School profile

Whale Hill Primary School

Primary · Academy converter · Middlesbrough, TS6 8AD

Outstanding

Map showing Whale Hill Primary School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#916 of 15,057

Better than 93% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Whale Hill Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 20 Jan 2026

Area360 rating
Outstanding
Inclusion
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching
Strong standard
Achievement
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Strong standard
Leadership and governance
Strong standard
Early years
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages3 to 11
Pupils461
GenderMixed
Head teacherHeadteacher Sandra Marsden
TrustSTEEL RIVER ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityRedcar and Cleveland
Opened01 Sept 2019
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 147393.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolRedcar and ClevelandEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths85%, better than England, better than Redcar and Cleveland64%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.17%, better than England, better than Redcar and Cleveland9%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.110, better than England, better than Redcar and Cleveland106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.113, better than England, better than Redcar and Cleveland105105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.111, better than England, better than Redcar and Cleveland105105
Expected standard in reading93%, better than England, better than Redcar and Cleveland77%76%
Expected standard in writing87%, better than England, better than Redcar and Cleveland74%73%
Expected standard in maths94%, better than England, better than Redcar and Cleveland77%75%
Pupils taking tests54--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils461
Girls227
Boys234
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.46.2%
First language not English1.7%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.546
Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places.402
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.26.4%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.70
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.11
Average class size26.1

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
94.1%
Other mixed
2.6%
Other White
0.7%
African
0.7%
Indian
0.4%
Other ethnic group
0.4%
White and Black Caribbean
0.2%
White and Black African
0.2%
White and Asian
0.2%
Irish
0%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher21.3
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.1
Teachers (FTE)20.84
Teaching assistants (FTE)18.98
Support staff (FTE)25.73
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2522.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2519.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.62
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.70
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.59
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.59
Applications from another local authority (Reception)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolRedcar and ClevelandEngland
Overall absence5%, similar to England, similar to Redcar and Cleveland5.3%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.12.5%, similar to England, similar to Redcar and Cleveland13.4%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.6%, similar to England, better than Redcar and Cleveland1.2%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate0.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0.2%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Whale Hill Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryCaedmon Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miNot applicableProgress Schools - Tees ValleyOther independent school
Good
0.5 miPrimarySt Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
0.7 miPrimaryBankfields Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryGrangetown Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miNot applicableOutwood Alternative Provision EstonOther independent school
Good
0.8 miSecondaryOutwood Academy NormanbyAcademy sponsor led
Inadequate
0.9 miPrimaryTeesville AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryNormanby Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimaryWilton Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Whale Hill Primary School

What is Whale Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Whale Hill Primary School is rated Outstanding, last inspected on 20 Jan 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Whale Hill Primary School rank in England?

Whale Hill Primary School ranks 916 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 93% of schools).

What are Whale Hill Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 85% of pupils at Whale Hill Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Whale Hill Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Whale Hill Primary School made 62 offers from 70 applications (1.1 per offer), and 59 of 59 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Whale Hill Primary School?

Whale Hill Primary School has 461 pupils aged 3 to 11.

What is the capacity of Whale Hill Primary School?

Whale Hill Primary School had 546 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Whale Hill Primary School?

At Whale Hill Primary School, the average class had 26.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.3 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Whale Hill Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Whale Hill Primary School missed 5% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 12.5% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.