Dormanstown Primary Academy

About Dormanstown Primary Academy

Dormanstown Primary Academy’s headline metrics present a mixed picture when set against the Redcar and Cleveland local authority average for primary schools. The school’s Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score sits at 50%, which is 15 percentage points below the LA average of 65%. That gap is significant and places the school 35th out of 44 primaries in the borough, firmly in the bottom half. However, the story isn’t entirely one of underperformance. The school’s average scaled scores in reading and maths both hit 105, which is exactly the national benchmark and suggests that pupils who do reach the expected standard are doing so with solid, not marginal, results. The real challenge appears to be in getting a higher proportion of children over that threshold in the first place, particularly in writing, where only 59% met the expected standard, and in maths, where 65% did. The school also has a very high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 67.4%, which is an important context for understanding these outcomes.

Academically, the school has made a notable improvement in its Ofsted rating, moving from Requires Improvement in its 2019 inspection to Good across all categories in its most recent graded inspection in November 2023. The Ofsted report highlights Good ratings for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This suggests that the leadership team, under headteacher Antje Kell, has successfully addressed the weaknesses identified previously. In terms of exam results, the school’s 2023/24 Key Stage 2 data shows that 50% of pupils achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, with 0% reaching the higher standard in that combined measure. Individually, reading saw 21% of pupils achieving the higher standard, compared to 9% in maths and 9% in writing. The school ranks in the bottom 50 nationally for its combined expected standard metric, but given the high level of disadvantage, these figures may reflect the starting points of its intake rather than a lack of progress.

Dormanstown Primary Academy is a state-funded, mixed primary school for children aged 3 to 11, with nursery provision available. It is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 38 applications for 30 places, with 34 first-preference applications and 30 offers made to first-preference families. The school has a dedicated SEN unit and offers support for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. Facilities include an outdoor playground, sports hall, ICT suite, dining hall and a chapel. Sports on offer include gymnastics, swimming, tennis, football, dance, rounders and athletics, while clubs range from book club and drama to gardening, choir, science club and art club. For families in Redcar and Cleveland, this school is best suited to those who value a supportive, inclusive environment with strong SEND provision and a leadership team that has demonstrably turned the school around, even if headline attainment figures remain below the local average.

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