Best Schools in Harrogate

How many schools are there in Harrogate?

Harrogate has 52 open schools: 36 state primary, 7 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent, 4 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Harrogate are rated Outstanding?

5 schools in Harrogate were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Harrogate Grammar School, Burton Leonard Church of England Primary School, Western Primary School, Hampsthwaite Church of England Primary School and Oatlands Infant School. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 40 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Harrogate Grammar SchoolBurton Leonard Church of England Primary SchoolWestern Primary SchoolHampsthwaite Church of England Primary SchoolOatlands Infant School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Harrogate get the best GCSE results?

Of the 7 schools in Harrogate with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Aidan's Church of England High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 59.4 and 74% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Harrogate Grammar School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and St John Fisher Catholic Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.6 and 58% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Aidan's Church of England High SchoolHarrogate Grammar SchoolSt John Fisher Catholic Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Harrogate have the best SATs results?

Of the 31 primary schools in Harrogate with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Birstwith Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Beckwithshaw Community Primary School (91% in reading, 91% in maths); and Hampsthwaite Church of England Primary School (84% in reading, 96% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Birstwith Church of England Primary SchoolBeckwithshaw Community Primary SchoolHampsthwaite Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Harrogate?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Harrogate selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Harrogate have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Harrogate have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, North Yorkshire allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Harrogate?

Apply to North Yorkshire through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.