West Cliff Primary School

West Cliff Primary School has made a positive impression in its first inspection, achieving a good overall effectiveness rating across all areas. The school demonstrates high expectations for its pupils, who are observed to behave well and have a strong understanding of safety, particularly online. Inclusive practices are a hallmark of the school, especially notable in the support provided to pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs through specialized programs. The leadership has effectively fostered a range of extracurricular activities, enhancing students’ personal development and engagement in learning.

Strengths

• High expectations for student behavior and attitudes.
• Strong support for pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs.
• Effective use of technology for remote learning.
• A diverse range of extracurricular clubs available to pupils.
• Engaging early years provision with a focus on social interaction and language development.
• Developed curriculum in mathematics with strong sequence planning.

Areas for Improvement

• Some subjects are still in development and lack full curriculum sequencing.
• Inconsistent use of assessment systems across some subject areas.
• Insufficient understanding of British values among some pupils due to lack of PSHE curriculum coverage.

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 West Cliff Primary School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.9% 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, 1.0% of pupils at West Cliff 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 West Cliff Primary School had 14.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.6% 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, 10.7% of pupils at West Cliff Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 3 pupils.

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 West Cliff Primary School received £7,208 and spent £7,890 for each of its 194 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £67,000 (£345 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Yorkshire Endeavour Academy Trust, income was £10,725 and spending £10,855 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 Whitby · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

West Cliff Primary School is part of Yorkshire Endeavour Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Airy Hill Primary School Whitby
• Oakridge Community Primary School Saltburn-By-The-Sea
• Glaisdale Primary School Whitby
• Lealholm Primary School Whitby
• Castleton Primary School Whitby

What is West Cliff Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for West Cliff Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2022.

When was West Cliff Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

West Cliff Primary School was last inspected in June 2022.

How many pupils does West Cliff Primary School have?

West Cliff Primary School has 159 pupils on roll.

What age range does West Cliff Primary School cover?

West Cliff Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is West Cliff Primary School?

West Cliff Primary School is at Church Square, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 3EG.