Whitecliffe Academy, Saltburn-By-The-Sea
Whitecliffe Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Saltburn-By-The-Sea, part of Northern Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 11 schools in Saltburn-By-The-Sea with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was 54% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Redcar and Cleveland (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Whitecliffe Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Whitecliffe Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 73% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 78% in Redcar and Cleveland and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 83% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Whitecliffe Academy
For September 2026 entry, 6 families put Whitecliffe Academy as their first choice, for 6 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Whitecliffe Academy are Hummersea Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 53% reading, 70% maths); Handale Primary School (0.7 miles, 93% reading, 86% maths); Saint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy (1.1 miles, Outstanding, 86% reading, 91% maths); and Badger Hill Academy (1.1 miles, Good, 96% reading, 96% maths).
Whitecliffe Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
Hummersea Primary SchoolHandale Primary SchoolSaint Joseph's Catholic Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary AcademyBadger Hill Academy
The trust
Whitecliffe Academy is one of 30 schools run by Northern Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
41.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 30 pupils (33%) received SEN support and 1 (1.1%) 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.
Staffing
Whitecliffe Academy had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Saltburn Rail Station, about 3.1 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is War Memorial (b), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Whitecliffe Academy 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 70 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Redcar and Cleveland (174).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Whitecliffe Academy issued 11 suspensions, 11.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2011, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Whitecliffe Academy creates a warm, supportive environment where children are motivated to do their best and celebrate each other's successes. The school prioritises reading and ensures pupils who need extra help catch up quickly. From the early years onwards, children benefit from a well-planned curriculum with plenty of outdoor learning and practical activities that help them develop independence and curiosity.
Key Strengths
- Excellent pupil behaviour and positive attitudes to learning, with a culture of celebrating achievements
- Strong focus on reading - pupils learn to read quickly and fluently with effective catch-up support
- Well-designed curriculum that meets the needs of mixed-age classes, with regular checks on pupil understanding
- Spacious early years provision with daily outdoor learning opportunities
- Strong partnerships with parents and external agencies for identifying and supporting pupils with SEND
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils with SEND receive tasks that are not well adapted to their needs, making them too reliant on adult support and limiting their independence
- Staff do not consistently check pupils' knowledge and understanding of different religions, meaning gaps in knowledge are sometimes missed
- Need for more precise adaptive teaching strategies in lessons to support pupils with SEND
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with clear systems and commitment from leaders and the trust to keeping pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Extra-curricular activities, leadership opportunities, community initiatives, Find out Friday safety sessions, breakfast club, after-school club
Whitecliffe Academy is an aspirational and nurturing school where pupils flourish, with a strong culture of praise and recognition. The school has maintained good standards and continues to prioritise high achievement for all pupils.
At a Glance
41.8%
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 80% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 83% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 83% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
17.7
Avg class size
9.0
Infant (KS1)
22.0
KS2
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Whitecliffe Academy
Before and after school care
Whitecliffe Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Redcar and Cleveland
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Whitecliffe Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whitecliffe Academy is in Redcar and Cleveland; for families living there:
Apply to Redcar and Cleveland for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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 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
Your chances of a place at Whitecliffe Academy
Will you get a place at Whitecliffe Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Whitecliffe Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Whitecliffe Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Whitecliffe Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Redcar and Cleveland, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Whitecliffe Academy for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Redcar and Cleveland 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
54%
Available places
75 pupils
140 places
65 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Saltburn-By-The-Sea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Saltburn-By-The-Sea
Across Redcar and Cleveland council
Places available
1,733
Applications
1,345
Got 1st preference
97.0%
Got preferred school
98.0%
All primary applications across Redcar and Cleveland council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
34.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
91
Total Pupils
44
Boys
47
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
18.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£69,626
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,321
Per pupil
£663k
Total funding
£62k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
14.1%
Persistent absence
71
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
Whitecliffe Academy
Questions parents ask about Whitecliffe Academy
What are SATs results like at Whitecliffe Academy?
Of the pupils at Whitecliffe Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 80% reached the expected standard in reading and 73% did so in maths.
What is Whitecliffe Academy's Ofsted rating?
Whitecliffe Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Whitecliffe Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Whitecliffe Academy is oversubscribed, Redcar and Cleveland allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Whitecliffe Academy?
Whitecliffe Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 54% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at Whitecliffe Academy?
Classes at Whitecliffe Academy average 17.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Whitecliffe Academy?
Whitecliffe Academy has around 91 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Whitecliffe Academy?
5% of sessions were missed at Whitecliffe Academy in 2024/25. 14.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whitecliffe Academy?
Apply through Redcar and Cleveland's coordinated admissions process, naming Whitecliffe Academy 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.
Does Whitecliffe Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Whitecliffe Academy is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Whitecliffe Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 Redcar and Cleveland is 8 (the median across 66 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Whitecliffe Academy?
Whitecliffe Academy is at Mill Lane, Carlin How, Saltburn-By-The-Sea, North Yorkshire, TS13 4AD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)