Whale Hill Primary School, Middlesbrough

Good
Primary
Academy converter
Mixed
Ages 311

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~513m)Possible (~733m)Unlikely (~953m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Headteacher Sandra Marsden
Pupils:461 / 530 capacity
LA:Redcar and Cleveland
Phone:01642454339
Address:Sandsend Road, Eston, Middlesbrough, TS6 8AD
Trust:STEEL RIVER ACADEMY TRUST
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2019

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 8 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Strong Standard
Behaviour
Strong Standard
Personal Development
Strong Standard
Leadership
Strong Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 20 January 2026View full report
URN:147393
UKPRN:10084206
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Redcar
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Whale Hill is built on love and inclusion, where every child is known and cared for by staff. Pupils achieve significantly above national averages despite starting points, with particularly strong outcomes for disadvantaged children. The school combines ambitious academics with exceptional support for pupils' wellbeing, social and emotional development, preparing them exceptionally well for life beyond school.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve well across the curriculum with disadvantaged pupils outperforming national peers by end of Year 6
  • High attendance rates consistently above national figures, with calm and purposeful classrooms
  • Broad, ambitious curriculum with strong focus on vocabulary development and subject knowledge
  • Inclusive school with quick identification of needs and timely, appropriate support for all pupils
  • Inspirational leadership that goes above and beyond to support pupils and families both in and beyond school

Areas for Improvement

  • Some inconsistency in how well staff in early years interact with children to move their language and learning on

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - the school has established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and acted upon, and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Instrument lessons (clarinet, flute, cornet, trombone), clubs, educational trips, Year 6 musical, community singing for elderly, litter picks, eco-shop work, school bank activities

Whale Hill Primary School is an exceptionally well-led inclusive primary school where pupils achieve consistently well over time, with disadvantaged pupils outperforming their non-disadvantaged peers nationally by the end of Year 6.

At a Glance

50.0%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

Yes

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+7ppMaths+4ppWriting+1pp

Reading has improved from 86% to 93%. Maths has improved from 90% to 94%. Writing has remained stable at around 87%.

Class Sizes

27.1

Avg class size

27.0

Infant (KS1)

26.8

KS2

12

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Rudland Walk (A)
117m · 2 min walk
Clynes Road (B)
151m · 2 min walk
Rydal Avenue (A)
232m · 4 min walk
Whale Hill Shops (A)
273m · 4 min walk
Churchill Road (S bound)
373m · 6 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

87%

Available places

461 pupils

530 capacity

69 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Middlesbrough

High pressure
New homes approved:2,993
Projected new pupils:748

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Middlesbrough

Admissions Demand - Redcar and Cleveland

Low demand0.68x oversubscription

Places available

1,765

Applications

1,209

Got 1st preference

98.3%

Got preferred school

99.5%

Primary admissions across Redcar and Cleveland (2025/26)

Inspection History(4)

20 January 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
19 October 2021
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsGood
7 September 2019

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.75528%

Overall absence

11.29477%

Persistent absence

363

Enrolments

Authorised2.54183%
Unauthorised2.21345%
Persistent (10%+)11.29477%
Severe (50%+)0.82645%

Absence trend

2.4003%
20/21
5.67636%
21/22
5.32127%
22/23
5.43679%
23/24
4.75528%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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