High Clarence Academy

About High Clarence Academy

High Clarence Academy is a small primary in Stockton-on-Tees that generates a clear local pull, despite its Requires Improvement Ofsted rating. For the 2025/26 admissions round, the school was oversubscribed, receiving 13 total applications for 11 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.18. Ten of those applications were first-preference offers, meaning the school filled its entire intake with families who actively wanted it as their top choice. That level of first-preference demand is a strong signal of parent confidence, especially for a school of this size. Headteacher Nicola Caraher leads a school of 87 pupils against a capacity of 105, so there is some room for growth. The school serves a community with a notably high level of disadvantage — 70% of pupils are eligible for free school meals — and offers nursery provision from age two, which may be a practical draw for local families.

Academically, the picture is mixed. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022, the school was rated Requires Improvement overall, a rating it also held in its previous inspection in 2019. However, behaviour and attitudes, and early years provision, were both graded Good. Quality of education, personal development, and leadership and management were all Requires Improvement. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 56% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the local authority average of 66%. The school ranks 41st out of 55 primary schools in Stockton-on-Tees on this measure, placing it in the bottom half nationally. There are bright spots: 75% of pupils reached the expected standard in maths, and the average maths score was 107. Reading and writing expected rates were lower, at 63% and 56% respectively.

The school offers a practical range of facilities including a library, music rooms, art studios, a sensory room, playing fields, a gymnasium and a chapel. Sports provision covers dance, athletics, netball, football and gymnastics, while clubs include art, coding, eco club, chess, gardening and film club. SEND support is available for moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech language and communication difficulties. For families considering High Clarence, it is a small, community-focused primary with a strong local pull despite its Requires Improvement rating. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Billingham South Community Primary School, 3.3 km away. This school will particularly suit families who value a close-knit setting with strong early years and behaviour provision, and who are comfortable with a school that is actively working through its improvement journey.

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