Aston Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,366 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.2
Academy converter
Wales High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,783of 1,867 places
- Free school meals
- 24.7%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 315
- Ofsted
- School remains Good, 11 October 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Wales High School (URN 106961, until 1 October 2010).
What the data says
Of the 330 pupils who finished Year 11 at Wales High School in 2023, 33% stayed on in Wales High School’s own sixth form (Rotherham average 24%), 37% went to a further education college and 7% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 116 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 35% went to university (Rotherham 29%, England 37%), and 18% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally; 13% started an apprenticeship, well above the 7% England average.
Spanish is unusually popular at GCSE: 35% of the year group took it, against 19% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were in line with the national picture: Attainment 8 of 45.3 against 46.1 across England and 41.8 in Rotherham, with 41% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Rotherham and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Wales High School | Rotherham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 330 | 3,387 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 89% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 81% | 80% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 33% | 24% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 10% | 18% | 13% |
| — further education college | 37% | 35% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 5% | 3% |
| Employment | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 6% | 8% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Wales High School | Rotherham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 116 | 2,846 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 86% | 76% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 35% | 29% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 18% | 12% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 13% | 10% | 7% |
| Employment | 34% | 31% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 11% | 19% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Wales High School | Rotherham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 45.3 | 41.8 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 41% | 39% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 66% | 58% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 45% | 29% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.09 | 3.56 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 24% | 32% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 34.1 | 30.5 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 48.9 | 47.1 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 2% | 11% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 313 | 99% | 89% | 15% | 20% | 65% |
| Mathematics | 313 | 99% | 88% | 19% | 22% | 76% |
| English Literature | 306 | 97% | 86% | 14% | 21% | 66% |
| Combined Science | 271 | 86% | 65% | 10% | 9% | 59% |
| Geography | 170 | 54% | 41% | 17% | 25% | 58% |
| History | 115 | 37% | 41% | 22% | 26% | 60% |
| Spanish | 110 | 35% | 19% | 21% | 27% | 64% |
| French | 66 | 21% | 18% | 26% | 29% | 70% |
| Business Studies | 53 | 17% | 18% | 11% | 20% | 62% |
| Design and Technology | 46 | 15% | 11% | 9% | 23% | 59% |
| Art and Design | 42 | 13% | 7% | 29% | 24% | 83% |
| Physics | 41 | 13% | 23% | 24% | 46% | 71% |
| Biology | 41 | 13% | 23% | 24% | 45% | 73% |
| Applied Engineering | 39 | 12% | 0% | 3% | 18% | 38% |
| Religious Studies | 35 | 11% | 31% | 29% | 32% | 77% |
| Chemistry | 34 | 11% | 23% | 44% | 47% | 85% |
| Computer Science | 29 | 9% | 13% | 21% | 30% | 72% |
| Photography | 22 | 7% | 6% | 9% | 19% | 91% |
| Physical Education | 19 | 6% | 11% | 16% | 24% | 84% |
| Music | 17 | 5% | 5% | 47% | 33% | 82% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 16 | 5% | 8% | 19% | 21% | 81% |
| Drama | 14 | 4% | 7% | 7% | 27% | 79% |
| Statistics | 14 | 4% | 5% | 43% | 20% | 100% |
| Polish | 3 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Modern Greek | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 33% | — |
| Fine Art | 1 | 0% | 9% | — | 28% | — |
| Citizenship Studies | 1 | 0% | 3% | — | 19% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined) | 62 | 69% | — |
| Sports Studies | 50 | 56% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 42 | 47% | — |
| Health Studies | 39 | 43% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 35 | 39% | — |
| Dance: General | 32 | 36% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 16 | 18% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Wales High School | Rotherham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 247 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 90 | 1,031 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 33.54 | 32.94 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 18% | 13% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology | 24 | 27% | 23% |
| Law | 19 | 21% | 4% |
| Business Studies | 19 | 21% | 13% |
| History | 17 | 19% | 13% |
| Mathematics | 16 | 18% | 31% |
| Film Studies | 11 | 12% | 2% |
| English Literature | 11 | 12% | 11% |
| Economics | 10 | 11% | 13% |
| Physics | 9 | 10% | 12% |
| Geography | 8 | 9% | 10% |
| Accounting/Finance | 8 | 9% | 1% |
| Further Mathematics | 7 | 8% | 5% |
| Biology | 6 | 7% | 20% |
| Sociology | 6 | 7% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 6 | 7% | 17% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | 2% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Geology | — | — | 0% |
| Politics | — | — | 6% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
| Physical Education | — | — | 3% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 21 | 23% | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | 14 | 16% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 10 | 11% | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | 9 | 10% | — |
| Childcare Skills | VRQ Level 3 | 8 | 9% | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 7 | 8% | — |
| Engineering Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 8% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | 7 | 8% | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma at Level 3 | 6 | 7% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | 6 | 7% | — |
| Finance / Accounting (General) | VRQ Level 3 | 6 | 7% | — |
| Fine Art | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | VRQ Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Fine Art | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Foundation Diploma L3 - Band H - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Applied Sciences | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Engineering Studies | BTEC National Diploma L3 - Band J - PP-D*D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Rotherham
Brinsworth Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,389 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.5
Clifton Community School
Academy sponsor led · 1,146 pupils
66% stayed in education · Attainment 8 29.4
Maltby Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,096 pupils
76% stayed in education · Attainment 8 42.0
Oakwood High School
Academy converter · 1,067 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.5
Rawmarsh Community School
Academy sponsor led · 1,067 pupils
75% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.8
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.