Hemlington Hall Academy

About Hemlington Hall Academy

Hemlington Hall Academy is a state primary in Middlesbrough that, on its headline Key Stage 2 measure, sits just below the local authority average. The school’s combined reading, writing and maths expected standard score sits at 57%, compared with the Middlesbrough LA average of 62%. That five-point gap places it 25th out of 37 primary schools in the borough, putting it in the bottom half of local schools. The picture is mixed when you dig deeper: 76% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, which is a solid result, but reading (65%) and maths (69%) both lag slightly behind. At the higher standard, just 11% of pupils achieved the top marks across all three subjects, which is a modest figure. The school has a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 41.1%, well above the national average, so these results should be read in that context.

Academically, the school has made clear progress since its last full Ofsted inspection. In 2016 it was rated Requires Improvement overall, with leadership and management also marked at that level. Its most recent graded inspection in October 2021 saw it jump to Good across every category: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision all received a 2 (Good). The early years provision improved from a 2 to a 2, so it held steady, but the overall trajectory is positive. Average scaled scores in reading (105) and maths (104) are both slightly above the national benchmark of 100, which suggests pupils are making at least expected progress from their starting points. The school does not publish Progress 8 scores, so it’s harder to gauge value-add precisely, but the Ofsted report notes that behaviour and attitudes are Good, which supports a productive learning environment.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 56 applications for 29 places and 36 first-preference applications, giving a ratio of 1.93 applicants per place. That suggests strong local demand. Facilities are decent for a primary of this size: a dining hall, gymnasium, library, art studios, playing fields, and a forest school area. Sports include football, netball, swimming, and cross country, while clubs cover gardening, chess, book club, and film club. SEND provision is notably broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, autistic spectrum disorder, and a resourced provision. This makes it a practical choice for families whose children need additional support within a mainstream setting. The nursery provision is a bonus for parents looking for continuity from age three. Hemlington Hall suits families who value a Good-rated school with strong SEND support and a forest school ethos, even if headline exam scores sit slightly below the LA average.

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