High Clarence Academy

High Clarence Academy is a small, inclusive primary school in a deprived coastal area, with a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. It joined The Enquire Learning Trust in 2023 and also runs an 8-place SEND unit and provision for two-year-olds. Inspectors found the school performing at the expected standard across the evaluated areas, with safeguarding met, and leaders have an accurate view of strengths and priorities. Published attainment data is affected by very small cohorts, so some historical figures do not fully reflect current progress. The school's main strengths are its inclusive ethos, improved attendance, positive behaviour and strong early years provision. Pupils typically progress well, disadvantaged pupils are supported effectively, and the curriculum has been reshaped to build knowledge more securely, especially in key stage 1. Leadership, governance and trust support are effective, and staff morale is high. Pupils benefit from a broad personal development offer, including swimming, music and cultural links. Recent published outcomes show reading and mathematics above national averages in 2024/25, while writing remains below. The main areas for development are writing and religious understanding. Support for younger pupils' handwriting is not yet leading to rapid enough improvement, and attainment in writing by the end of key stage 2 has not been as closely aligned to pupils' achievement in other areas or to national averages. Pupils' awareness of different places of worship and faiths in modern Britain is also less secure than it could be.

Strengths

• Inclusive school with tailored support for pupils with SEND, including the Blossom Class
• Positive behaviour and respectful relationships across the school
• Attendance has improved to broadly national average, with sharp improvement for vulnerable pupils
• Curricular changes have strengthened sequencing and key stage 1 reading, writing and mathematics
• Strong early years provision with rapid progress in language and communication
• Effective leadership, governance and trust support, with high staff morale
• Broad personal development offer, including swimming, music, clubs and cultural links
• Disadvantaged pupils are well supported and gaps are narrowing
• Safeguarding culture is open and positive, with standards met
• Pupils feel safe, cared for and ready for the next stage of education

Areas for Improvement

• Handwriting support for younger pupils is not yet leading to rapid enough improvement
• Pupils' attainment in writing at the end of key stage 2 is not closely aligned with their achievement in other curriculum areas or national averages
• Pupils' understanding of different places of worship and faiths in modern Britain is less secure than it could be

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 High Clarence Academy attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.9% 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, 1.1% of pupils at High Clarence Academy 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 High Clarence Academy had 13.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 21.1% of pupils at High Clarence Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 14.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 7 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 High Clarence Academy received £12,474 and spent £11,712 for each of its 79 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £51,000 (£655 per pupil).

Across all 32 schools of The Enquire Learning Trust, income was £7,171 and spending £7,034 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 Middlesbrough · Stockton-on-Tees local authority: places and applications

High Clarence Academy is part of The Enquire Learning Trust, which runs 32 schools. The nearest others:

• Oakdene Primary Academy Billingham
• Easterside Academy Middlesbrough
• Harrow Gate Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• Hardwick Green Primary Academy Stockton-On-Tees
• Rose Wood Academy Middlesbrough
• Yarm Primary School Yarm
• Roseberry Academy Middlesbrough
• Stokesley Primary Academy Middlesbrough
• Stakesby Primary Academy Whitby
• East Whitby Primary Academy Whitby

What is High Clarence Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for High Clarence Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was High Clarence Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

High Clarence Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does High Clarence Academy have?

High Clarence Academy has 90 pupils on roll.

What age range does High Clarence Academy cover?

High Clarence Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are High Clarence Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is High Clarence Academy?

High Clarence Academy is at Port Clarence Road, High Clarence, Middlesbrough, TS2 1SY.