Rossett School and Harrogate Grammar

[JerseyLeah]

We're on the brink of deciding whether to move up from Jersey to Harrogate and have seen a house which has Rossett School (secondary) as its catchment school. The OFSTED rating in 2019 was "requires improvement" but I wondered if anyone had any up to date experiences/ knowledge of how this school performs today? We were keen on Harrogate Grammar as a secondary as heard good things but wondered if Rossett was as good now. We have two girls aged 4 and 8 so this is more relevant for the elder one in 3 years' time!

Harrogate doesn't have a catchment system for schools ; distance from the school is used. (I'm ignoring the church schools which have additional criteria).

Look at the North Yorkshire Council site to see the furthest distance admitted in recent years. You can use that information to work out where would be best to buy to give you a choice.

By the time you will be applying for your children both schools could have changed significantly.

Whilst everyone feels sympathy for Rossett due to the rubbish timing of their OFSTED it has had an awful impact on them, and numbers are dwindling across the school, they made some teachers redundant this year.
Even without that you would never not get a place at Rossett as for at least the last 30 years they have bused kids in from Leeds to fill their spots.
So having said that I would push the boat out to but a house in catchment for HGS, and that then gives you the choice further down the line

Harrogate secondary school "catchment" areas are complicated and there's no guarantee they won't change in the next few years, although not that likely. If you want a house in town the closer you are to a school the better. Some years I think non siblings have needed to be within a mile or so of HGS to get in.

There is also a "country" area and the closer you are to the border of country/town the greater the chance of getting your preferred school. There's a map on the north York's website- it's not obvious what is country/town.

Rossett isn't considered all that great academically compared to HGS. It's previously had a better reputation for pastoral care but that may have changed.

If you don't want to go to church weekly from aged 8 to get to St Aidans, living near HGS or near the country/town border is probably your best bet.

Schools do change but Rossett has been considered second to HGS (but above H'gate High/Granby) for more than 30 years so unlikely to change in your time scale.