Bedale High School celebrates record GCSE results

Three-quarters of students (75.2 per cent) achieved grade 4 or above in both English and mathematics, while 52.4 per cent secured strong passes at grade 5 or above. The school’s Attainment 8 score also rose to a record 47.8.

The scale of improvement has been hailed as “particularly striking” in the proportion achieving strong passes in English and mathematics. This has risen from 30.7 per cent in 2024 to 39.6 per cent in 2025 and 52.4 per cent in 2026, an increase of almost 22 percentage points in two years.

Mathematics outcomes improved substantially, with 82.9 per cent of students achieving grade 4 or above and 61.9 per cent achieving grade 5 or above. In English, 81 per cent secured at least a grade 4 and 67.6 per cent achieved grade 5 or above.

Bedale High School headteacher Chris Stokes said: “The day belongs to our students. Behind every one of these results is a young person who has worked incredibly hard, shown resilience and earned the right to feel immensely proud.

“This is our second consecutive year of record-breaking GCSE outcomes. More than half of our students have now secured strong passes in both English and mathematics, while three-quarters achieved grade 4 or above in both subjects. The improvement since 2024 has been remarkable.

“However, these outcomes matter because of what they mean for our young people, not simply because they look impressive in a performance table. Every qualification gives a student greater choice over what they do next. That is what we mean by securing every child the gift of choice.”

The results continue a sustained upward trend at Bedale High School:

• Attainment 8 has risen from 42.00 in 2024 to 47.76 in 2026.
• The proportion of students achieving grade 5 or above in English and mathematics has increased from 30.7 per cent to 52.4 per cent.
• The proportion of students achieving grade 4 or above in English and mathematics has increased from 59.4 per cent to 75.2 per cent.
• Mathematics outcomes at grade 5 or above rose by 17.3 percentage points in the past year alone.
• More than one in five students achieved grade 7 or above in mathematics.

The school’s outcomes are now above the latest published national figures across each of the headline measures.

Mr Stokes added: “Bedale High School has changed enormously, and that transformation is now secure. Families can choose Bedale knowing their children will attend a successful and ambitious school where they will be known, supported and challenged to achieve their very best.

“I would like to thank our outstanding staff for their expertise and commitment, our parents and carers for their support, and, most importantly, the Class of 2026. We are incredibly proud of them and excited to see what they achieve next.”

The academic improvements have been accompanied by more than £750,000 of investment in the school’s facilities, curriculum and learning environment, alongside strengthened expectations for teaching, behaviour and attendance.

Students will now progress to sixth-form study, college courses, apprenticeships and employment, equipped with the qualifications and confidence needed to take their next steps.