River Tees Academy Grangetown

River Tees Academy Grangetown is a special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs, and all pupils have an education, health and care plan. This was its first routine inspection under section 5, and inspectors found a school with strong provision overall: quality of education and leadership and management are good, while behaviour and attitudes and personal development are outstanding. Pupils are proud to attend, achieve well, behave exceptionally well, and benefit from highly positive relationships and strong care and support. The curriculum is ambitious, adapted well for pupils' SEMH needs, and supported by a sharp focus on reading and a carefully designed key stage 4 offer that includes academic and vocational qualifications linked to careers and the local labour market. Personal development is exceptional, attendance is high, and pupils access meaningful work experience and enrichment. Governance is effective, parents are overwhelmingly positive, and staff are proud to work at the school. The main area for improvement is that information in some pupils' EHC plans is not reflected well enough in the individual targets the school sets. As a result, support for pupils' needs beyond SEMH is sometimes less precise than it could be, which could affect how well some pupils achieve.

Strengths

• Staff provide exceptional care and support, with pupils describing the school as one big happy family.
• High expectations lead to strong pupil achievement and exceptionally good behaviour.
• Personal development is woven through the curriculum and prepares pupils exceptionally well for adulthood.
• The curriculum is ambitious, meets the national curriculum scope, and is adapted for pupils' SEMH needs.
• Key stage 4 offers appropriate academic and vocational qualifications linked to careers and the local labour market.
• Reading has a sharp focus, including phonics, matched books, catch-up support, and regular class reader sessions.
• A highly effective attendance system results in high attendance.
• Meaningful work experience and enrichment opportunities build pupils' aspiration and readiness for next steps.
• Governance provides effective support and challenge, parents are overwhelmingly positive, and staff workload is considered.

Areas for Improvement

• Information in some pupils' EHC plans is not used well enough to inform individual targets, so support beyond SEMH needs is sometimes imprecise and could affect achievement.

In 2024–25 pupils at River Tees Academy Grangetown attended 87.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 32.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 9.6% of pupils at River Tees Academy Grangetown were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). 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 River Tees Academy Grangetown had 4.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 River Tees Academy Grangetown had 58 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; social, emotional and mental health; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 River Tees Academy Grangetown received £30,471 and spent £33,844 for each of its 52 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £607,000 (£11,682 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.

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What is River Tees Academy Grangetown's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for River Tees Academy Grangetown is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was River Tees Academy Grangetown last inspected by Ofsted?

River Tees Academy Grangetown was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does River Tees Academy Grangetown have?

River Tees Academy Grangetown has 58 pupils on roll.

What age range does River Tees Academy Grangetown cover?

River Tees Academy Grangetown for pupils aged 5 to 19.

What are River Tees Academy Grangetown's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 24.6, and 0% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is River Tees Academy Grangetown?

River Tees Academy Grangetown is at 170a Overdale Road, Middlesbrough, TS3 7EA.