Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy, York

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy on 7 areas: 6 strong standard and 1 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils achieve highly across all areas of the curriculum and at both key stage 4 and post-16."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have expertly crafted a highly ambitious curriculum across all key stages and subjects."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "There is a robust process in place to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have devised a comprehensive personal development programme."

Post 16 provision - Strong standard. "Post-16 provision is a strength of the school."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "The focus to improve attendance is a priority of the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue their work to improve attendance for all pupils, particularly some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, so that they attend school more regularly".

In 2026, pupils at Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 49.5 in York and 47 across England.

56% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 52% in York and 47% in England.

That is down from 56.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.24: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 38.9, against 57.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 18.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 29 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 305 families put Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy as their first choice and 574 named it as one of their preferences, for 294 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 20 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy are Fulford School (1.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 59.7); Millthorpe School (2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.2); All Saints Catholic School York (2.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 55.1); and Huntington School (2.8 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 49.9).

Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy is one of 20 schools run by Pathfinder Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

436 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy (as of April 2026): 86% would recommend the school, 82% say their child is happy there and 54% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (54%).

Of the 301 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 28% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

Of the 173 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 58% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 26% into work. 44% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

The nearest railway station is Main Entrance, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Archbishop Holgate's School (outside), 140 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy issued 612 suspensions, 33.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Archbishop Holgate's School, A Church of England Academy are Badger Hill Primary Academy (0.1 miles), Osbaldwick Primary Academy (0.3 miles), Lord Deramore's Primary School (0.4 miles) and St Aelred's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.