Headlands School, Bridlington

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Headlands School on 7 areas: 4 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have constructed a broad and logically ordered curriculum that enables pupils to steadily build their knowledge and skills over time."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are ambitious for pupils."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a well-thought-out personal development programme that reflects the school's local context."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils' attainment in national tests and examinations has been below national averages."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils do not attend school as often as they should."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Students in the sixth form do not achieve as well as they should."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to improve teaching across the school, ensuring that staff identify and address gaps and misconceptions in pupils' learning so that pupils build secure knowledge and skills over time"; "Leaders should ensure that their renewed approaches to attendance have the intended impact on reducing pupils' absence, taking swift action when needed, especially for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities who are persistently absent from school".

In its own words: "Headlands is a large comprehensive school in the East Yorkshire coastal town of Bridlington. We have around 1,000 students, a vibrant Sixth Form, record exam results and a thriving community. Read a personal message from our executive headteacher, Sarah Bone, outlining the background of our school, our latest record exam results and why Headlands is a great school for everyone."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Your child’s happiness is central to the work we do here at Headlands School. By ensuring your child’s happiness remains our first priority, we know they will go onto achieve their full potential in their educational studies here with us. At Headlands School we are interested in the development of the whole person, as well as the examination candidate."

In 2026, pupils at Headlands School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 38.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.1 in East Riding of Yorkshire and 47 across England.

34% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in East Riding of Yorkshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 39.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.35: pupils made below 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 32.5, against 42.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 223 families put Headlands School as their first choice and 260 named it as one of their preferences, for 202 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 21 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

Of the 184 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 48% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 47 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 49% went on to university or other higher education, 11% to apprenticeships and 30% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

36.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 120 pupils (11.4%) received SEN support and 73 (6.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Headlands School has a resourced provision: 60 places, 54 pupils on roll.

Headlands School had 85 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

The nearest railway station is Bridlington Rail Stn, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bridlington Sewerby Road, 200 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 135 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in East Riding of Yorkshire (31), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Headlands School issued 275 suspensions, 26.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 9 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Headlands School are Martongate Primary School (0.1 miles), Bay Primary School (0.6 miles), Burlington Junior School (0.8 miles) and Burlington Infant School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.