Arrow Vale High School
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 843 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.8
Academy converter
Christopher Whitehead Language College
- Pupils on roll
- 1,580of 1,525 places
- Free school meals
- 25.2%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 256
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 25 May 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Christopher Whitehead Language College (URN 116978, until 1 July 2011).
What the data says
Of the 247 pupils who finished Year 11 at Christopher Whitehead Language College in 2023, 35% stayed on in Christopher Whitehead Language College’s own sixth form (Worcestershire average 31%), 34% went to a further education college and 2% started an apprenticeship.
Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 36% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 43.8 against 46.1 across England and 44.2 in Worcestershire, with 42% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Among the 108 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 37% went to university (Worcestershire 34%, England 37%), and 19% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
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 Worcestershire and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | This school | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 247 | 6,012 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 90% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 85% | 87% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 35% | 31% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 14% | 17% | 13% |
| — further education college | 34% | 36% | 37% |
| — other education | 2% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 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 | This school | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 108 | 3,954 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 82% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 37% | 34% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 19% | 16% | 19% |
| Further education | 0% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 9% | 7% |
| Employment | 43% | 35% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 10% | 13% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | This school | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 43.8 | 44.2 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 42% | 41% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 63% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 63% | 41% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.11 | 3.92 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 23% | 22% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 32.0 | 30.8 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 47.3 | 48.0 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 10% | 10% | 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 | 248 | 97% | 88% | 13% | 22% | 70% |
| English Language | 247 | 96% | 89% | 16% | 20% | 68% |
| English Literature | 242 | 95% | 86% | 14% | 21% | 69% |
| Combined Science | 221 | 86% | 65% | 11% | 9% | 58% |
| History | 108 | 42% | 41% | 20% | 26% | 54% |
| Spanish | 93 | 36% | 19% | 16% | 27% | 70% |
| French | 89 | 35% | 18% | 11% | 29% | 73% |
| Geography | 73 | 29% | 41% | 33% | 25% | 78% |
| Business Studies | 72 | 28% | 18% | 19% | 20% | 60% |
| Religious Studies | 49 | 19% | 31% | 22% | 32% | 63% |
| Art and Design | 48 | 19% | 7% | 31% | 24% | 94% |
| Classical Civilisation | 47 | 18% | 1% | 6% | 40% | 51% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 42 | 16% | 8% | 14% | 21% | 55% |
| Design and Technology | 32 | 13% | 11% | 22% | 23% | 72% |
| Physical Education | 29 | 11% | 11% | 14% | 24% | 62% |
| Computer Science | 25 | 10% | 13% | 12% | 30% | 60% |
| Photography | 25 | 10% | 6% | 32% | 19% | 88% |
| Chinese | 25 | 10% | 1% | 80% | 75% | 100% |
| Physics | 24 | 9% | 23% | 25% | 46% | 79% |
| Chemistry | 24 | 9% | 23% | 21% | 47% | 92% |
| Biology | 24 | 9% | 23% | 29% | 45% | 92% |
| Graphic Communication | 13 | 5% | 1% | 15% | 23% | 77% |
| Dance | 10 | 4% | 1% | 40% | 27% | 100% |
| Polish | 5 | 2% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Russian | 3 | 1% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Studies | 33 | 36% | — |
| Music performance: Group | 21 | 23% | — |
| Sports / Movement Science | 18 | 20% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 13 | 14% | — |
| Beauty Care / Services | 12 | 13% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | This school | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 250 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 91 | 2,307 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 33.93 | 32.00 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 16% | 12% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 22 | 24% | 20% |
| Psychology | 22 | 24% | 23% |
| English Literature | 16 | 18% | 11% |
| Business Studies | 13 | 14% | 13% |
| Physical Education | 12 | 13% | 3% |
| Religious Studies | 12 | 13% | 4% |
| Classical Civilisation | 12 | 13% | 1% |
| History | 11 | 12% | 13% |
| Mathematics | 11 | 12% | 31% |
| Geography | 10 | 11% | 10% |
| Film Studies | 9 | 10% | 2% |
| Politics | 9 | 10% | 6% |
| Computer Science | 8 | 9% | 5% |
| Graphic Communication | 7 | 8% | 2% |
| English Language and Literature | 7 | 8% | 2% |
| Sociology | 7 | 8% | 13% |
| Environmental Science | 6 | 7% | 1% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Dance | — | — | 0% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 30 | 33% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 15 | 16% | — |
| Psychology | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 11 | 12% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 9% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 7% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
| Music performance: Group | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Diploma L3 - Band N - PPP-D*D*D* | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Hairdressing Services | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Worcestershire
Baxter College
Academy converter · sixth form · 766 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.6
Bishop Perowne CofE College
Academy converter · 1,155 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.3
Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College
Voluntary aided school · 1,036 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.1
Droitwich Spa High School and Sixth Form Centre
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,290 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.1
Dyson Perrins CofE Academy
Academy converter · 592 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.8
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.