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Community school · North Yorkshire

Thirsk School & Sixth Form College

  • 11–18Ages
  • 1,029Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • Sixth formAges 16–18
  • 121666URN

Topcliffe Road, Sowerby, Thirsk, YO7 1RZ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Mar 2026

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
1.7per place
close to North Yorkshire median (1.9)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in North YorkshireSelective

263 applications for 153 places · 30th of 39 in North Yorkshire
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
38.4of 90
36th of 41 in North Yorkshire
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026
Report card · inspected 24 March 2026Published 21 May 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
AreaExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
AchievementExpected standard
Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Early yearsDoes not apply to this school
Post-16 provisionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

  1. 24 March 2026
    Report card · 7 Expected standard
  2. 3 February 2022
    Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry
1.7applications per place, Year 7
close to North Yorkshire median (1.9) 0.5 below England median (2.2)

263 applications · 153 places offered · 142 named it first

  1. 2026 1.7; North Yorkshire median median 1.9
  2. 2025 1.6; North Yorkshire median median 1.9
  3. 2024 1.4; North Yorkshire median median 1.9
  4. 2023 1.5; North Yorkshire median median 1.8
  5. 2022 1.3; North Yorkshire median median 1.5
  6. 2021 1.2; North Yorkshire median median 1.6
  7. 2020 1.1; North Yorkshire median median 1.6
  8. 2019 1.0; North Yorkshire median median 1.5
  9. 2018 1.2; North Yorkshire median median 1.6
  10. 2017 1.1; North Yorkshire median median 1.5
  11. 2016 1.1; North Yorkshire median median 1.3
  12. 2015 1.1; North Yorkshire median median 1.3
  13. 2014 1.2; North Yorkshire median median 1.6
More applications per place than the North Yorkshire median in 0 of 13 years.
  • This school
  • North Yorkshire median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20261532631.71420.93
Sep 20251722811.61600.93
Sep 20241802591.41600.89
Sep 20231542361.51390.90
Sep 20221752241.31831.05
Sep 20211712021.21600.94
Sep 20201681911.11520.90
Sep 20191972001.01620.82
Sep 20181631951.21520.93
Sep 20171641771.11410.86
Sep 20161571681.11460.93
Sep 20151581681.11340.85
Sep 20141541791.21290.84

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

188 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)38.436th of 41 in North Yorkshire
Grade 5 or above in English and maths23%38th of 41 in North Yorkshire
Grade 4 or above in English and maths47%
  • This school
  • North Yorkshire median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.07
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)18838.423%47%–
2024/2516543.539%59%–
2023/2419543.636%62%−0.07
2022/2314142.028%58%+0.04

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type
Community school
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
121666 · 815/4035
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Capacity
1,255 pupils · 1,029 on roll
Free school meals
22.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address
Topcliffe Road, Sowerby, Thirsk, YO7 1RZ
Local authority
North Yorkshire

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources