School profile

King James's School

Secondary · Community school · Knaresborough, HG5 8EB

Good

Map showing King James's School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,400 of 3,312

Similar to most schools in England

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

A-level 2024/25

#1,067 of 2,536

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by average points per A-level entry.

King James's School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 1 Dec 2011

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeCommunity school
Ages11 to 18
Pupils1,554
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Miriam Oakley
Local authorityNorth Yorkshire
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 121687.

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.47.4, similar to England, similar to North Yorkshire46.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.71.2%, better than England, better than North Yorkshire67.8%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.48.8%, similar to England, similar to North Yorkshire47.9%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.13.1%, similar to England, similar to North Yorkshire12.7%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths66.5%, better than England, better than North Yorkshire63.1%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4260--

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

A-level results

2024/25

Results for students at the end of 16 to 18 study.

MeasureThis schoolNorth YorkshireEngland
Average points per A-level entryA* is 60, A is 50, B is 40, C is 30, D is 20, E is 10.34.98, similar to England, similar to North Yorkshire35.7435
Average A-level gradeC+--
Average points, best three A-levels35.38, similar to England, similar to North Yorkshire36.3235.78
Average grade, best three A-levelsB---
AAB or better16.7%, similar to England, worse than North Yorkshire19.9%17.5%
A-level progress scoreCompared with students with similar GCSE results. 0 is average.-0.13, worse than England--
A-level progressBelow average, worse than England--
Students at the end of 16 to 18 study108--
Average applied general gradeVocational qualifications, such as BTECs.Dist---

Source: DfE, 16 to 19 performance, Academic year 2024/25, published 23 Apr 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,554
Girls803
Boys751
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.17.3%
First language not English5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,705
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.8.9%
Sixth form places2024/25312
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.244
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.66
Average class size23.4

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
88%
Other White
2.3%
Other mixed
1.6%
White and Asian
1.4%
African
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.7%
Other ethnic group
0.7%
Indian
0.5%
Other Asian
0.5%
White and Black African
0.3%

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 teacher16.9
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.13.7
Teachers (FTE)91.72
Teaching assistants (FTE)15.13
Support staff (FTE)73.35
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2590.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2577.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/253.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/259.2

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.253
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.447
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.225
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.225
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)24

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 absence9%, worse than England, worse than North Yorkshire8.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.2%, similar to England, similar to North Yorkshire22%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.2%, worse than England, similar to 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 rate22.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
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.94.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.87.8%
School sixth form46.6%
Further education40.5%
Apprenticeship4.6%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.3.8%
Employment2.3%
Sixth form college0%

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

Destinations after A-levels

2023/24

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.87.7%
Higher education45.9%
Employment36.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.10.7%
Apprenticeship4.1%
Further education0%

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 King James's School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryAspin Park AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryKnaresborough St John's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimarySt Mary's Primary School Knaresborough, A Voluntary Catholic AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryMeadowside AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.5 miPrimaryStarbeck Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.5 miPrimaryHookstone Chase Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.6 miPrimaryGoldsborough Church of England Primary SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good

Frequently asked questions about King James's School

What is King James's School's Ofsted rating?

King James's School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 1 Dec 2011.

How does King James's School rank in England?

King James's School ranks 1,400 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools) and 1,067 of 2,536 schools in England for A-level 2024/25 (similar to most schools).

What are King James's School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 48.8% of pupils at King James's School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 47.4 (England 46.2).

What are King James's School's A-level results?

In 2024/25, the average A-level grade at King James's School was C+, and 16.7% of students got AAB or better (England 17.5%).

How hard is it to get into King James's School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, King James's School made 253 offers from 447 applications (1.8 per offer), and 225 of 225 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend King James's School?

King James's School has 1,554 pupils aged 11 to 18.

What is the capacity of King James's School?

King James's School had 1,705 school places in 2024/25.

Does King James's School have a sixth form?

Yes, King James's School has a sixth form with 312 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at King James's School?

At King James's School, the average class had 23.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.9 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at King James's School?

In 2025/26, pupils at King James's School missed 9% of sessions (England 8%), and 23.2% 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.