Burnside College
Foundation school · sixth form · 995 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.2
Foundation school
Whitley Bay High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,797of 1,700 places
- Free school meals
- 11.2%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 368
- Ofsted
- Outstanding, 4 June 2024Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 369 pupils who finished Year 11 at Whitley Bay High School in 2023, 70% stayed on in Whitley Bay High School’s own sixth form (North Tyneside average 40%), 21% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 316 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 55% went to university (North Tyneside 57%, England 37%), and 26% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Food Preparation and Nutrition is unusually popular at GCSE: 35% of the year group took it, against 8% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were well above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 54.2 against 46.1 across England and 46.0 in North Tyneside, with 63% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in North Tyneside and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Whitley Bay High School | North Tyneside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 369 | 2,044 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 96% | 92% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 91% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 70% | 40% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 0% | 0% | 13% |
| — further education college | 21% | 40% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 6% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 3% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 1% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Whitley Bay High School | North Tyneside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 316 | 797 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 85% | 86% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 55% | 57% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 26% | 27% | 19% |
| Further education | 3% | 3% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 20% | 19% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 8% | 9% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Whitley Bay High School | North Tyneside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 54.2 | 46.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 63% | 43% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 80% | 65% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 32% | 29% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.65 | 3.98 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 12% | 26% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 41.5 | 33.6 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 55.9 | 50.4 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 5% | 7% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 362 | 98% | 88% | 30% | 22% | 86% |
| English Language | 361 | 98% | 89% | 26% | 20% | 84% |
| English Literature | 348 | 95% | 86% | 24% | 21% | 87% |
| Combined Science | 300 | 82% | 65% | 19% | 9% | 80% |
| Geography | 179 | 49% | 41% | 37% | 25% | 87% |
| Business Studies | 176 | 48% | 18% | 28% | 20% | 85% |
| History | 172 | 47% | 41% | 37% | 26% | 80% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 128 | 35% | 8% | 39% | 21% | 95% |
| Physical Education | 81 | 22% | 11% | 22% | 24% | 90% |
| Fine Art | 75 | 20% | 9% | 53% | 28% | 99% |
| Design and Technology | 67 | 18% | 11% | 10% | 23% | 73% |
| German | 59 | 16% | 5% | 37% | 33% | 95% |
| Spanish | 51 | 14% | 19% | 27% | 27% | 90% |
| Physics | 46 | 13% | 23% | 70% | 46% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 46 | 13% | 23% | 76% | 47% | 100% |
| Biology | 46 | 13% | 23% | 70% | 45% | 100% |
| Computer Science | 32 | 9% | 13% | 47% | 30% | 97% |
| French | 32 | 9% | 18% | 38% | 29% | 81% |
| Textiles | 28 | 8% | 2% | 32% | 27% | 100% |
| Photography | 24 | 7% | 6% | 0% | 19% | 88% |
| Drama | 19 | 5% | 7% | 63% | 27% | 100% |
| Religious Studies | 18 | 5% | 31% | 33% | 32% | 100% |
| Music | 13 | 4% | 5% | 54% | 33% | 92% |
| Graphic Communication | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 23% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Statistics | 1 | 0% | 5% | — | 20% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 62 | 19% | — |
| Health Studies | 60 | 19% | — |
| Sports Studies | 50 | 16% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 39 | 12% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Whitley Bay High School | North Tyneside | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 644 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 319 | 682 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 37.47 | 35.61 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 18% | 17% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 88 | 28% | 31% |
| Psychology | 75 | 24% | 23% |
| Business Studies | 70 | 22% | 13% |
| Biology | 60 | 19% | 20% |
| Media Studies | 54 | 17% | 4% |
| History | 46 | 14% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 45 | 14% | 17% |
| Economics | 40 | 13% | 13% |
| Physics | 37 | 12% | 12% |
| Geography | 37 | 12% | 10% |
| English Language | 37 | 12% | 4% |
| English Literature | 32 | 10% | 11% |
| Physical Education | 30 | 9% | 3% |
| Fine Art | 28 | 9% | 3% |
| Environmental Science | 25 | 8% | 1% |
| D and T Engineering | 24 | 8% | 0% |
| English Language and Literature | 16 | 5% | 2% |
| Computer Science | 15 | 5% | 5% |
| Philosophy | 14 | 4% | 1% |
| Further Mathematics | 9 | 3% | 5% |
| Textiles | 9 | 3% | 1% |
| French | 8 | 3% | 1% |
| Spanish | 6 | 2% | 2% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Drama | — | — | 2% |
| Italian | — | — | 0% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 41 | 13% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 36 | 11% | — |
| Applied Business | VRQ Level 3 | 28 | 9% | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | VRQ Level 3 | 27 | 8% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 17 | 5% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 16 | 5% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | 15 | 5% | — |
| Computing and IT Advanced Technician | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | 15 | 5% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 14 | 4% | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | 13 | 4% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 11 | 3% | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | 10 | 3% | — |
| German | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Economics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| German | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Geography | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Economics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in North Tyneside
Churchill Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.4
George Stephenson High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,233 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.0
John Spence Community High School
Academy converter · 872 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.0
Kings Priory School
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,549 pupils
93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 57.1
Longbenton High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 995 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 41.7
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.