Thirsk School & Sixth Form College

Secondary
Local authority maintained
Ages 11 to 18

Report card: Expected standard

Topcliffe Road, Sowerby, Thirsk, YO7 1RZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)

Thirsk School & Sixth Form College is a secondary school in Thirsk for ages 11 to 18. It is one of the 376 schools in North Yorkshire. It ranks 24th of 41 secondary schools in North Yorkshire. Its latest Ofsted outcome is a report card, from an inspection in March 2026.

Ofsted report card

Inspected 24 March 2026, report published 21 May 2026

Each area is graded from urgent improvement to exceptional, and safeguarding is either met or not met.

Inclusion: Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
Achievement: Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing: Expected standard
Leadership and governance: Expected standard
Post-16 provision: Expected standard
Safeguarding: Met

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)

Exam results

GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25

165 pupils in the year group

Attainment 8 score43.5

43.5, 2.6 below the England average of 46.1.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths38.8%

38.8%, 6.6 percentage points below the England average of 45.4%.

Grade 4 or above in English and maths58.8%

58.8%, 6 percentage points below the England average of 64.8%.

Pupils entering the EBacc45.5%

45.5%, 5 percentage points above the England average of 40.5%.

EBacc average point score3.93

3.93, 0.16 below the England average of 4.09.

A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25

42 students

Average point score per A level entry30.35

30.35, 4.65 below the England average of 35.00.

Average A level grade C, England average B-

Pupil numbers and mix

1,029 pupils on roll, with places for 1,255

Eligible for free school meals21.6%

21.6%, 4.9 percentage points below the England average of 26.5%.

English as an additional language4.4%

4.4%, 17.2 percentage points below the England average of 21.6%.

Special educational needs support18%

18%, 3.2 percentage points above the England average of 14.8%.

Education, health and care plan4.1%

4.1%, 1.9 percentage points below the England average of 6%.

Schools near Thirsk School & Sixth Form College

School	Distance	Ofsted	Results
Queen Mary's School	4 miles	No Ofsted inspection	Attainment 8: 26.8
Darwin School	5 miles	No Ofsted inspection	Not published
Cundall Manor School	5 miles	No Ofsted inspection	Attainment 8: 60.6
Northallerton School & Sixth Form College	8 miles	Report card: Needs attention to expected standard	Attainment 8: 37.5
Boroughbridge High School	10 miles	Ofsted: Requires improvement	Attainment 8: 43.0

School details

School type: Community school
Sector: Local authority maintained
Age range: 11 to 18
Gender: Mixed
Sixth form: Yes
Headteacher: Miss Emma Lambden
Phone: 01845522024
Website: thirskschool.org (opens in a new tab)
Address: Topcliffe Road, Sowerby, Thirsk, YO7 1RZ
Local authority: North Yorkshire
URN: 121666

School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.