). (FindMySchool ranking based on official data.)

A practical interpretation for parents is that the sixth form, while described positively in the 2023 inspection, has not been operating with the scale or headline results profile that would make it a destination sixth form. That connects directly to the confirmed plan for closure by 31 August 2026.

If you are comparing local options, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you place these outcomes alongside nearby schools’ results, using the same measures rather than mixing different league table approaches.

Curriculum and teaching at Norton College are best understood through two lenses: the formal inspection commentary, and the specific curriculum breadth decisions described in that report.

The latest graded inspection highlighted that leaders had re-established the full range of science options and strengthened modern foreign languages, and that the subjects available now match the ambition of the national curriculum. It also references vocational course routes and investment in the school farm, which is a meaningful signpost that the school is trying to build credible pathways for different learner profiles, not only the traditional academic route.

In classroom terms, the inspection pointed to clear curriculum plans in most subjects and effective questioning strategies that help teachers check whether pupils remember important knowledge from previous lessons. The “remembering” point is not a minor detail, it is the difference between students who can keep pace confidently and students who gradually fall behind because key foundations are not secure. The school’s next steps in the report are explicitly about tightening this, so families should expect this to be an ongoing focus.

Literacy support is a specific area to probe at open events. The report notes a programme to support pupils who are not fluent readers, but also says it was not fully established and not all pupils who needed support had received it quickly enough. For a student who arrives in Year 7 with weaker reading fluency, the quality and immediacy of that intervention can shape every subject, not just English.

Where Students Go Next

For most families, the key destination points are post-16 and post-18. Norton College’s sixth form is in its final phase, so the most relevant “next step” question for Year 11 families is what the school’s careers guidance and transition support looks like, and how students secure places at other sixth forms and colleges.

The official 16 to 18 leaver destinations dataset for the 2023/24 cohort (cohort size 43) shows:

• 33% progressed to university

• 42% progressed into employment

• 2% started apprenticeships

This profile suggests a mixed set of next steps, with a notably high proportion moving straight into employment compared with what many families expect from a traditional 11 to 18 school. For some students, particularly those ready for the workplace and supported by strong careers guidance, this can be a positive sign of realistic planning and employer engagement. For others, it is a prompt to ask detailed questions about progression routes, including supported applications to local sixth forms, further education colleges, and apprenticeship providers. (All figures are from the provided dataset.)

The 2023 inspection states pupils are prepared well for life after school and go on to a wide range of destinations, and it is positive about careers guidance in the sixth form, even while noting plans were needed to improve sixth form attendance.

Norton College is part of North Yorkshire’s coordinated admissions process for secondary transfer.

For September 2026 entry (Year 7), North Yorkshire Council’s published key dates include:

• Secondary application round opens: 12 September 2025

• Deadline to apply: 31 October 2025

• Last date for changes: 30 November 2025

The school’s own transition information also emphasises the 31 October deadline and indicates parents are informed of allocations at the beginning of March.

For open events, the school’s published next open evening is 1 July 2026, aimed at children in Years 5 and 6 and their parents and carers. This date is likely to be most relevant to families planning for the following admissions cycle, rather than September 2026 entry, so it is sensible to check for any additional transition events earlier in the year.

For Year 12 entry, families should treat Norton College as effectively closed to new post-16 starters. The school’s published update confirms it did not admit a Year 12 cohort in September 2025, and that the sixth form closes fully on 31 August 2026.

If you are making a catchment-sensitive decision, FindMySchool’s Map Search is the most practical way to check your precise distance and shortlist realistically, particularly where popular schools can see allocation distances shift year to year.

Pastoral support at Norton College is framed as a core offer, and the most recent graded inspection gives parents two important signals.

First, pupils were described as valuing the pastoral support and being confident that support is offered when life is challenging. Second, the safeguarding section states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with timely staff training, clear record-keeping, strong work with external agencies, and age-appropriate online safety knowledge among pupils.

The wellbeing picture is not presented as perfect. The same report notes concerns about some disrespectful behaviour and inconsistency in applying behaviour routines among staff, which matters for families whose children are particularly sensitive to disruption or who need predictable structures.

A practical point for parents is to ask how the school supports students affected by poor behaviour, not only how it sanctions the behaviour itself. The inspection’s improvement points make clear that consistency is the lever.

Norton College’s extracurricular identity is unusually anchored in two concrete features: the school farm and an enrichment structure that builds leadership and participation rather than relying only on traditional “clubs list” marketing.

The School Farm

The farm covers approximately 1.8 acres and includes a main animal house building measuring 66’ by 44’, split into eight areas including an Animal Care Classroom, an allotment growing area, and a livestock handling area. It was re-opened in April 2022 after previously closing in 2014.

The animal list is broad and practical: guinea pigs, rabbits, pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens, tortoises and hamsters. That range supports genuine animal husbandry learning rather than tokenism, and the school describes animal care education as part of the formal curriculum for Years 7, 10 and 11. For students who learn best through tangible responsibility, this kind of provision can be a meaningful engagement lever, and it also ties directly to local employment sectors.

Green team and environmental skills

The latest graded inspection explicitly references pupils developing environmental skills through a “green team” and through involvement with the school’s farm. That is a useful clue that sustainability is framed as a student-led activity rather than a poster campaign.

House system and student leadership

With Houses named Fountains, Jervaulx, Kirkham and Strensall, participation is driven through house points and competitions across sporting and non-sporting events. By Year 9, students can apply for captain roles, which is often a route to confidence for students who might not put themselves forward in a more informal system. The enrichment page also describes a Student Council model with tutor group representatives and four themed groups: Wellbeing, Community, Diversity and Environment.

Performing arts and sport

The inspection notes pupils being proud of musical theatre performances and sporting endeavours, and the school’s news stream highlights competitive sport activity such as an equestrian team placing 16th out of 37 national teams. While day-to-day club lists vary, these references indicate that performing arts and sport are used as participation pillars for student confidence and belonging.

The published school day schedule asks students to arrive by 08:43, with tutor time from 08:45 and the final period ending at 15:15.

As with many secondary schools, wraparound care is not typically presented in the same way as primary breakfast and after-school clubs. Families who need early drop-off or late collection due to work commitments should confirm current arrangements directly.

For families planning visits, open events and transition activities are published through the school calendar and the open evening page, with the next open evening listed as 1 July 2026.

• Sixth form closure. The school will not admit a Year 12 cohort, and the sixth form will close fully on 31 August 2026. Families who want a seamless 11 to 18 route should plan for post-16 transition to alternative providers.

• Behaviour consistency. Expectations have been raised, but the most recent graded inspection still flagged that behaviour routines were not applied consistently by all staff, and that a small number of pupils do not consistently show respect for peers or teachers. This can matter for students who need calm, predictable routines to thrive.

• Reading fluency support. The inspection identified that some pupils who needed support to read fluently were not receiving it soon enough. If your child has literacy gaps, ask detailed questions about screening, intervention start points, and how progress is tracked.

• Progress measures. The latest Progress 8 figure in the provided dataset is below the national benchmark, so it is worth exploring how the school is targeting improvement for different attainment groups, particularly middle prior attainers.

Norton College reads as a school that has intentionally re-set expectations after a disruptive period, and the 2023 inspection supports the picture of a broadly good-quality education with clear improvement priorities still in play. The distinctive offer is real, especially the school farm and the structured enrichment and leadership pathways that can suit students who respond well to responsibility and practical learning.

It suits families who want a community secondary school with a rural character, strong participation routes, and a clear focus on raising standards, provided they are comfortable planning post-16 elsewhere. The main strategic caveat is the confirmed sixth form closure, which makes early planning for Year 11 transitions essential.