Best Schools in Sowerby Bridge

How many schools are there in Sowerby Bridge?

Sowerby Bridge has 13 open schools: 9 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Sowerby Bridge are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Sowerby Bridge was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Compass Community School Willow Park. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 12 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.

Compass Community School Willow Park

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Sowerby Bridge get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Sowerby Bridge with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Ryburn Valley High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 48.1 and 62% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Trinity Academy Grammar, with an Attainment 8 score of 45.4 and 41% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Ryburn Valley High SchoolTrinity Academy Grammar

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Sowerby Bridge have the best SATs results?

Of the 9 primary schools in Sowerby Bridge with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Norland CE School (90% in reading, 100% in maths); St John's Primary School In Rishworth (89% in reading, 89% in maths); and Trinity Academy St Peter's (79% in reading, 86% 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.

Norland CE SchoolSt John's Primary School In RishworthTrinity Academy St Peter's

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Sowerby Bridge?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Sowerby Bridge have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Sowerby Bridge have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Calderdale 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 Sowerby Bridge?

Apply to Calderdale 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.