Hopefields Education CiC, Middlesbrough
Hopefields Education CiC is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Middlesbrough. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hopefields Education CiC in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Hopefields Education CiC are Fulcrum Education (1.5 miles); Transitions College (2.2 miles); King Edwin School (2.4 miles, Good); and Hollis Academy (2.6 miles, Good).
Fulcrum EducationTransitions CollegeKing Edwin SchoolHollis Academy
Who goes there
In 2026, 3 pupils (7.9%) received SEN support and 35 (92.1%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Middlesbrough Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Eggleston Court (b), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hopefields Education CiC stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Independent school standards
Met all the independent school standards.
- Part 1: quality of educationMet
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyMet
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationMet
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementMet
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Hopefields Education CiC demonstrates a strong commitment to pupil safety and wellbeing through comprehensive safeguarding policies and regular staff training. The school maintains well-organised, spacious premises with good facilities and conducts thorough risk assessments for all activities. Leadership is particularly effective, with the proprietor showing clear understanding of school standards and using external support to ensure the school operates to high standards.
Key Strengths
- Comprehensive safeguarding training and policies in place, with external agency support including annual audits
- Well-maintained premises with spacious classrooms, adequate facilities, and robust health and safety procedures
- Strong leadership with secure understanding of independent school standards and effective monitoring systems
- Rigorous staff recruitment procedures including pre-employment checks and telephone verification of references
- Effective risk assessments for educational visits and individual pupils where necessary
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has comprehensive training for all staff, detailed policies published on the website, and commissions external agencies including annual audits to ensure a robust safeguarding culture.
Hopefields Education CiC is an independent special school for pupils aged 11-16 with social, emotional and mental health needs. The inspection found that the school is likely to meet all independent school standards relevant to its proposed material change to increase pupil numbers from 35 to 40.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Hopefields Education CiC
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 0 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Middlesbrough is 14 (the median across 64 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
95%
Near capacity
38 pupils
40 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Middlesbrough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Middlesbrough
Across Middlesbrough council
Places available
1,884
Applications
1,913
Got 1st preference
84.3%
Got preferred school
96.3%
All secondary applications across Middlesbrough council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
35
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Hopefields Education CiC is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
38
Total Pupils
16
Boys
22
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Hopefields Education CiC
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Hopefields Education CiC
What are GCSE results like at Hopefields Education CiC?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Hopefields Education CiC can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
What is Hopefields Education CiC's Ofsted rating?
Hopefields Education CiC's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2023, it was rated Good.
Does Hopefields Education CiC meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in July 2023, Hopefields Education CiC met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Hopefields Education CiC?
Hopefields Education CiC has around 38 pupils on roll.
Does Hopefields Education CiC have specialist SEN provision?
Hopefields Education CiC is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Hopefields Education CiC?
Hopefields Education CiC is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Hopefields Education CiC?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 0 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Middlesbrough is 14 (the median across 64 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hopefields Education CiC?
Hopefields Education CiC is at Hopefields School, 16 High Force Road, Middlesbrough, TS2 1RH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)