Freebrough Academy

Freebrough Academy has demonstrated outstanding overall effectiveness since its first inspection, reflecting significant improvements in educational quality and personal development since joining the Northern Education Trust. The school's leadership has been pivotal in fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment where pupil success and character building are prioritized. Students exhibit an enthusiasm for learning and are well-prepared for future challenges, with effective systems in place to support any who struggle with behavior or learning barriers.

Strengths

• Exceptional education with a strong focus on academic success and character development.
• High expectations set by leaders and strong relationships among staff and pupils.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum with opportunities to revisit knowledge.
• Passionate and skilled staff who adapt lessons effectively to meet pupils' needs.
• Strong culture of reading and provision of additional support for early readers.
• Rich extracurricular offerings and high-quality careers education.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements ensure pupil safety and well-being.

Areas for Improvement

• A small minority of pupils do not meet behavior expectations, leading to some disruptions in learning.

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 Freebrough Academy attended 88.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 21.2% of pupils at Freebrough Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 Freebrough Academy had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 14.4% of pupils at Freebrough Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 10 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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Freebrough Academy received £8,778 and spent £8,553 for each of its 822 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £854,000 (£1,038 per pupil).

Across all 30 schools of Northern Education Trust, income was £8,462 and spending £8,166 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 Saltburn-By-The-Sea · Redcar and Cleveland local authority: places and applications

Freebrough Academy is part of Northern Education Trust, which runs 30 schools. The nearest others:

• Badger Hill Academy Saltburn-By-The-Sea
• Whitecliffe Academy Saltburn-By-The-Sea
• Manor Community Academy Hartlepool
• Thornaby Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• Dyke House Sports and Technology College Hartlepool
• Norton Primary Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• North Shore Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• Frederick Nattrass Primary Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• The Oak Tree Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• The Grangefield Academy Stockton-On-Tees

What is Freebrough Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Freebrough Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Freebrough Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Freebrough Academy was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Freebrough Academy have?

Freebrough Academy has 814 pupils on roll.

What age range does Freebrough Academy cover?

Freebrough Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Freebrough Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.0, and 55% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Freebrough Academy?

Freebrough Academy is at Linden Road, Saltburn-By-the-Sea, TS12 2SJ.