Mackenzie Thorpe Centre, South Bank
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 19 in South Bank. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Mackenzie Thorpe Centre are Mo Mowlam Academy (1 mile, Good); Priory Woods School (1.2 miles, Outstanding); River Tees Academy Grangetown (1.8 miles); and Hollis Academy (2.9 miles, Good).
Mo Mowlam AcademyPriory Woods SchoolRiver Tees Academy GrangetownHollis Academy
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Mackenzie Thorpe Centre has an education, health and care plan (38 of 38 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is South Bank Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Peter's Catholic Voluntary Academy (a), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Mackenzie Thorpe Centre stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 402 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Redcar and Cleveland (174), as is usual near a town centre.
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 April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The school excels at understanding each pupil as an individual and creating learning that meets their specific needs. Staff are highly trained in supporting pupils with autism and use expert strategies to help them manage their behaviour and emotions. The school prepares pupils well for life after school, teaching practical life skills alongside academic learning to build their independence.
Key Strengths
- Staff create trusting relationships with pupils that help them feel calm and focused on learning -
- Personalised curriculum is tailored to each pupil's specific needs and prior knowledge -
- Strong focus on developing reading, communication and life skills to prepare pupils for independence -
- Excellent behaviour management strategies that have reduced incidents of poor behaviour over time -
- Pupils' attendance is rising and above that of similar schools
Areas for Improvement
- Phonics scheme is not taught consistently - pupils are sometimes introduced to mixed reading strategies which slows their progress -
- Lesson activities sometimes don't emphasise the most important knowledge pupils need to learn
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and demonstrate a strong commitment to keeping pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Chess club, travel training, school council, talent show, learning in local community
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre is an independent special school for pupils with autism, rated Good overall. The school creates personalised curricula for each pupil and helps them develop strong relationships with staff who support their learning and wellbeing.
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 Mackenzie Thorpe Centre
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 17
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 11 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
6 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 Redcar and Cleveland is 8 (the median across 66 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
84%
Available places
38 pupils
45 places
7 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - South Bank
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for South Bank
Across Redcar and Cleveland council
Places available
1,672
Applications
1,452
Got 1st preference
93.0%
Got preferred school
97.5%
All secondary applications across Redcar and Cleveland council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
38
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre 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
33
Boys
5
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Mackenzie Thorpe Centre
What is Mackenzie Thorpe Centre's Ofsted rating?
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2025.
Does Mackenzie Thorpe Centre meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in April 2025, Mackenzie Thorpe Centre met all the independent school standards.
How many pupils go to Mackenzie Thorpe Centre?
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre has around 38 pupils on roll.
Does Mackenzie Thorpe Centre have specialist SEN provision?
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Mackenzie Thorpe Centre?
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre 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 Mackenzie Thorpe Centre?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 17 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 11 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 6 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 Redcar and Cleveland is 8 (the median across 66 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Mackenzie Thorpe Centre?
Mackenzie Thorpe Centre is at Beech Grove, South Bank, South Bank, TS6 6SU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)