Rift House Primary School, Hartlepool
Rift House Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Hartlepool. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 30 schools in Hartlepool with published results, and 6,591st of 14,452 across England. It was 84% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hartlepool (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Rift House Primary School in detail
Rift House Primary School in its own words
In its own words: "At Rift House Primary School we are proud to be an inclusive, reflective and responsive school, where we work together to challenge, inspire and motivate all children, regardless of circumstance, to become successful, confident and caring citizens."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Rift House Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 79% in Hartlepool and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 74% in reading and 76% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Rift House Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Rift House Primary School as their first choice and 34 named it as one of their preferences, for 26 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Rift House Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Rift House Primary School are Kingsley Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 73% reading, 77% maths); Eldon Grove Academy (0.7 miles, Good, 83% reading, 81% maths); Eskdale Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 85% reading, 69% maths); and Rossmere Academy (0.8 miles, 71% reading, 66% maths).
Rift House Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Kingsley Primary SchoolEldon Grove AcademyEskdale AcademyRossmere Academy
Who goes there
53.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 56 pupils (22%) received SEN support and 2 (0.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hartlepool Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Community Building (a), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Rift House Primary School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Rift House Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Rift House Primary School are English Martyrs Catholic School and Sixth Form College (0.2 miles), Manor Community Academy (1.1 miles) and High Tunstall College of Science (1.1 miles).
English Martyrs Catholic School and Sixth Form CollegeManor Community AcademyHigh Tunstall College of Science
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Early years.
At a Glance
53.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 76% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.6
Avg class size
28.7
Infant (KS1)
26.0
KS2
9
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Rift House Primary School
Term dates
Rift House Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hartlepool. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rift House Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rift House Primary School is in Hartlepool; for families living there:
Apply to Hartlepool for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 10 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 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 Hartlepool is 11 (the median across 43 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
Your chances of a place at Rift House Primary School
Will you get a place at Rift House Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Rift House Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Rift House Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Rift House Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hartlepool, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Rift House Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hartlepool got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
84%
Available places
219 pupils
262 places
43 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hartlepool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hartlepool
Across Hartlepool council
Places available
1,246
Applications
979
Got 1st preference
98.3%
Got preferred school
99.6%
All primary applications across Hartlepool council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
56
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
22.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
254
Total Pupils
138
Boys
116
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
21.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,543
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,603
Per pupil
£1736k
Total funding
£218k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.6%
Overall absence
25.9%
Persistent absence
197
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Rift House Primary School
Questions parents ask about Rift House Primary School
What are SATs results like at Rift House Primary School?
Of the pupils at Rift House Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Rift House Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Rift House Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024.
What is the catchment area for Rift House Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Rift House Primary School is oversubscribed, Hartlepool allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Rift House Primary School?
Rift House Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 84% of its 262 places.
How big are the classes at Rift House Primary School?
Classes at Rift House Primary School average 24.6 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Rift House Primary School?
Rift House Primary School has around 254 pupils on roll. 54% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Rift House Primary School?
7.6% of sessions were missed at Rift House Primary School in 2024/25. 25.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Rift House Primary School?
Apply through Hartlepool's coordinated admissions process, naming Rift House Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Rift House Primary School's term dates?
Rift House Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hartlepool. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027).
How many road collisions happen near Rift House Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 10 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 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 Hartlepool is 11 (the median across 43 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Rift House Primary School?
Rift House Primary School is at Masefield Road, Hartlepool, Cleveland, TS25 4JY.
Sources: Hartlepool term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)