St John Fisher Catholic Academy, Harrogate

In 2026, pupils at St John Fisher Catholic Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 52.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.2 in North Yorkshire and 47 across England.

58% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 48% in North Yorkshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 55.1 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.59: 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 32, against 55.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 23.2 points.

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

For September 2026 entry, 130 families put St John Fisher Catholic Academy as their first choice and 586 named it as one of their preferences, for 182 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to St John Fisher Catholic Academy are St Aidans and St John Fisher Associated Sixth Form (0.2 miles); St Aidan's Church of England High School (0.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 59.4); Harrogate High School (1 mile, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 39.5); and Harrogate Grammar School (1.2 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 56).

St John Fisher Catholic Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

St John Fisher Catholic Academy is one of 16 schools run by The Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 223 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 20% to a further education college, 0% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 531 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 55% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 27% into work. 27% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

9.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (73%), Mixed (6%) and Black (5%).

In 2026, 154 pupils (12.3%) received SEN support and 21 (1.7%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.

St John Fisher Catholic Academy has a SEN unit for visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties: 50 places, 38 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Hornbeam Park Rail Station, about 740 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St John Fisher Sch Grounds Dep (sw-bound), 50 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St John Fisher Catholic Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 94 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 North Yorkshire (9), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St John Fisher Catholic Academy issued 101 suspensions, 7.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to St John Fisher Catholic Academy are Willow Tree Community Primary School (0.5 miles), Oatlands Community Junior School (0.5 miles), Oatlands Infant School (0.6 miles) and St Peter's Church of England Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.