Best Schools in Redcar and Cleveland

How many schools are there in Redcar and Cleveland?

Redcar and Cleveland has 66 open schools: 44 state primary, 11 state secondary or all-through, 3 independent, 7 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Redcar and Cleveland are rated Outstanding?

9 schools in Redcar and Cleveland were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: St Mary's Catholic Primary School; Freebrough Academy; Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy; Outwood Academy Bydales; Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy; and 4 more. Counting Good as well, 95% of the 59 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.

St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolFreebrough AcademyKilton Thorpe Specialist AcademyOutwood Academy BydalesSaint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Redcar and Cleveland get the best GCSE results?

Of the 12 schools in Redcar and Cleveland with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Rye Hills Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.2 and 55% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Outwood Academy Bydales, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.4 and 63% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Huntcliff School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.7 and 53% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Rye Hills AcademyOutwood Academy BydalesHuntcliff School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Redcar and Cleveland have the best SATs results?

Of the 43 primary schools in Redcar and Cleveland with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Newcomen Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Badger Hill Academy (96% in reading, 96% in maths); and Whale Hill Primary School (93% in reading, 94% 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.

Newcomen Primary SchoolBadger Hill AcademyWhale Hill Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Redcar and Cleveland?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Redcar and Cleveland have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Redcar and Cleveland have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Redcar and Cleveland allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Redcar and Cleveland?

Apply to Redcar and Cleveland 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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.