Harrogate Grammar School, Harrogate

Outstanding
Secondary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 1118

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.1km)Possible (~1.6km)Unlikely (~2.1km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Neil Renton
Pupils:2,081 / 2,100 capacity
LA:North Yorkshire
Phone:01423531127
Address:Arthurs Avenue, Harrogate, HG2 0DZ
Trust:RED KITE LEARNING TRUST
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 March 2011

Ofsted Rating

Outstanding

Overall

URN:136497
UKPRN:10033020
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Harrogate and Knaresborough
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Harrogate Grammar School excels at preparing students for their future, with particularly strong sixth form teaching where students develop sophisticated subject knowledge and progress to ambitious university and career destinations. The school creates a positive, respectful environment where pupils take pride in their work and develop confidence through excellent pastoral care. Strong careers education and enrichment activities ensure all pupils, including those facing barriers to learning, are well supported to move on to appropriate next steps.

Key Strengths

  • Sixth form teaching and student achievement consistently above national averages
  • Strong focus on reading support with effective, tiered interventions
  • Excellent behaviour and positive school culture with pupils taking pride in their work
  • Ambitious careers education programme helping pupils explore diverse pathways
  • Effective support for disadvantaged pupils with narrowing achievement gaps

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching consistency needs strengthening across all subjects and key stages 3 and 4
  • Persistent absence rates remain too high for pupils with SEND and those receiving free school meals
  • Quality assurance procedures not consistently precise enough to identify all issues
  • Pupils need to develop more secure and detailed knowledge in the 'big picture' curriculum, including citizenship

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Educational visits, sporting activities, skiing trips, school senate elections, paired reading programme, house system competitions and events, university visits, work experience, national and international visits

Harrogate Grammar School is a strong school where pupils, including those with SEND, achieve highly over time and are exceptionally well prepared for examinations. The sixth form is particularly impressive, with students achieving consistently above national averages and progressing to ambitious destinations.

At a Glance

11.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

22.7

Avg class size

82

Total classes

7 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Harrogate Grammar Sch Grounds (SE-bound)
72m · 1 min walk
Grammar Sch Entr (NW-bound)
199m · 3 min walk
Arthurs Avenue (opp)
255m · 4 min walk
Pannal Ash Road (SW-bound)
278m · 5 min walk
Wordsworth Crescent (adj)
279m · 5 min walk
Can you get into this school?
Enter your postcode to find out

Commute Calculator

Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply

Sign up free to see your commute to this school

What are my chances?

Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.

Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

99%

Near capacity

2,081 pupils

2,100 capacity

19 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Harrogate

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,239
Projected new pupils:223

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Harrogate

Admissions Demand - North Yorkshire

Low demand0.79x oversubscription

Places available

7,139

Applications

5,644

Got 1st preference

92.6%

Got preferred school

98.7%

Secondary admissions across North Yorkshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(105)

Date not published by Ofsted
Outstanding
Date not published by Ofsted
Outstanding
Date not published by Ofsted
Outstanding

House Prices

Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost

Sign up free to see house prices near this school

SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

Sign up free to see special needs support at this school

Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

Sign up free to see who goes to this school

Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

Sign up free to see teacher and staff data

School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

Sign up free to see how this school is funded

Pupil Absence
2024/25

7.85889%

Overall absence

18.97959%

Persistent absence

1,470

Enrolments

Authorised6.23153%
Unauthorised1.62736%
Persistent (10%+)18.97959%
Severe (50%+)2.9932%

Absence trend

5.08494%
18/19
3.93377%
20/21
7.55674%
21/22
8.17303%
22/23
8.19977%
23/24
7.85889%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

Reviews

No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.

Leave a Review

You need to be signed in to leave a review.

Feeder Primary Schools

Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity

Showing 10 of 15 linked schools

Nearby Schools

Do you work at this school?

Claim your profile free to get a verified badge, update your contact details, and see how many parents are viewing your page.