Bishop Heber High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,293 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.8
Foundation school
The Whitby High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,398of 1,625 places
- Free school meals
- 26.8%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 274
- Ofsted
- Good, 24 May 2022Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 262 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Whitby High School in 2023, 36% stayed on in The Whitby High School’s own sixth form (Cheshire West and Chester average 32%), 42% went to a further education college and 5% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 88 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 36% went to university (Cheshire West and Chester 57%, England 37%), and 6% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 14% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
German is unusually popular at GCSE: 21% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 38.9 against 46.1 across England and 44.6 in Cheshire West and Chester, with 31% 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 Cheshire West and Chester and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Whitby High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 262 | 3,827 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 91% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 82% | 83% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 36% | 32% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 2% | 15% | 13% |
| — further education college | 42% | 34% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 5% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 6% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 4% | 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 | The Whitby High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 88 | 2,139 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 90% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 36% | 57% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 6% | 35% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 2% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 14% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 35% | 25% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 6% | 7% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Whitby High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 38.9 | 44.6 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 31% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 54% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 42% | 40% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.48 | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 27% | 24% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 31.6 | 30.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 41.6 | 49.3 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 7% | 8% | 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 | 275 | 100% | 88% | 9% | 22% | 63% |
| English Language | 274 | 100% | 89% | 8% | 20% | 58% |
| English Literature | 263 | 96% | 86% | 7% | 21% | 61% |
| Combined Science | 248 | 91% | 65% | 3% | 9% | 45% |
| History | 122 | 45% | 41% | 19% | 26% | 66% |
| Geography | 111 | 41% | 41% | 8% | 25% | 50% |
| French | 64 | 23% | 18% | 19% | 29% | 66% |
| German | 57 | 21% | 5% | 21% | 33% | 70% |
| Physical Education | 51 | 19% | 11% | 0% | 24% | 39% |
| Photography | 47 | 17% | 6% | 15% | 19% | 70% |
| Art and Design | 39 | 14% | 7% | 15% | 24% | 85% |
| Psychology | 38 | 14% | 3% | 0% | 22% | 50% |
| Textiles | 19 | 7% | 2% | 21% | 27% | 89% |
| Computer Science | 18 | 7% | 13% | 0% | 30% | 61% |
| Design and Technology | 17 | 6% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 53% |
| Religious Studies | 17 | 6% | 31% | 18% | 32% | 65% |
| Music | 15 | 5% | 5% | 13% | 33% | 47% |
| Biology | 14 | 5% | 23% | 29% | 45% | 79% |
| Physics | 11 | 4% | 23% | 27% | 46% | 100% |
| Chemistry | 11 | 4% | 23% | 36% | 47% | 100% |
| Polish | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Chinese | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Statistics | 2 | 1% | 5% | — | 20% | — |
| Spanish | 1 | 0% | 19% | — | 27% | — |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 1 | 0% | 8% | — | 21% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Portuguese | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Engineering | 81 | 100% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 50 | 89% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 48 | 86% | — |
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | 42 | 75% | — |
| Small Business Management | 42 | 75% | — |
| Health Studies | 35 | 63% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 20 | 36% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 13 | 23% | — |
| Health Studies | 2 | 4% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 2 | 4% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Whitby High School | Cheshire West and Chester | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 156 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 56 | 1,955 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | B- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 30.10 | 38.11 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 20% | 23% | 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 | 19 | 34% | 31% |
| Geography | 11 | 20% | 10% |
| English Language and Literature | 11 | 20% | 2% |
| Politics | 10 | 18% | 6% |
| History | 10 | 18% | 13% |
| Psychology | 9 | 16% | 23% |
| Photography | 7 | 13% | 3% |
| Biology | 7 | 13% | 20% |
| Chemistry | 7 | 13% | 17% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| German | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 26 | 46% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 26 | 46% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 21 | 38% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 13 | 23% | — |
| Applied Business | VRQ Level 3 | 11 | 20% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 11 | 20% | — |
| Art and Design | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 11 | 20% | — |
| Engineering Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 10 | 18% | — |
| Multimedia | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 9 | 16% | — |
| Nutrition / Diet | VRQ Level 3 | 7 | 13% | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 11% | — |
| Engineering Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Multimedia | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Cheshire West and Chester
Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports College
Foundation school · 651 pupils
62% stayed in education · Attainment 8 33.2
Chester International School
Studio schools · sixth form · 229 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 34.5
Christleton High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,382 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 54.8
Ellesmere Port Church of England College
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 777 pupils
72% stayed in education · Attainment 8 39.0
Hartford Church of England High School
Voluntary aided school · 1,102 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.3
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.