Independent secondary school in Thirsk, North Yorkshire
Darwin School
Baldersby St James, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, YO7 4PT
Ofsted
Ofsted has not published an inspection outcome for this school.
This is usual for schools that have opened recently, and for most independent schools, which are inspected by ISI or another approved body rather than Ofsted.
Exam results
Independent schools are not comparable in the performance tables. Most enter pupils for international GCSEs, which are not approved qualifications for these measures, so any Attainment 8 figure would be calculated from a fraction of what pupils actually sit. We do not publish one rather than publish a misleading number.
Pupils
- Pupils on roll
- 9
- Places
- 24
- How full
- 38% full — 9 of 24 places taken, so places are likely to be available
- Girls / boys
- 3 / 6
The neighbourhood around the school
Census 2021 figures for Harrogate 003C, the statistical neighbourhood the school sits in — roughly 1,500 residents. It describes the area, not the pupils, who may travel in from further away.
- Adults with a degree
- 40%
- Adults with no qualifications
- 13%
- Households owning their home
- 67%
- Households in social housing
- 9%
- Households with no car
- 5%
- Adults economically inactive
- 36%
England 33.8%
England 18.3%
England 62.7%
England 17%
England 21.9%
England 39.9%
School details
- Type
- Other independent school
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- Ages 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Sixth form
- No
- Nursery
- No
- Boarding
- Day school
- Headteacher
- Headteacher: Carrie Fraser
- Local authority
- North Yorkshire
- Ward
- Wathvale & Bishop Monkton
- Constituency
- Skipton and Ripon
- URN
- 151618
The unique reference number used in all official school data.
Nearest secondary schools
| School | Ofsted | Attainment 8 | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Mary's SchoolOther independent school | No grade | — | 1.5 mi |
| Cundall Manor SchoolOther independent school | No grade | — | 4.2 mi |
| Thirsk School & Sixth Form CollegeCommunity school | No grade | 43.5 | 4.6 mi |
| Ripon Grammar SchoolCommunity school | Good 2023 | 70.9 | 5.1 mi |
| Outwood Academy RiponAcademy converter | Good 2024 | 46.6 | 5.2 mi |
| Boroughbridge High SchoolCommunity school | Requires improvement 2023 | 43 | 7 mi |
| Bedale High SchoolCommunity school | Requires improvement 2024 | 46.1 | 9 mi |
Where these figures come from
- School details, address and pupil numbers — Get Information About Schools, the DfE register, as at 14 August 2026.
- Exam results — DfE performance tables, 2024/25.
- Free school meals, EAL and SEN — school census, 2024/25.
- Ofsted — Ofsted management information, latest inspections as at 30 June 2026.
- Neighbourhood figures — ONS Census 2021, lower layer super output area.
All published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. If something here looks wrong, the school's own website is the authority on admissions and open days.