Barlby High School Review 2026: A Community Secondary with Improving Momentum

A mid-sized 11 to 16 secondary in the Selby area, this is a school with a clear focus on getting the basics consistently right, lessons that follow a shared structure, and a stronger sense of direction than it had a few years ago. The current improvement story is anchored in practical choices: a common approach to teaching, targeted support for reading, and an explicit drive to build belonging through the house system and student leadership roles.

Academically, outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle of England schools on the FindMySchool GCSE ranking, with local performance placing it near the top among Selby secondaries. This is a state school with no tuition fees; the costs families tend to notice most are the standard ones, such as uniform, trips, and optional enrichment.

The tone here is shaped by a straightforward set of values, kindness, respect, and teamwork, selected by pupils and staff and repeated consistently across school communications. That clarity matters in a school serving a mixed intake, because it helps families understand what behaviour and relationships are meant to look like in practice.

Leadership continuity is part of the recent stabilisation. Anouska Gardner is the Principal, with formal appointment information on the governance pages indicating she took up the role from January 2023. For parents, that matters less as a biographical detail and more as a signal of consistent direction, especially in areas like curriculum sequencing, attendance routines, and pastoral systems that take time to embed.

The other defining feature is a deliberate emphasis on inclusivity. The most recent inspection documentation describes the school as an inclusive place where pupils are treated as individuals, supported by staff who understand barriers faced by disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs. That is not the same as saying everything is solved, but it does indicate a culture that aims to be orderly and supportive rather than adversarial.

A final, practical cultural marker is the phone-free approach using Yondr pouches, with clear rules and sanctions when devices are used outside the expected process. For many families, this is a strong signal of intent around focus, social time, and online safety boundaries.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 1,537th in England and 2nd in Selby. That places performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), while still being one of the stronger options locally.

The GCSE metrics offer a grounded picture rather than a dramatic one. An Attainment 8 score of 47.8 sits above the England average figure shown (45.9), suggesting overall outcomes across subjects that are slightly stronger than the national benchmark. Progress 8 is -0.03, which is close to average progress from pupils’ starting points, so the headline here is steady rather than transformative.

For families who care about the EBacc pathway, the numbers point to a relatively selective entry into that suite: 20% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measures recorded with an EBacc average point score of 4.45 compared with an England figure of 4.08. The practical implication is that the EBacc experience may be concentrated among a smaller group, rather than being a default route for most students, which can suit some learners well while leaving others on more applied or vocationally leaning combinations.

Parents comparing nearby secondaries will get the clearest sense of fit by using the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool, looking not only at Attainment 8 and Progress 8, but also at curriculum choices and attendance culture, which can change the day-to-day experience more than marginal differences in scores.

A consistent teaching model is an explicit feature of the current approach. External reporting describes a clearly designed and sequenced curriculum, with staff using a shared “learning cycle” and an “independent learning zone” to help students connect new content to prior knowledge, practise, and apply what they have learned. In plain terms, this is a school trying to reduce variation between classrooms, so students experience similar routines and expectations regardless of subject.

Support for reading is another named strand. The same source notes that the school identifies students who need additional reading support and puts targeted help in place. That is often a high-leverage move in a secondary setting, because reading fluency affects every subject, not just English. Where this tends to matter most is for students who arrive in Year 7 with weaker decoding or comprehension, because closing gaps early can prevent wider curriculum frustration later.

At Key Stage 4, the curriculum structure is clearly set out. Alongside the core subjects, options include GCSE routes such as Computer Science, Geography, History, and Sociology, and applied pathways such as BTEC Sport and Health and Social Care. That blend suggests a school aiming to keep traditional academic routes open while also offering practical alternatives for students who learn best through more applied assessment styles.

As an 11 to 16 school, the key transition is post-16 rather than A-level results on site. The curriculum and careers messaging emphasise preparing students for further education, apprenticeships, and training, with an external careers adviser named in the school’s published curriculum information.

It is also a school that appears to use targeted experiences to make post-16 routes tangible. The enrichment flyer references visits and opportunities such as a Computer Science trip linked to Selby College, along with maths challenges and university-style competitions. The implication is that, for motivated students, there are structured prompts to look beyond GCSEs and imagine specific next steps rather than relying on generic advice.

For families thinking ahead, the most useful question to ask at open events is how the school supports Year 11 choices: the balance between sixth form applications, college routes, and apprenticeships, plus what guidance looks like for students who are undecided or at risk of becoming not in education, employment, or training.

Year 7 places are offered through the North Yorkshire coordinated admissions process, using the common application form and the local authority timetable. For September 2026 entry, the local authority published key dates including the opening of the application round on 12 September 2025 and the deadline on 31 October 2025, with offers released on 2 March 2026.

The school’s Published Admission Number for 2026 to 2027 is 120. The admissions policy confirms the school maintains a catchment area, and it sets out oversubscription priorities, starting with looked-after and previously looked-after children, then exceptional social or medical needs, then children living in the normal area, followed by children of eligible staff, and finally those outside the normal area. Where places are tight within a category, the tie-break uses siblings and then distance, measured by the council’s mapping system.

If you are weighing up realistic chances, this is where the FindMySchool Map Search helps, particularly for families close to a catchment boundary. Catchment designations and distance rules can be unintuitive, and small location differences can matter at the margins.

Pastoral support is described as high quality and tailored, including targeted work to build confidence and self-esteem and the use of external professionals to support mental health and wellbeing needs for vulnerable students. For many parents, the practical indicator is whether support is integrated into daily routines rather than being an occasional add-on, and the documentation suggests a coherent approach rather than a scatter of initiatives.

Student belonging is deliberately reinforced through the house system, which is used for teamwork, enterprise and charity projects, and leadership roles. The same reporting also points to a well-developed anti-bullying culture and students’ confidence that concerns are handled, which matters in a mixed, non-selective setting where peer dynamics can be a major determinant of whether students thrive.

The key caveat sits with attendance and low-level disruption among some older pupils, which is identified as an area needing sustained improvement. Families considering the school should ask what the current attendance strategy looks like in practice, how rewards and sanctions work day to day, and what support is available for students whose anxiety or family circumstances affect attendance.

Enrichment is one of the clearer differentiators here, because the school publishes a specific menu of opportunities rather than relying on broad claims. The “Learning Beyond the Classroom” offer includes academic challenge programmes such as the AMSP Maths Dragon Quiz, the AMSP Year 10 Maths Feast Challenge, and the UK Mathematics Trust challenge programme. For academically able students, these provide structured stretch without needing to look outside school for extension.

There is also a balanced set of creative and practical options, including Art Club, DT Club, Guitar Club, Keyboard Club, and Choir, plus School Production as a whole-school anchor event. The implication is that students who gain confidence through performance or making can find a place to contribute, even if they are not primarily academic high-flyers.

Sport and inclusion are both visible strands. The enrichment list includes Badminton Club, Basketball, Football Club, Netball, and Table Tennis, alongside projects like Eco Ambassadors. In parallel, the Year 7 transition information explicitly encourages joining clubs and highlights variation week by week, which is a practical way to help new students build friendships early.

A final point worth noting is the presence of an LGBTQIA+ Club in the enrichment material. For some families, that signals a school aiming to make belonging explicit for students who might otherwise feel on the margins, which aligns with the wider emphasis on inclusion.

The school day structure is clearly published. Registration and assembly run from 08:45 to 09:15, with five periods and the school day ending at 15:15.

For students who struggle to work at home, the Year 7 transition information states that homework club runs after school every night in the library, which can be a meaningful support for families managing limited space, competing responsibilities, or online access issues.

Transport will matter for a rural catchment. North Yorkshire Council’s public transport information lists multiple bus services serving the school, including both public routes and permit-only school services, which is useful context for families planning a secondary transfer beyond walking distance.

• Attendance remains a priority area. The latest inspection materials identify attendance as below the level it needs to be, and sustained improvement is still required. This is worth probing if your child is anxious, has a history of absence, or needs strong daily routines to stay engaged.

• Behaviour consistency is still being embedded. Lessons are generally calm and orderly, but low-level disruption and uneven application of behaviour routines are identified as issues, more typically among some older pupils. Families may want to ask how consistency is monitored and how swiftly concerns are addressed.

• EBacc entry looks selective. The proportion of pupils meeting the recorded EBacc grade threshold is not high, which may suit students following applied routes, but academically focused families may want clarity on how language and humanities uptake is encouraged and supported.

• Post-16 planning matters because there is no sixth form. Students will need guidance to make strong choices at 16, so ask about college partnerships, apprenticeship pathways, and how the school supports applications and interviews.

This is a school that looks more settled and more structured than it was in the recent past, with a clear teaching model, visible investment in inclusion, and a stronger enrichment offer than many parents expect from an 11 to 16 comprehensive. The academic picture is broadly in line with the middle of England schools on the FindMySchool ranking, with comparatively strong standing locally.

Best suited to families who want a community secondary with improving consistency, a clear behaviour and phone policy, and accessible opportunities ranging from maths challenges to creative clubs. The key judgement call is whether the attendance and behaviour work feels sufficiently embedded for your child’s needs.