Arrow Vale High School
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 843 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.8
Academy converter
Hanley Castle High School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,142of 1,009 places
- Free school meals
- 17.0%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 170
- Ofsted
- Good, 22 March 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Hanley Castle High School (URN 116981, until 1 August 2011).
What the data says
Of the 167 pupils who finished Year 11 at Hanley Castle High School in 2023, 51% stayed on in Hanley Castle High School’s own sixth form (Worcestershire average 31%), 27% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 114 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 46% went to university (Worcestershire 34%, England 37%), and 31% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
German is unusually popular at GCSE: 29% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were in line with the national picture: Attainment 8 of 47.8 against 46.1 across England and 44.2 in Worcestershire, with 48% 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 Worcestershire and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Hanley Castle High School | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 167 | 6,012 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 93% | 93% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 86% | 87% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 51% | 31% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 7% | 17% | 13% |
| — further education college | 27% | 36% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 2% | 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 | Hanley Castle High School | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 114 | 3,954 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 89% | 82% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 46% | 34% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 31% | 16% | 19% |
| Further education | 3% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 7% | 9% | 7% |
| Employment | 33% | 35% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 5% | 13% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Hanley Castle High School | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 47.8 | 44.2 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 48% | 41% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 72% | 63% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 49% | 41% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.35 | 3.92 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 15% | 22% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 38.6 | 30.8 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 49.4 | 48.0 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 2% | 10% | 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 | 165 | 97% | 89% | 20% | 20% | 79% |
| Mathematics | 165 | 97% | 88% | 18% | 22% | 80% |
| English Literature | 162 | 95% | 86% | 14% | 21% | 78% |
| Combined Science | 108 | 64% | 65% | 15% | 9% | 74% |
| History | 96 | 56% | 41% | 24% | 26% | 59% |
| Business Studies | 86 | 51% | 18% | 22% | 20% | 81% |
| Geography | 78 | 46% | 41% | 24% | 25% | 76% |
| Physical Education | 59 | 35% | 11% | 14% | 24% | 81% |
| Fine Art | 56 | 33% | 9% | 4% | 28% | 63% |
| Biology | 54 | 32% | 23% | 37% | 45% | 89% |
| Chemistry | 53 | 31% | 23% | 34% | 47% | 81% |
| Physics | 52 | 31% | 23% | 37% | 46% | 79% |
| German | 50 | 29% | 5% | 24% | 33% | 82% |
| Design and Technology | 47 | 28% | 11% | 2% | 23% | 28% |
| French | 40 | 24% | 18% | 28% | 29% | 78% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 28 | 16% | 8% | 32% | 21% | 89% |
| Drama | 25 | 15% | 7% | 28% | 27% | 88% |
| Music | 17 | 10% | 5% | 29% | 33% | 94% |
| Computer Science | 17 | 10% | 13% | 12% | 30% | 65% |
| Religious Studies | 9 | 5% | 31% | 33% | 32% | 100% |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 37 | 40% | — |
| Sports Studies | 25 | 27% | — |
| Small Business Management | 19 | 20% | — |
| Music Technology (Electronic) | 18 | 19% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Hanley Castle High School | Worcestershire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 192 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 93 | 2,307 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 36.04 | 32.00 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B- | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 11% | 12% | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | 37 | 40% | 13% |
| Mathematics | 26 | 28% | 31% |
| History | 20 | 22% | 13% |
| Politics | 18 | 19% | 6% |
| Economics | 16 | 17% | 13% |
| Psychology | 16 | 17% | 23% |
| Biology | 15 | 16% | 20% |
| English Language | 15 | 16% | 4% |
| Fine Art | 12 | 13% | 3% |
| Physics | 12 | 13% | 12% |
| Chemistry | 10 | 11% | 17% |
| English Literature | 10 | 11% | 11% |
| Film Studies | 10 | 11% | 2% |
| Geography | 8 | 9% | 10% |
| Physical Education | 6 | 6% | 3% |
| Computer Science | 6 | 6% | 5% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Ancient History | — | — | 0% |
| Drama | — | — | 2% |
| Product Design | — | — | 2% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Music | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tourism | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 16 | 17% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 11 | 12% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 10 | 11% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 10 | 11% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 8% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Computer Architecture / Systems | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Sound Recording | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Worcestershire
Baxter College
Academy converter · sixth form · 766 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 36.6
Bishop Perowne CofE College
Academy converter · 1,155 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 40.3
Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College
Voluntary aided school · 1,036 pupils
90% stayed in education · Attainment 8 53.1
Christopher Whitehead Language College
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,580 pupils
85% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.8
Droitwich Spa High School and Sixth Form Centre
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,290 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.1
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.