Thirsk School has nearly 1,200 pupils, including about 200 in the sixth form.
The headteacher is Emma Lambden who took over in 2018 from the former head, Stuart Mason, when he left to take up a senior post in Norfolk.
School performance
In 2012 an Ofsted inspection rated Thirsk School as Grade 2 (good) for all areas and overall effectiveness.[2]
As of 2021, the school's most recent inspection was in 2017, with a judgement of Good.[3]
In 2019, the proportion of pupils entering the English Baccalaureate was 67%, considerably above the average for North Yorkshire and England.[4] The proportion achieving Grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs was 38%, considerably below the average for North Yorkshire and for England.[4] The Attainment 8 score was in line with the average for North Yorkshire and for England.[4]
The average A Level grade in 2019 was C, compared to an average of C+ in North Yorkshire and England.[5] The A Level progress score was below average.[5]
Extracurricular activities
School extracurricular activities include music, sport and, drama. The school has its own newspaper, The Falcon. Under the previous name of T.S. Times, the school paper was named the best secondary school newspaper in the country, in a competition run by First News.[6]