The hardest schools to get into in Redcar and Cleveland
Secondary: 172 families put St Peter's Catholic College first in 2026 and 120 of them (70%) were offered a place.
Reception: 63 families put St Margaret Clitherows RC Primary School first in 2026 and 47 of them (75%) were offered a place.
Every state school in Redcar and Cleveland with at least 20 first-choice applicants, hardest first. Of the families who put the school first on their application, the share who were offered a place there. Data: Department for Education.
Secondary schools (Year 7)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Peter's Catholic College · Middlesbrough · faith | 172 | 120 (70%) | 123 |
| 2 | Sacred Heart Catholic Secondary · Redcar · faith | 167 | 145 (87%) | 146 |
| 3 | Huntcliff School · Saltburn By the Sea | 122 | 117 (96%) | 117 |
| 4 | Laurence Jackson School · Guisborough | 241 | 234 (97%) | 248 |
| 5 | Nunthorpe School & Sixth Form · Middlesbrough | 155 | 155 (100%) | 207 |
| 6 | Rye Hills Academy · Redcar | 153 | 153 (100%) | 159 |
| 7 | Outwood Academy Bydales · Redcar | 136 | 136 (100%) | 140 |
| 8 | Freebrough Academy · Saltburn-By-the-Sea | 135 | 135 (100%) | 145 |
| 9 | Outwood Academy Normanby · Middlesbrough | 122 | 122 (100%) | 141 |
| 10 | Outwood Academy Redcar · Redcar | 117 | 117 (100%) | 136 |
Primary schools (Reception)
| # | School | Put it first | Of them, offered | Places |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Margaret Clitherows RC Primary School · Middlesbrough · faith | 63 | 47 (75%) | 47 |
| 2 | Chaloner Primary School · Guisborough | 35 | 30 (86%) | 30 |
| 3 | Dormanstown Primary Academy · Redcar | 34 | 30 (88%) | 30 |
| 4 | Highcliffe Primary School · Guisborough | 32 | 29 (91%) | 30 |
| 5 | Nunthorpe Primary Academy · Middlesbrough | 32 | 29 (91%) | 29 |
| 6 | Galley Hill Primary School · Guisborough | 33 | 30 (91%) | 30 |
| 7 | Ings Farm Primary School · Redcar | 61 | 60 (98%) | 60 |
| 8 | Normanby Primary School · Middlesbrough | 63 | 63 (100%) | 64 |
| 9 | Skelton Primary School · Saltburn-by-the-Sea | 60 | 60 (100%) | 61 |
| 10 | Whale Hill Primary School · Middlesbrough | 59 | 59 (100%) | 62 |
| 11 | Belmont Primary School · Guisborough | 50 | 50 (100%) | 54 |
| 12 | Wheatlands Primary School · Redcar | 47 | 47 (100%) | 49 |
| 13 | St Benedict's Catholic Primary School · Redcar · faith | 45 | 45 (100%) | 45 |
| 14 | South Bank Community Primary School · Middlesbrough | 42 | 42 (100%) | 45 |
| 15 | Newcomen Primary School · Redcar | 42 | 42 (100%) | 45 |
| 16 | Teesville Academy · Middlesbrough | 36 | 36 (100%) | 40 |
| 17 | Grangetown Primary School · Middlesbrough | 36 | 36 (100%) | 38 |
| 18 | Westgarth Primary School · Redcar | 35 | 35 (100%) | 35 |
| 19 | Saltburn Primary School · Saltburn-by-the-Sea | 33 | 33 (100%) | 33 |
| 20 | St Peter's Church of England Primary School · Saltburn-by-the-Sea · faith | 32 | 32 (100%) | 34 |
| 21 | Coatham Church of England Primary School · Redcar · faith | 30 | 30 (100%) | 30 |
| 22 | St Bede's Catholic Primary School · Redcar · faith | 28 | 28 (100%) | 28 |
| 23 | Lakes Primary School · Redcar | 25 | 25 (100%) | 27 |
| 24 | Hummersea Primary School · Saltburn-by-the-Sea | 25 | 25 (100%) | 25 |
| 25 | Errington Primary School · Redcar | 25 | 25 (100%) | 25 |
| 26 | Bankfields Primary School · Middlesbrough | 24 | 24 (100%) | 26 |
| 27 | Green Gates Primary School · Redcar | 24 | 24 (100%) | 24 |
| 28 | New Marske Primary School · Redcar | 21 | 21 (100%) | 21 |
| 29 | Lockwood Primary School · Saltburn-by-the-Sea | 21 | 21 (100%) | 21 |
Getting into a school in Redcar and Cleveland
What is the hardest school to get into in Redcar and Cleveland?
For secondary places, 172 families put St Peter's Catholic College first in 2026 and 120 of them (70%) were offered a place. For Reception, 63 families put St Margaret Clitherows RC Primary School first and 47 of them (75%) were offered a place.
St Peter's Catholic CollegeSt Margaret Clitherows RC Primary School
How many families in Redcar and Cleveland get their first-choice school?
93.0% of families applying for a secondary place got their first preference, and 97.0% of those applying for Reception did (offers for September 2026).
Does putting a school first improve our chances?
Not at the other schools you name. Councils in England use an equal-preference system: every school you list is considered against its own admissions criteria, and if more than one could offer a place you get the one you ranked highest. So list schools in your genuine order of preference, and include at least one you are very likely to get.
What does "last distance offered" mean?
For schools that give places by distance, it is how far from the school the last child offered a place under that criterion lived. It changes every year with the number and location of applicants, so treat it as a guide, not a guarantee. We show it where Redcar and Cleveland published it in its admissions booklet.