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York College, York

Good
Post-16
Further education
Mixed
Ages 16–99

York College is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in York. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2023.

Ofsted
Good (2023)
New inspections, open days and news, by email.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026

York College in detail

York College in its own words

In its own words: "York College was founded in 1827, but our current campus was entirely rebuilt in 2007 during a £60 million redevelopment programme. This means we can combine nearly 200 years of experience with the very best, modern facilities."

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are the largest further education college in the region and offer the widest choice of courses. Preparing our students, apprentices, and community for brilliant futures since 1827. York College & University Centre’s position at the heart of the city’s education landscape can be traced back to 1827."

Coming up: an open day on Saturday 7 November 2026, an open day on Thursday 19 November 2026, an open day on Tuesday 24 November 2026 and an open day on Wednesday 16 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

All school open days in York

Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)

Source: The school's own website

Where pupils go next

Of the 1934 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 24% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 40% into work. 9% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

Getting there

The nearest railway station is York Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Old Moor Lane (adjacent), 90 metres away.

The area around the school

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood York College stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 86 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in York (175).

Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Ken Merry
LA:York
Phone:01904770200
Address:Sim Balk Lane, York, YO23 2BB
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
Good

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Inspected 31 January 2023View full report

Safeguarding: effective

Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable

Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)

URN:130594
UKPRN:10007709
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:York Outer
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2023 inspection.

Rated Good for

Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.

About

York College is a further and higher education college in York, England, established in 1999 through a merger of two post-16 providers in York.

From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a Glance

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Special Measures

Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)

A-Level Results

C

Average grade

29.4

Points per entry

C+

Best 3 A-Levels

5%

Achieving AAB+

Below average

Value added

554

A-Level students

91%

Retention rate

2024/25 academic year

A-Level Subjects Offered

Sociology152
Business Studies138
Mathematics124
Psychology104
English Literature100
Film Studies96
Biology88
Ancient History80
Law76
Media / Film / TV Studies74
Geography72
Religious Studies72
Fine Art66
Chemistry62
History58
Government and Politics52
English Language and Literature50
English Language50
Physics48
Economics48

+ 15 more subjects

2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students

After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations

After A-Levels (Year 13) - 1,934 students

Continued education30%
Higher education24%
Further education7%
Apprenticeships10%
Employment40%
Not in education/employment13%

2023/24 data

University & Higher Education Destinations

9%

Top-third university

41%

Degree course

46%

Any L4+ destination

3%

Apprenticeships

Based on 1,229 students completing 16-18 study

2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake

How Does This School Compare?

Ranked against 1 nearby school

See peer comparison with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Keep up with York College

Getting There

Bus Stops

Old Moor Lane (adj)
91m · 1 min walk
Middlethorpe Drive (Eastbound)
183m · 3 min walk
St Leonard's Hospice
193m · 3 min walk
Moor Lane Car Park
208m · 3 min walk
The Horseshoe (opp)
256m · 4 min walk

Safety and surroundings

Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)

Collisions
15
Fatal
0
Serious
3
Children hurt
2

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight.

2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.

3 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 York is 12.5 (the median across 74 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.

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Commute and house prices

See commute times and house prices with Pro - £9 a month, or £90 a year, inc. VAT

Capacity & Demand

Area Demand Pressure - York

Low pressure
New homes approved:4,751
Projected new pupils:855

Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for York

Across York council

Low demand council-wide0.90 applications per place

Places available

1,977

Applications

1,772

Got 1st preference

93.7%

Got preferred school

98.9%

All secondary applications across York council (2026/27), not just this school.

Inspection History(9)

31 January 2023

Further education and skills inspection

Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
9 December 2013
2 September 2011

Questions parents ask about York College

What is York College's Ofsted rating?

York College was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2023.

What is the catchment area for York College?

No fixed boundary. When York College is oversubscribed, York allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.

How do I apply to York College?

Apply through York's coordinated admissions process, naming York College 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 York College?

Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 12 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 York is 12.5 (the median across 74 schools, same distance and years).

Where is York College?

York College is at Sim Balk Lane, York, North Yorkshire, YO23 2BB.

Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)

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