School profile

Wensleydale School

Secondary · Community school · Leyburn, DL8 5HY

Good

Map showing Wensleydale School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,623 of 3,312

Worse than 79% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Wensleydale School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 12 May 2026

Area360 rating
Good
Inclusion
Strong 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
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils407
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Julia Polley
Local authorityNorth Yorkshire
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 121679.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolNorth YorkshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.40.1, worse than England, worse than North Yorkshire46.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.49.3%, worse than England, worse than North Yorkshire67.8%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.28.4%, worse than England, worse than North Yorkshire47.9%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.3%, worse than England, worse than North Yorkshire12.7%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths49.3%, worse than England, worse than North Yorkshire63.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 467--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils407
Girls176
Boys231
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.17%
First language not English1.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.492
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.17.3%
Sixth form places2022/2350
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.46
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.38
Average class size23.1

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
95.6%
Other White
1.2%
White and Black Caribbean
0.5%
White and Asian
0.5%
Irish
0.2%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0.2%
Other mixed
0.2%
Indian
0.2%
Other Asian
0.2%
African
0.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher14
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.3
Teachers (FTE)29
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.3
Support staff (FTE)22.44
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2527.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2526.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/251

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.83
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.184
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.77
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.77
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolNorth YorkshireEngland
Overall absence8.1%, similar to England, similar to North Yorkshire8.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.5%, similar to England, similar to North Yorkshire22%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.6%, better than England, better than North Yorkshire3.9%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate27.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions9.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.8%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.87.3%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.73.2%
Further education40.8%
Sixth form college22.5%
School sixth form9.9%
Apprenticeship9.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.9.9%
Employment4.2%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2022/23

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.83.3%
Employment50%
Higher education33.3%
Further education0%
Apprenticeship0%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Wensleydale School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryLeyburn Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.7 miPrimarySpennithorne Church of England VA Infant SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Wensleydale School

What is Wensleydale School's Ofsted rating?

Wensleydale School is rated Good, last inspected on 12 May 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Wensleydale School rank in England?

Wensleydale School ranks 2,623 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 79% of schools).

What are Wensleydale School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 28.4% of pupils at Wensleydale School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 40.1 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Wensleydale School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Wensleydale School made 83 offers from 184 applications (2.2 per offer), and 77 of 77 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Wensleydale School?

Wensleydale School has 407 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Wensleydale School?

Wensleydale School had 492 school places in 2024/25.

Does Wensleydale School have a sixth form?

Yes, Wensleydale School has a sixth form with 50 places in 2022/23.

How big are classes at Wensleydale School?

At Wensleydale School, the average class had 23.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 14 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Wensleydale School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Wensleydale School missed 8.1% of sessions (England 8%), and 23.5% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.