Thirsk School & Sixth Form College, Thirsk
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 6 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Thirsk School creates a welcoming, ambitious environment where pupils gain confidence and develop into responsible members of society. Staff provide strong pastoral support and have successfully encouraged more disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND to join clubs and activities. The school prepares all pupils well for their next steps, whether in further education, employment or training, with effective careers guidance and work experience opportunities.
Key Strengths
- Strong achievement across the school with pupils making good progress year-on-year
- Effective safeguarding with an open culture where concerns are actively managed and pupils feel safe
- Improved pupil attendance and behaviour with calm, disruption-free lessons
- Inclusive approach ensuring pupils with different starting points access the same curriculum
- Wide range of enrichment activities and clubs with strong uptake from disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils do not progress as well as they could in a small number of subjects
- Variability in how some subjects introduce new knowledge and check what pupils know
- Attendance of some pupils remains lower than it should be despite improvements
- Some inconsistency in how staff check on what pupils remember over time
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has 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
Rugby, cricket, jazz group, badminton, allotment club, sports clubs, music groups, museums and galleries visits, work experience, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, drama and music productions, leadership activities, charity work, fundraising projects
Thirsk School & Sixth Form College is a school where pupils generally achieve well, with national exam results showing positive progress. The school has an open culture of safeguarding, and leaders focus on raising aspirations for all pupils including disadvantaged students and those with special educational needs.
At a Glance
22.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
20.5
Avg class size
46
Total classes
6 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
Commute Calculator
Find out if this school is reachable from your home - before you apply
What are my chances?
Enter your postcode to estimate your probability of getting a place.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
82%
Available places
1,029 pupils
1,255 capacity
226 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Thirsk
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Thirsk
Admissions Demand - North Yorkshire
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(10)
House Prices
Moving into the catchment? See what homes near this school actually cost
SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
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.
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.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.16985%
Overall absence
25.13661%
Persistent absence
915
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
No reviews yet - be the first to leave one.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Thirsk School & Sixth Form College
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.