Whitley Bay High School, Whitley Bay
Whitley Bay High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Whitley Bay, part of The North Tyneside Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 12 schools in North Tyneside with published results, and 565th of 3,298 across England. For 2018 entry it had 3.6 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 107% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- 3.6 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Whitley Bay High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Whitley Bay High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 54, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.2 in North Tyneside and 47 across England.
56% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in North Tyneside and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 54.2.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.31: pupils made 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 41.6, against 55.6 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 26 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Business Studies.
Getting a place at Whitley Bay High School
For September 2018 entry, 18 families put Whitley Bay High School as their first choice and 33 named it as one of their preferences, for 5 places offered. That is 3.6 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Whitley Bay High School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Whitley Bay High School are Valley Gardens Middle School (0.2 miles, Outstanding); Monkseaton Coastal School (0.7 miles, Good); Marden Bridge Middle School (0.9 miles, Good); and Wellfield Middle School (1.1 miles, Good).
Valley Gardens Middle SchoolMonkseaton Coastal SchoolMarden Bridge Middle SchoolWellfield Middle School
The trust
Whitley Bay High School is one of 31 schools run by The North Tyneside Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 367 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 93% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 0% into work.
Of the 283 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 56% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 22% into work. 28% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
9.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 191 pupils (10.6%) received SEN support and 51 (2.8%) 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.
Whitley Bay High School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Monkseaton (Tyne and Wear Metro Station), about 800 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Monkseaton Drive-Clifton Grove (ne-bound), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Whitley Bay High School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Whitley Bay High School issued 94 suspensions, 5.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Whitley Bay High School are Southridge First School (0.2 miles), Coquet Park First School (0.5 miles), Whitley Lodge First School (0.5 miles) and Marine Park First School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Southridge First SchoolCoquet Park First SchoolWhitley Lodge First SchoolMarine Park First 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating an inclusive community where every pupil thrives academically and personally. With outstanding teaching, exceptional personal development programmes, and a large sixth form that models excellent behaviour and leadership, your child will benefit from strong relationships and genuine care. The school ensures all pupils - regardless of background - achieve excellent results and are well-prepared for their futures.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional teaching that is precise, engaging and supported by high-quality resources and collaborative training
- Pupils achieve extremely well across all subjects and key stages, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
- Vibrant extra-curricular life with a broad range of enrichment activities, work experience and charitable enterprises
- Exemplary behaviour and a powerful sense of community built on strong, supportive relationships
- Exceptional curriculum for personal development ensuring all pupils have access to cultural, social and sporting opportunities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Literature festival, poetry activities, maths festival, work experience (Years 10 and 12), food bank Friday, school library programmes, sixth-form volunteering as librarians and mental health ambassadors, technical crew for productions, reading support
Whitley Bay High School is an outstanding secondary school where pupils thrive through exceptional education quality and excellent personal development opportunities. All pupils achieve exceptionally well and are very well-prepared for their next steps in education, training or employment.
About
Whitley Bay High School is a mixed upper school and sixth form located in Whitley Bay, North Tyneside, England.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
9.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.50 to 0.31 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 55.3 to 54.0 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 63% to 56% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 54.0 | 56.1% |
| Disadvantaged(42) | - | 41.6 | 26.2% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(332) | - | 55.6 | 59.9% |
| Boys(184) | - | 51.7 | 50% |
| Girls(190) | - | 56.2 | 62.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(15) | - | 53.3 | 46.7% |
| Non mobile(370) | - | 54.3 | 56.8% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 6 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 367 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.06%
Exclusion rate
94
Suspensions
5.33%
Suspension rate
54 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,762 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Whitley Bay High School
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whitley Bay High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whitley Bay High School is in North Tyneside; for families living there:
Apply to North Tyneside for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 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 Whitley Bay High School
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
107%
Over capacity
1,763 pupils
1,646 places
117 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Whitley Bay
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Whitley Bay
Across North Tyneside council
Places available
1,743
Applications
1,685
Got 1st preference
84.3%
Got preferred school
94.4%
All secondary applications across North Tyneside council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 3.6 first choices per place
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
191
SEN Support
51
EHC Plans
13.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Whitley Bay High School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,797
Total Pupils
932
Boys
865
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
113
Teachers
15.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,886
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,665
Per pupil
£7740k
Total funding
£110k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.7%
Overall absence
14.6%
Persistent absence
1,123
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
Whitley Bay High School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Whitley Bay High School
What are GCSE results like at Whitley Bay High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Whitley Bay High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 54. 56% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Whitley Bay High School's Ofsted rating?
Whitley Bay High School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for Whitley Bay High School?
No fixed boundary. When Whitley Bay High School is oversubscribed, North Tyneside allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Whitley Bay High School?
Whitley Bay High School was full in 2025, at 107% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Whitley Bay High School?
Classes at Whitley Bay High School average 19.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Whitley Bay High School?
Whitley Bay High School has around 1797 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Whitley Bay High School have specialist SEN provision?
Whitley Bay High School has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Whitley Bay High School?
6.7% of sessions were missed at Whitley Bay High School in 2024/25. 14.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whitley Bay High School?
Apply through North Tyneside's coordinated admissions process, naming Whitley Bay High School 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 Whitley Bay High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 North Tyneside is 12 (the median across 84 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Whitley Bay High School?
Whitley Bay High School is at Deneholm, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE25 9AS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)