Lightcliffe Academy
Academy sponsor led · 788 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.5
Academy converter
Brighouse High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,317of 1,430 places
- Free school meals
- 23.4%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 203
- Ofsted
- Report card, 24 March 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Needs attentionAchievement Needs attentionAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Needs attentionPost-16 provision Expected standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Brighouse High School (URN 107580, until 1 April 2011).
What the data says
Of the 201 pupils who finished Year 11 at Brighouse High School in 2023, 35% stayed on in Brighouse High School’s own sixth form (Calderdale average 30%), 30% went to a further education college and 8% started an apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships are a real route from here: 8% of leavers started one, roughly twice the England figure of 3%.
Among the 139 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 36% went to university (Calderdale 33%, England 37%), and 13% 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.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 40.0 against 46.1 across England and 48.7 in Calderdale, 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 Calderdale and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Brighouse High School | Calderdale | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 201 | 2,826 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 93% | 92% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 81% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 35% | 30% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 15% | 19% | 13% |
| — further education college | 30% | 34% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 8% | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 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 | Brighouse High School | Calderdale | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 139 | 1,734 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 82% | 72% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 36% | 33% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 13% | 15% | 19% |
| Further education | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 14% | 9% | 7% |
| Employment | 27% | 23% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 14% | 22% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Brighouse High School | Calderdale | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 40.0 | 48.7 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 31% | 51% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 55% | 70% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 20% | 33% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.36 | 4.20 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 23% | 27% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 26.5 | 38.3 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 44.1 | 52.6 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 3% | 15% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 369 | 100% | 89% | 8% | 20% | 56% |
| Mathematics | 203 | 100% | 88% | 8% | 22% | 63% |
| English Literature | 184 | 91% | 86% | 9% | 21% | 55% |
| Religious Studies | 154 | 76% | 31% | 7% | 32% | 53% |
| Combined Science | 138 | 68% | 65% | 1% | 9% | 38% |
| Geography | 111 | 55% | 41% | 17% | 25% | 54% |
| History | 76 | 37% | 41% | 12% | 26% | 42% |
| Physics | 61 | 30% | 23% | 15% | 46% | 80% |
| Chemistry | 61 | 30% | 23% | 18% | 47% | 80% |
| Biology | 61 | 30% | 23% | 18% | 45% | 82% |
| Business Studies | 55 | 27% | 18% | 5% | 20% | 38% |
| French | 32 | 16% | 18% | 16% | 29% | 59% |
| Physical Education | 31 | 15% | 11% | 6% | 24% | 55% |
| Fine Art | 22 | 11% | 9% | 14% | 28% | 68% |
| Textiles | 19 | 9% | 2% | 5% | 27% | 89% |
| Computer Science | 18 | 9% | 13% | 17% | 30% | 39% |
| Design and Technology | 12 | 6% | 11% | 0% | 23% | 8% |
| Music | 11 | 5% | 5% | 27% | 33% | 73% |
| Photography | 10 | 5% | 6% | 10% | 19% | 100% |
| German | 8 | 4% | 5% | 0% | 33% | 25% |
| Drama | 6 | 3% | 7% | 17% | 27% | 67% |
| Polish | 3 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multimedia | 123 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 37 | 45% | — |
| Sports Studies | 23 | 28% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 15 | 18% | — |
| Small Business Management | 13 | 16% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 8 | 10% | — |
| Additional Mathematics FSMQ | 3 | 4% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Brighouse High School | Calderdale | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 264 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 83 | 802 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 28.71 | 34.43 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 3% | 13% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| History | 22 | 27% | 13% |
| English Language | 18 | 22% | 4% |
| Psychology | 16 | 19% | 23% |
| Geography | 13 | 16% | 10% |
| Law | 13 | 16% | 4% |
| Mathematics | 11 | 13% | 31% |
| Textiles | 10 | 12% | 1% |
| Biology | 8 | 10% | 20% |
| Media Studies | 8 | 10% | 4% |
| Fine Art | 7 | 8% | 3% |
| Religious Studies | 6 | 7% | 4% |
| Chemistry | 6 | 7% | 17% |
| Politics | — | — | 6% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| English Literature | — | — | 11% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 55 | 66% | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 37 | 45% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 31 | 37% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 29 | 35% | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | 18 | 22% | — |
| Tourism | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 14 | 17% | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 13 | 16% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | 12 | 14% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 11 | 13% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 9 | 11% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 8% | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | 7 | 8% | — |
| Law / Legal Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | 6 | 7% | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Calderdale
Park Lane Academy
Academy sponsor led · 481 pupils
78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.9
Rastrick High School
Academy converter · 1,774 pupils
87% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.9
Ryburn Valley High School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,589 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.7
The Calder Learning Trust
Academy converter · 1,250 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.8
The Crossley Heath School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,179 pupils
97% stayed in education · Attainment 8 74.5
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.