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Ryburn Valley High School

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth formCalderdale, Yorkshire and the Humber · Sowerby Bridge HX6 1DFTrust: Together Learning TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,589of 1,500 places
Free school meals
25.1%
Year 11 cohort 2025
278
Ofsted
School remains Good, 13 July 2022Read the Ofsted report

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Ryburn Valley High School (URN 107565, until 1 September 2014).

What the data says

Of the 262 pupils who finished Year 11 at Ryburn Valley High School in 2023, 41% stayed on in Ryburn Valley High School’s own sixth form (Calderdale average 30%), 24% went to a further education college and 8% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 134 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 42% went to university (Calderdale 33%, England 37%), and 10% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 28% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.

Apprenticeships are a real route from here: 8% of leavers started one, roughly twice the England figure of 3%.

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.

Ryburn Valley High School
Calderdale
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureRyburn Valley High SchoolCalderdaleEngland
Pupils in the cohort2622,826607,348
Any sustained destination91%92%92%
Stayed in education80%85%86%
— school sixth form41%30%34%
— sixth form college14%19%13%
— further education college24%34%37%
— other education1%2%2%
Apprenticeship8%5%3%
Employment4%2%3%
No sustained destination6%6%6%
Destination unknown3%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

Ryburn Valley High School
Calderdale
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureRyburn Valley High SchoolCalderdaleEngland
Students in the cohort1341,734541,441
Any sustained destination81%72%79%
University (higher education)42%33%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students10%15%19%
Further education6%5%5%
Apprenticeship6%9%7%
Employment26%23%28%
No sustained destination14%22%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureRyburn Valley High SchoolCalderdaleEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)48.748.746.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths56%51%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths75%70%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects13%33%41%
EBacc average point score3.954.204.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort27%27%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils38.638.334.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils52.452.650.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language4%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language277100%89%24%20%79%
Mathematics277100%88%20%22%79%
English Literature26395%86%26%21%79%
Combined Science22079%65%7%9%62%
History11842%41%20%26%55%
Geography8430%41%19%25%61%
Photography7828%6%35%19%91%
Physics4617%23%43%46%100%
Art and Design4617%7%24%24%89%
Chemistry4617%23%67%47%100%
Biology4617%23%48%45%100%
Physical Education4617%11%22%24%98%
French4215%18%19%29%81%
Religious Studies3814%31%13%32%66%
Spanish3011%19%30%27%80%
Computer Science259%13%12%30%68%
Film Studies238%1%30%20%96%
Statistics197%5%26%20%95%
Textiles155%2%40%27%100%
Drama104%7%30%27%80%
Polish10%1%84%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Tourism7494%
Small Business Management7291%
Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined)6582%
Health Studies5165%
Sports / Movement Science3443%
Music performance: Group2329%
Dance: General1823%
Hospitality / Catering Studies1823%
Computer Appreciation / Introduction1722%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureRyburn Valley High SchoolCalderdaleEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study212
— of whom A level students79802261,341
Average A level gradeC+C+B-
Average points per A level entry31.8634.4335.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsC+B-B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects3%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Biology2329%20%
Chemistry2127%17%
Computer Science1418%5%
Sociology1418%13%
Mathematics1215%31%
Art and Design1215%1%
English Literature1013%11%
Photography1013%3%
Psychology911%23%
English Language911%4%
Physics911%12%
History68%13%
Textiles1%
Business Studies13%
Product Design2%
Geography10%
Media Studies4%
Physical Education3%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Social ScienceVRQ Level 32127%
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 31722%
Computer Architecture / SystemsBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*1620%
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)1519%
PsychologyBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*1316%
Health StudiesBTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D*1215%
Business StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 31215%
Applied SciencesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*1013%
TourismBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*911%
Health StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*810%
Sports StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*68%
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
PhysicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
PsychologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Business StudiesOCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3
Speech and DramaVRQ Level 3
Music performance: GroupBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*
Applied SciencesBTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D)
BiologyGCE AS level (All)
ChemistryGCE AS level (All)
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (All)
PhysicsGCE AS level (All)
PsychologyGCE AS level (All)
BiologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
ChemistryGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)

Other secondary schools in Calderdale

Brighouse High School

Academy converter · sixth form · 1,317 pupils

81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.0

Lightcliffe Academy

Academy sponsor led · 788 pupils

82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.5

Park Lane Academy

Academy sponsor led · 481 pupils

78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.9

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.