Best Schools in Cleveland

How many schools are there in Cleveland?

Cleveland has 29 open schools: 15 state primary, 9 state secondary or all-through, 3 special and 2 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Cleveland are rated Outstanding?

6 schools in Cleveland were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Education Training Collective; Oakdene Primary Academy; The Horizon School, Hartlepool; North Shore Academy; Our Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy; and 1 more. Counting Good as well, 96% of the 25 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

The Education Training CollectiveOakdene Primary AcademyThe Horizon School, HartlepoolNorth Shore AcademyOur Lady & St. Bede Catholic Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Cleveland get the best GCSE results?

Of the 7 schools in Cleveland with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at All Saints Church of England Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.8 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Ingleby Manor Free School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.1 and 72% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Conyers School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.9 and 52% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

All Saints Church of England AcademyIngleby Manor Free SchoolConyers School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Cleveland have the best SATs results?

Of the 14 primary schools in Cleveland with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Oakdene Primary Academy (97% in reading, 94% in maths); The Avenue Primary School (84% in reading, 87% in maths); and Carlton and Faceby Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (100% in reading, 67% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Oakdene Primary AcademyThe Avenue Primary SchoolCarlton and Faceby Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Cleveland?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Cleveland selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Cleveland?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Middlesbrough published how far the last place offered went at this school: Pennyman Primary Academy, 0.35 miles for 2023 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Pennyman Primary Academy

Source: Middlesbrough admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Cleveland?

Apply to your council - Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough or Redcar and Cleveland, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.