Cleaswell Hill School, Choppington
Cleaswell Hill School is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in Choppington. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2022 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2017)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cleaswell Hill School in detail
Cleaswell Hill School in its own words
In its own words: "Over recent years, the school has continued to evolve as the needs of our pupils have become more complex and diverse. This has meant that we have had to think carefully about how we organise our school, adapt our environment and ensure that our curriculum remains ambitious, relevant and meaningful for every pupil. We are not a one-size-fits-all school."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Cleaswell Hill School are Gust Independent School (1.7 miles, Good); Rosewood Independent School (1.8 miles, Good); Howard House School (2.1 miles, Good, selective); and NCEA Castle School (2.3 miles, Good).
Gust Independent SchoolRosewood Independent SchoolHoward House SchoolNCEA Castle School
What parents say
33 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Cleaswell Hill School (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (97%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 19 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 42% to a further education college.
Who goes there
51% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Cleaswell Hill School has an education, health and care plan (261 of 261 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Cleaswell Hill School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ashington Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cleaswell Hill School (wb), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Cleaswell Hill School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Cleaswell Hill School issued 6 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from March 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its March 2017 inspection - up from Good.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
51.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Other +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
33 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Cleaswell Hill School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cleaswell Hill School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cleaswell Hill School is in Northumberland; for families living there:
Apply to Northumberland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
261 pupils
261 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Choppington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Choppington
Across Northumberland council
Places available
2,104
Applications
1,819
Got 1st preference
96.0%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Northumberland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
261
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Cleaswell Hill School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
261
Total Pupils
192
Boys
69
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
35
Teachers
7.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,606
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.6%
Overall absence
29.0%
Persistent absence
238
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Cleaswell Hill School
What are GCSE results like at Cleaswell Hill School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Cleaswell Hill School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 0.9. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Cleaswell Hill School's Ofsted rating?
Cleaswell Hill School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2017, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Cleaswell Hill School?
No fixed boundary. When Cleaswell Hill School is oversubscribed, Northumberland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Cleaswell Hill School?
Cleaswell Hill School has around 261 pupils on roll. 51% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Cleaswell Hill School have specialist SEN provision?
Cleaswell Hill School provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Cleaswell Hill School?
11.6% of sessions were missed at Cleaswell Hill School in 2024/25. 29% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cleaswell Hill School?
Apply through Northumberland's coordinated admissions process, naming Cleaswell Hill School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Cleaswell Hill School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Northumberland is 3 (the median across 175 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cleaswell Hill School?
Cleaswell Hill School is at School Avenue, Guide Post, Choppington, Northumberland, NE62 5DJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)