The North Halifax Grammar School
Moorbottom Road, Illingworth, Halifax, HX2 9SU
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- THE NORTH HALIFAX GRAMMAR SCHOOL ACADEMY TRUST
- Principal
- Ms Alexander Kent
- Admissions policy
- Selective
- Constituency
- Halifax
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,250
- Pupils on roll
- 1,207
- URN
- 136788
- Local authority
- Calderdale
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01422244625
About this school
The North Halifax Grammar School is a secondary academy in Halifax. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 1,207 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
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 179 | 180 | 180 |
| Attainment 8 score | 67.9 | 68.4 | 68.5 |
| Progress 8 score | +0.13 -0.08 to +0.35 | +0.18 -0.03 to +0.39 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 93% | 93.3% | 91.1% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 100% | 98.9% | 98.9% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 67% | 61.1% | 55% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
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 The North Halifax Grammar 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 | Calderdale average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 67.9 | 39.7 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 68.4 | 39 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 68.5 | 37.3 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.2% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,245 |
| 2023/24 | 1,238 |
| 2024/25 | 1,199 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How The North Halifax Grammar School compares
The North Halifax Grammar School ranked 2nd of 11 secondary schools in Calderdale for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 97% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 66% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 68.5 | 4.8% | 6.4% | 1,207 | — |
| Trinity Academy Halifax | 44.5 | 6.4% | 37.6% | 1,624 | 0.3 miles |
| Trinity Academy Bradford | 43.9 | 6.3% | 27.3% | 914 | 1.6 miles |
| The Crossley Heath School | 74.5 | 4.6% | 11.6% | 1,179 | 3.0 miles |
| Trinity Academy Grammar | 46.3 | 9% | 54.5% | 968 | 3.1 miles |
| Beckfoot Thornton | 40.2 | 14.1% | 40% | 1,243 | 3.5 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 6.35%
- English as an additional language
- 5.6%
- Overall absence
- 4.76%
- Persistent absence
- 11.17%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Trinity Academy Halifax0.3 miles
Secondary · Halifax
-
Trinity Academy Bradford1.6 miles
Secondary · Bradford
-
The Crossley Heath School3.0 miles
Secondary · Halifax
-
Trinity Academy Grammar3.1 miles
Secondary · Sowerby Bridge
-
Beckfoot Thornton3.5 miles
Secondary · Bradford
Other schools in Halifax
The North Halifax Grammar School ranks 2nd of the 6 ranked secondary schools in Halifax.
- Lightcliffe Academy Secondary
- Park Lane Academy Secondary
- The Crossley Heath School Secondary
- Trinity Academy Halifax Secondary
- Abbey Park Academy Primary
- All Saints' CofE Primary School Primary
- Ash Green Community Primary School Primary
- Barkisland CofE VA Primary School Primary
- Beech Hill School Primary
- Bowling Green Academy Primary
- Bradshaw Primary School Primary
- Christ Church Pellon CofE VC Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does The North Halifax Grammar School teach?
- The North Halifax Grammar School teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Halifax.
- Who is the principal of The North Halifax Grammar School?
- The principal of The North Halifax Grammar School is Ms Alexander Kent, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was The North Halifax Grammar School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The North Halifax Grammar 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 The North Halifax Grammar School?
- The North Halifax Grammar School has 1,207 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
- Is The North Halifax Grammar School full?
- The North Halifax Grammar School has capacity for 1,250 pupils and 1,207 on roll (97%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The North Halifax Grammar School a faith school?
- No. The North Halifax Grammar School has no designated religious character.
- Is The North Halifax Grammar School a selective school?
- Yes. The North Halifax Grammar School is recorded as Selective in the schools register, so entry involves selection.
- Who runs The North Halifax Grammar School?
- The North Halifax Grammar School is part of THE NORTH HALIFAX GRAMMAR SCHOOL ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have The North Halifax Grammar School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 67.9 in 2022/23 and 68.5 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does The North Halifax Grammar School rank locally?
- The North Halifax Grammar School ranked 2nd of 11 secondary schools in Calderdale for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 97% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 66% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is The North Halifax Grammar School's absence rate?
- The North Halifax Grammar School's overall absence rate is 4.8% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are The North Halifax Grammar School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The North Halifax Grammar 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 1 July 2026.