The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form, Brighouse
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form is a special school for boys aged 5 to 19 in Brighouse. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form are Highbury School (0.4 miles, Outstanding); William Henry Smith Specialist College (1.4 miles); Compass Community School North (1.7 miles, Good); and Pivot Academy (1.8 miles).
Highbury SchoolWilliam Henry Smith Specialist CollegeCompass Community School NorthPivot Academy
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (100%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 10 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 10% to a further education college.
Who goes there
57.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form has an education, health and care plan (83 of 83 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brighouse Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Burnsall Road (opposite), 150 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Sixth form.
At a Glance
57.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Speech and language, Autism +1
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form is in Calderdale; for families living there:
Apply to Calderdale for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
95%
Near capacity
83 pupils
87 places
4 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Brighouse
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Brighouse
Across Calderdale council
Places available
2,994
Applications
2,231
Got 1st preference
91.2%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All secondary applications across Calderdale council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
83
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
83
Total Pupils
83
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
15.9%
Persistent absence
63
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
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form
What are GCSE results like at The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form achieved an Attainment 8 score of 8.7. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form's Ofsted rating?
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023.
What is the catchment area for The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form?
No fixed boundary. When The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form is oversubscribed, Calderdale allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form?
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form has around 83 pupils on roll. 58% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form have specialist SEN provision?
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form?
6.6% of sessions were missed at The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form in 2024/25. 15.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form?
Apply through Calderdale's coordinated admissions process, naming The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Calderdale is 12 (the median across 114 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form?
The William Henry Smith School and Sixth Form is at Boothroyd, Brighouse, West Yorkshire, HD6 3JW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)