Breckenbrough School
Sandhutton, Thirsk, YO7 4EN
- Phase
- Special schools
- School type
- Non-maintained special school
- Ages
- 9 to 19
- Gender
- Boys
- Headteacher
- Mr Simon Bannister
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- SEN provision
- ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Constituency
- Thirsk and Malton
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 70
- Pupils on roll
- 71
- URN
- 121765
- Local authority
- North Yorkshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01845587238
About this school
Breckenbrough School is a boys' special school in Thirsk. It teaches children aged 9 to 19 and has 71 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Attainment 8 score | 13.9 | 29.0 | 20.1 |
| Progress 8 score | -2.51 -3.56 to -1.46 | -1.51 -2.55 to -0.46 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 11% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 11% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 1.5 | 2.9 | 2.0 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Breckenbrough School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | North Yorkshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 13.9 | 41.9 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 29 | 41.8 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 20.1 | 40.4 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 17.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 14.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 11.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 66 |
| 2023/24 | 69 |
| 2024/25 | 72 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 17.86%
- English as an additional language
- 1.4%
- Overall absence
- 11.62%
- Persistent absence
- 30.51%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Darwin School4.1 miles
Independent schools · Thirsk
-
Queen Mary's School4.3 miles
Independent schools · Thirsk
-
The Dales School6.6 miles
Special schools · Northallerton
-
Cundall Manor School6.7 miles
Independent schools
-
Hambleton/Richmondshire Pupil Referral Service6.8 miles
Local authority maintained schools · Northallerton
Other schools in Thirsk
- Alanbrooke Academy Primary
- All Saints Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy Primary
- Carlton Miniott Primary Academy Primary
- Dishforth Airfield Community Primary School Primary
- Dishforth Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Primary
- Keeble Gateway Academy Primary
- Knayton Church of England Academy Primary
- Pickhill Church of England Primary School Primary
- Sessay Church of England Primary School Primary
- South Kilvington Church of England Academy Primary
- Sowerby Primary Academy Primary
- Thirsk Community Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Breckenbrough School teach?
- Breckenbrough School teaches children aged 9 to 19. It is a special school in Thirsk.
- Who is the headteacher of Breckenbrough School?
- The headteacher of Breckenbrough School is Mr Simon Bannister, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Breckenbrough School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Breckenbrough School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Breckenbrough School?
- Breckenbrough School has 71 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 9 to 19.
- Is Breckenbrough School full?
- Breckenbrough School has capacity for 70 pupils and 71 on roll (101%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Breckenbrough School a faith school?
- No. Breckenbrough School has no designated religious character.
- What SEN provision does Breckenbrough School have?
- The schools register lists Breckenbrough School's special educational needs provision as: ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder; SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
- How have Breckenbrough School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 13.9 in 2022/23 and 20.1 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What is Breckenbrough School's absence rate?
- Breckenbrough School's overall absence rate is 11.6% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Breckenbrough School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Breckenbrough School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.