Holmfirth High School, Holmfirth
Holmfirth High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Holmfirth. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 2nd-highest of the 25 schools in Kirklees with published results, and 416th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Kirklees (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Holmfirth High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Holmfirth High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 56.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Kirklees and 47 across England.
69% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Kirklees and 47% in England.
That is down from 58.6 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.72: pupils made well 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 41, against 60.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 19.5 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and History.
Getting a place at Holmfirth High School
For September 2026 entry, 256 families put Holmfirth High School as their first choice and 465 named it as one of their preferences, for 261 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Holmfirth High School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Holmfirth High School are Honley High School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54.8); Newsome Academy (3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.9); King James's School (3.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.3); and Kirkburton Middle School (3.7 miles, Good).
Holmfirth High School's 2026 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Honley High SchoolNewsome AcademyKing James's SchoolKirkburton Middle School
Where pupils go next
Of the 261 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 20% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Who goes there
2.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (89%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 142 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 27 (2%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brockholes Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
21 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Holmfirth High School Turning circle, 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 43 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Kirklees (153).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Holmfirth High School issued 197 suspensions, 14.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Holmfirth High School are New Mill Infant School (0.4 miles), New Mill Junior School (0.5 miles), Netherthong Primary School (0.8 miles) and Brockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
New Mill Infant SchoolNew Mill Junior SchoolNetherthong Primary SchoolBrockholes Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior and Infant School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Holmfirth High School excels at giving pupils both strong academic learning and real-world experiences. Teachers are specialists who explain things clearly and help pupils avoid common mistakes, meaning even disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs do really well. Your child will benefit from a warm, respectful environment where excellent behaviour is the norm and there's a genuine focus on developing rounded young people through visits, clubs and leadership opportunities.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious, well-structured curriculum that exceeds national standards - pupils learn three languages and extended mathematics
- Expert teachers who anticipate misconceptions and skilfully adapt teaching to meet individual needs, including pupils with SEND
- Consistently excellent pupil behaviour and respectful interactions with peers and adults
- Rich enrichment offer including educational visits, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, sports leadership and subject ambassadorships
- Effective support for reading and oracy development, with pupils using subject-specific vocabulary with precision
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders having detailed understanding of pupils' risks and providing well-structured staff training and strong support for pupils' mental health and anxiety.
Extracurricular Activities
Duke of Edinburgh's Award, sports leadership roles, mathematics ambassadorships, bar mock trial, classics society, educational visits (science theatre visit, for example)
Holmfirth High School is an outstanding secondary comprehensive school where pupils benefit from ambitious academics and rich wider opportunities. Pupils have excellent behaviour, warm relationships with staff, and are well-prepared for their next stages in education.
About
Holmfirth High School is a coeducational secondary school located on Heys Road in Thongsbridge, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
17.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.72 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 55.3 to 56.2 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 69% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 56.2 | 69.3% |
| Disadvantaged(57) | - | 41.0 | 45.6% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(204) | - | 60.5 | 76% |
| Boys(120) | - | 56.3 | 75.8% |
| Girls(141) | - | 56.2 | 63.8% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(257) | - | 56.7 | 70% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 261 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.23%
Exclusion rate
197
Suspensions
14.82%
Suspension rate
64 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,329 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Holmfirth High School
Term dates
Holmfirth High School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Kirklees. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 April to Tuesday 25 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Holmfirth High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Holmfirth High School is in Kirklees; for families living there:
- Kirklees's school travel policy: School transport
- How to apply: Apply for school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Holmfirth High School
Will you get a place at Holmfirth High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Holmfirth High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Holmfirth High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Holmfirth High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Kirklees, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Holmfirth High School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Kirklees got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
1,334 pupils
1,320 places
14 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Holmfirth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Holmfirth
Across Kirklees council
Places available
4,930
Applications
4,787
Got 1st preference
89.2%
Got preferred school
97.8%
All secondary applications across Kirklees council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
142
SEN Support
27
EHC Plans
12.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,328
Total Pupils
653
Boys
675
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
75
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,790
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,704
Per pupil
£9382k
Total funding
£232k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
15.4%
Persistent absence
1,360
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Holmfirth High School
What are GCSE results like at Holmfirth High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Holmfirth High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 56.2. 69% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Holmfirth High School's Ofsted rating?
Holmfirth High School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2016 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Holmfirth High School?
No fixed boundary. When Holmfirth High School is oversubscribed, Kirklees allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Holmfirth High School?
Holmfirth High School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Holmfirth High School?
Classes at Holmfirth High School average 25.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Holmfirth High School?
Holmfirth High School has around 1328 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Holmfirth High School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Holmfirth High School in 2024/25. 15.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Holmfirth High School?
Apply through Kirklees's coordinated admissions process, naming Holmfirth High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
What are Holmfirth High School's term dates?
Holmfirth High School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Kirklees. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 21 February to Friday 25 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Tuesday 25 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Holmfirth High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Kirklees is 12 (the median across 203 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Holmfirth High School?
Holmfirth High School is at Heys Road, Thongsbridge, Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD9 7SE.
Sources: Kirklees term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)