Cliftonville Primary School

Cliftonville Primary School has demonstrated a good overall effectiveness in its recent inspection, with particular strengths noted in its outstanding behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. The school is part of the Coastal Academies Trust, and its strong community atmosphere is celebrated by parents and students alike. While there has been a longer gap between graded inspections due to previous exemptions, the school has made significant progress in providing tailored support for its pupils, particularly those with additional needs. The leadership team shares a collective vision for student success, although the results from the 2023 national tests have highlighted some concerns regarding academic performance in key areas.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes among students
• Effective support for students with additional needs
• Well-planned early years environment that prepares children for key stage 1
• High priority placed on reading with a well-developed library
• Strong community atmosphere recognized by parents

Areas for Improvement

• Key stage 2 outcomes in reading and mathematics were below national expectations
• Initiatives to improve academic achievement are not fully embedded

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Cliftonville Primary School attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.5% of pupils at Cliftonville Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Cliftonville Primary School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.3% of pupils at Cliftonville Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Cliftonville Primary School received £6,959 and spent £6,968 for each of its 837 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,318,000 (£1,576 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Coastal Academies Trust, income was £8,088 and spending £8,050 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Margate · Kent local authority: places and applications

Cliftonville Primary School is part of Coastal Academies Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Hartsdown Academy Margate
• Dane Court Grammar School Broadstairs
• The Royal Harbour Academy Ramsgate
• Newington Community Primary School Ramsgate
• King Ethelbert School Birchington

What is Cliftonville Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cliftonville Primary School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Cliftonville Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cliftonville Primary School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Cliftonville Primary School have?

Cliftonville Primary School has 845 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cliftonville Primary School cover?

Cliftonville Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Cliftonville Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 44% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cliftonville Primary School?

Cliftonville Primary School is at Northumberland Avenue, Cliftonville, Margate, Kent, CT9 3LY.