Northallerton School & Sixth Form College Review 2026: Historic roots, modern rebuild, wide pathways at 16

A school with medieval origins is not supposed to feel contemporary, but this one does. Northallerton School & Sixth Form College traces its history back to 1323, yet its day to day experience is shaped by recent investment and reorganisation. A Department for Education funded redevelopment completed in 2021 consolidated provision onto Brompton Road, adding a new Science Block and a purpose built Sixth Form Centre, plus refurbished specialist spaces for areas such as Design and Technology, Music, Computing, and Art.

The current headteacher is Mr Kevin Broom. Ofsted’s most recent full inspection (January 2022, report published February 2022) judged the school Good across every graded area, including the sixth form. For families, the headline is clear: this is a large, mixed 11 to 18 school that is still shaping consistency at GCSE, while offering a sixth form that emphasises progression, work experience, and multiple post 18 routes.

The school’s public language focuses on aspiration with a practical edge. The stated ethos is summed up in the motto being the best we can be, alongside core values of friendship, excellence, and respect. That combination matters because it signals what the school wants students to practise daily: relationships that are civil and cooperative, effort that is sustained, and conduct that supports learning.

External evaluation adds useful texture. The latest Ofsted inspection describes pupils as polite and respectful, and reports that pupils say bullying is dealt with effectively. It also points to a rewards and restorative approach to behaviour, and a “life curriculum” style strand in personal development, which is consistent with the school’s own emphasis on character and wider readiness for adulthood.

What makes the atmosphere distinctive is the blend of long institutional memory and newer infrastructure. The Facilities information explicitly frames the school as one of the oldest educational institutions in the region, then pivots quickly to how the current campus has been reshaped by recent rebuilding and consolidation. For parents, that matters less as a romantic story and more as a clue to identity: the school is not presenting itself as “new”, it is presenting itself as re focused, with a long history but a present day plan.

This section uses FindMySchool rankings and published outcomes data. These rankings are proprietary FindMySchool rankings based on official data, and are designed to help parents compare schools on a like for like basis.

GCSE outcomes

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking, Northallerton School & Sixth Form College is ranked 3,475th in England and 1st in the Northallerton local area. This places it below England average overall, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

The underlying GCSE indicators help explain why. The average Attainment 8 score is 35.5. Progress 8 is -0.76, which indicates that, on average, pupils make less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally (where 0 is the baseline). EBacc entry and performance appear limited in the published indicators, with 4.9% achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure and an EBacc average point score of 3.08.

These figures do not mean pupils cannot do well, they do mean that outcomes are uneven at whole school level. For families, the practical implication is to look closely at subject level support and how the school is targeting improvement, especially for pupils who need more structured intervention to keep progress on track.

A level outcomes

At A level, the school’s position is steadier. It is ranked 1,318th in England and 1st in the Northallerton local area for A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The grade profile shows 5.32% at A*, 15.96% at A, 24.47% at B, and 45.74% at A* to B. In England comparison terms, A* to A is below the England average shown while A* to B is close to the England benchmark.

The implication for sixth form students is that this is a setting that can support a wide range of trajectories, including university, apprenticeships, and employment, but where the best outcomes are most likely for students who use the academic systems well, including consistent attendance, early revision routines, and proactive subject support.

The school is explicit about teaching method, and that is helpful because it gives families something concrete to test during open events and conversations with staff. Teaching is described as structured around evidence about how children learn, with a focus on building prior knowledge, fluency in core skills, and long term retention. It also flags consistency across lessons so students know what to expect, and it references cognitive load as a reason to simplify routines and lesson design.

There is also a stated aim to teach students how to learn, which includes revision and getting the most out of lessons. For a school serving a wide area with a comprehensive intake, that emphasis on learning habits is not cosmetic. It is a plausible route to improvement because it targets the daily behaviours that drive progress, especially for students who may not have consistent academic routines at home.

Key Stage 4 curriculum information points to a conventional core with a broad options offer. Year 10 continues English, maths, science (combined or triple), physical education, plus Learning for Life (including personal, social, health and careers education), then students typically study four options selected in Year 9. The options examples include business, engineering, media, photography, health and social care, religious studies, drama, music, computing, and hospitality and catering. A week long work experience placement is also listed as part of Key Stage 4.

The strongest “test” for families is alignment. If a child thrives with predictable routines, clear expectations, and structured practice, the stated approach should suit. If a child needs a very bespoke or highly flexible pedagogical style, parents will want to ask directly how teachers differentiate in practice, and how learning support information is translated into day to day classroom strategies.

The school website uses qualitative language about destinations, including Russell Group universities and competitive apprenticeships, but it does not publish a numerical destinations breakdown that would allow an evidence based Russell Group or Oxbridge pipeline statement.

In the absence of published destination counts, the most reliable quantitative picture comes from the 2023/24 leaver cohort data (cohort size 66). In that cohort, 42% progressed to university, 2% to further education, 5% to apprenticeships, and 38% to employment. This is a mixed pattern, and it matches what many families want from a large 11 to 18: credible routes for academically focused students, plus respected non university routes for students who prefer a vocational or employment pathway.

What adds credibility is the way the school presents individual progression examples. Recent published case studies include students moving into subjects such as management with placement at Warwick, biochemistry at Newcastle, economics at Loughborough, biomedical sciences at Newcastle, and aerospace engineering at Queen Mary University of London. These examples should be read as illustrative rather than representative, but they do show that the sixth form supports demanding subjects and the application process for competitive courses.

The UCAS guidance published for sixth form students is practical and specific. Preparation starts in the summer term of Year 12. The stated deadline for most applications is 26 January of Year 13, with early deadlines for Oxbridge, medicine, and veterinary science applications listed as 15 October. Families with students considering those routes should treat Year 12 as the true start of the process, especially for admissions tests, work experience, and structured personal statement development.

Year 7 entry

For secondary transfer in North Yorkshire, applications are coordinated by North Yorkshire Council. For September 2026 entry, the council’s published timetable states that applications opened on 12 September 2025 and closed on 31 October 2025. National Offer Day is 2 March 2026, with an appeals deadline of 13 April 2026.

Because the school serves a town plus surrounding villages, distance, transport, and realistic travel time matter. North Yorkshire Council emphasises that mapping data and nearest school tools are updated periodically, and families should rely on the council’s current mapping when making decisions. FindMySchool’s Map Search can be helpful for testing likely travel and shortlisting alternatives, particularly if a family is weighing multiple schools across a rural area.

The school’s own admissions policy is referenced by the council as the authoritative source for oversubscription detail (as it is an academy trust school), so parents should read it closely alongside the council timetable.

The most recent demand indicator available suggests modest oversubscription, with 208 applications for 190 offers in the latest available admissions figures. This points to competition for places, but not at the level seen in selective schools.

Sixth form entry

Sixth form applications are open to both current students and external applicants, and the school indicates that all candidates are invited to an interview to discuss subject choices and predicted grades, with tours offered for those joining from other schools.

For September 2026 entry, the sixth form key dates published by the school include a sixth form open evening on 11 December 2025, and an application deadline at the end of January 2026. Enrolment is tied to GCSE results day 2026. Even if dates shift year to year, the pattern is clear: open events are positioned in early winter, and applications are expected before February.

Pastoral support is described in both safeguarding terms and wellbeing terms. The safeguarding page states that safeguarding is a priority and identifies the Designated Safeguarding Lead as Miss J Smith, alongside a wider trained staff team and external agency links where needed.

The student wellbeing page frames mental health support as central to success in and beyond the classroom, and describes access to pastoral and wellbeing teams plus external services where appropriate, with a stated emphasis on early support and timely help.

The most important external validation here is safeguarding. The January 2022 Ofsted inspection report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective. That does not remove the need for parents to ask questions about how concerns are handled and how communication works with families, but it provides a baseline reassurance.

The co curricular offer is described through both clubs and leadership routes. On the enrichment page, examples of named activities include Musical Theatre Choir, School Production, Politics Club, Pride, Chess and Scrabble, and a Dungeons and Dragons group. Those specifics matter because they show the school is not only running sports and revision sessions, it is also building spaces for identity, debate, strategic thinking, and creative performance.

Leadership opportunities are described through Student Council roles, Duke of Edinburgh Award involvement, and ambassador programmes linked to wellbeing, charity, and the environment. For a student who needs a reason to belong, these structured roles can be decisive, because they provide purpose and peer recognition beyond academic marks.

Facilities strengthen the extracurricular picture. Students have direct access to the adjacent Northallerton Leisure Centre, including a full sized sports hall with six courts, a fitness suite, a 3G pitch, a swimming pool, and outdoor pitches for football, rugby, and athletics. On site, additional spaces include the Arbor Gym (used for physical education and also presentations and exams), the Learning Resource Centre which is primarily used by sixth form, 1 to 1 tutoring and LINC provision, plus dedicated intervention spaces including the Phoenix Centre and SWAS.

The practical implication is breadth. Students who want sport, performance, or leadership do not have to leave the academic mainstream to find it. Conversely, students who are academically focused can still use enrichment as a pressure valve, which often supports rather than distracts from attainment.

The published school day information states that all students must be on site by 8:40am for a settled start. Registration runs from 8:45am to 9:10am, and the day ends at 3:15pm. The timetable also indicates that lunch logistics vary by year group and site, with Year 8 based on the Cuthbert site and Years 7 and 9 having lunch on the Arbor site for Key Stage 3.

The campus is framed as consolidated onto Brompton Road, with a modernised footprint shaped by the 2021 redevelopment and a new Sixth Form Centre alongside enhanced specialist teaching spaces. For transport and travel planning, families should treat this as a school serving both the town and surrounding villages, and check realistic bus routes, walking routes, and pick up arrangements before committing.

• GCSE progress is a key watchpoint. A Progress 8 score of -0.76 indicates below average progress from Key Stage 2 starting points, which can feel frustrating for families expecting strong value added. The right response is to ask how subject leaders are raising consistency, and how interventions are targeted for pupils at risk of falling behind.

• SEND consistency and attendance were identified improvement areas. The latest Ofsted inspection highlights that, while SEND needs are shared with staff, the use of that information is not consistently effective, and it also flags persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND as higher than their peers. Families of children who need structured support should explore how plans translate into classroom practice and how attendance is supported.

• Two site logistics can affect the daily routine. The published timetable notes site and lunch arrangements by year group. For some students this is normal; for others it adds complexity. It is worth asking how movement, supervision, and timekeeping are managed between spaces.

• Sixth form timelines are tight for September 2026 entry. The school’s published sixth form deadline is end of January 2026. Students who delay decisions, or who need careful subject guidance, should begin conversations early in Year 11.

Northallerton School & Sixth Form College is a large, non selective state school with a sixth form, anchored by a newly consolidated Brompton Road campus and an explicit push for structured teaching and clear routines. Facilities and enrichment are genuine strengths, particularly where sport, performance, and student leadership are integrated into school life.

The decision point for many families is outcomes at GCSE. The published progress and attainment indicators signal that consistency remains the central challenge, while A level performance sits closer to the England middle range. Best suited to students who respond well to structure and who will use the school’s support systems actively, particularly in Key Stage 4 and the sixth form.