Schools & FE · Report card

Breckon Hill Primary School

Inspected 29 Sept 2026 · published 14 Oct 2026 · URN 150090

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Summary

Report card, graded by area · lowest StrongSafeguarding met

Chris Pearce (lead), Alison Cottrell, Annalei Bartlett, Katie Lowe

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

Achievement verified
Strong standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Strong standard
Early years verified
Strong standard
Inclusion verified
Strong standard
Leadership and governance verified
Strong standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Strong standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
29 Sept 2026
Inspectors verified
Alison Cottrell, Annalei Bartlett, Chris Pearce, Katie Lowe
Postcode verified
TS4 2DS
Name on report verified
Breckon Hill Primary School
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
150090

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Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

very positive

A strong primary academy where pupils achieve well, attend better, and benefit from a rich, inclusive education.

All seven areas of the school were graded Strong standard, and safeguarding standards are met. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum, with disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND making impressive progress. Attendance has improved notably and behaviour is calm and respectful. Parents are positive about the school.

Going well

Safeguarding standards are met and pupils feel safe
Pupils leave key stage 2 at or above national attainment
Attendance has improved notably and is broadly in line with national averages
Pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers
Personal development and wellbeing provision is a strength

What parents should know

Your child is likely to make a strong start in early years, with reading, phonics and language prioritised
Attendance is taken seriously, and staff work with families to remove barriers to attendance
Clubs, residential visits and pupil responsibilities are widely available, and disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are encouraged to take part
If your child finds it hard to manage their feelings, you could ask how the school's pastoral support would help them

What other providers can learn

Monitoring attendance closely and acting early when it falls can bring improvements, as seen here
Training all staff in strategies for SEND and disadvantaged pupils, applied consistently, supports inclusion
Tracking who takes part in clubs and encouraging under-represented pupils to join can raise participation

Summary written by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the report text. It can miss nuance: the report itself is the record.

Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementStrong
Attendance and behaviourStrong
Curriculum and teachingStrong
Early yearsStrong
InclusionStrong
Leadership and governanceStrong
Personal development and wellbeingStrong

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+80Very positivemore positive than 16% of report cards whose lowest area grade is Strong standard

StrongExpectedNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

In line with other report cards whose lowest area grade is Strong standard.

Markers show where typical reports of each grade sit.

Praisehigh-qualityrichthrivehighly effectiveambitiouspositiveeffectivestrong

Criticismconcernsseriouslyfall behind

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1618w+81
Leadership234w+74
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve44w0

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

No strong criticism found.

Next steps

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 16
Words of findings: 1,947; about usual (typical 1876)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 46, typical 42
Average sentence: 14 words
Next steps: 2; typical 1
Hedged sentences: 6%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 52%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 1%About the inspection 37%

Full report text

Breckon Hill Primary School

Address: Breckon Hill Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 2DS Unique reference number (URN): 150090

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Children make a positive start in the early years. Barriers to language and literacy are quickly tackled and progress is accelerated. Consequently, the proportion of children ready for Year 1 is increasing.

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Achievement Strong standard

As a result of high-quality teaching, and effective support, pupils quickly secure strong foundations for future learning. They develop a deep and rich knowledge of the subjects they have studied across the curriculum. They recall previous learning clearly.

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Achievement Strong standard

By the time pupils leave the school at the end of key stage 2, their attainment in national tests is at or above the standards achieved nationally. Progress made by disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities is impressive. The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is, in some subjects, higher than that of their non- disadvantaged peers. As a result, most pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders place a high priority on pupils' attendance. They promote the importance of high attendance with families as soon as they join the school. They monitor attendance closely and act promptly when a pupil's attendance starts to fall. Staff work with families, and with external partners where needed, to remove the barriers that prevent some pupils from attending. The approaches that the school uses are innovative and impactful. The culture of attendance is supported by pupil attendance ambassadors who take their responsibility seriously and encourage classmates to come to school. Consequently, overall attendance has improved notably and is now broadly aligned to national averages.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Staff have very high expectations of pupils' behaviour and apply them consistently. Pupils know the school's rules to 'work hard, be kind and be here'. They demonstrate kindness and respectful attitudes to one another as they learn and play together. On the rare occasions where pupils’ behaviour does not meet expectations, adults take the time to help pupils understand the impact of their actions. Classrooms are calm places where pupils can focus on their learning. Staff adapt their approach thoughtfully for pupils who find it difficult to manage their emotions. Effective pastoral support is available for pupils who need it. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils are confident that staff deal with any concerns quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have created a broad and ambitious curriculum that is rich in language and literacy. Teachers skilfully introduce new and ambitious subject vocabulary to pupils. The curriculum is continually reviewed so that it reflects the pupils at Breckon Hill. It is thoughtfully sequenced, setting out clearly the knowledge that pupils should learn from the Nursery to Year 6. Leaders have empowered teachers to adapt the curriculum so that it meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those who are disadvantaged, and those who face other barriers to their learning. Where required, some pupils access specialist classes which provide a curriculum that is carefully matched to their needs.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

There is a relentless focus on securing pupils’ knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. Phonics teaching begins in the Nursery. Highly trained staff teach the programme accurately. Pupils who fall behind receive sharply targeted support so that they can keep up. As a result, most pupils leave key stage 1 as confident, competent readers, writers and mathematicians.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers are knowledgeable in the subjects that they teach. Staff explain new ideas clearly and revisit previous learning regularly to help pupils remember more over time. Across the curriculum, teachers check pupils' understanding and use this information to plan what to teach next.

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Early years Strong standard

The early years’ curriculum establishes the important knowledge that children need to learn. Leaders make well-considered adaptations to the curriculum to ensure that it meets the needs of all children. Consequently, it is rich in opportunities for children to grow their vocabulary, language skills and develop effective learning behaviours.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff are well-trained to support children’s academic and welfare needs. All staff are aspirational for what children will achieve. This results in high-quality interactions between children and adults with staff carefully modelling the language they want children to learn.

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Early years Strong standard

Detailed checks on children’s understanding are used to inform the high-quality learning opportunities and additional support that children receive. Children learn in a warm, safe and engaging space that captures their interests. Across the early years reading is prioritised and phonics is well taught. Learning takes place in an environment rich in rhymes, songs and stories. From their starting points, all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities make rapid progress.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff know children and their families well. Transition arrangements are carefully planned so that children start school confidently. A wide range of activities, such as stay and play sessions builds strong partnerships with parents and carers from the start.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Breckon Hill is an inclusive school. Leaders have created a culture in which every pupil belongs and staff know and value each child as an individual. Staff identify pupils' needs quickly, including the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged. Leaders make detailed, frequent checks on the impact of the support that pupils receive. They draw on the expertise of the trust and external professionals to secure the right help for pupils with more complex needs. Pupils accessing the ‘Hills’ and ‘Link’ classes thrive in these carefully planned, specialist settings. Consequently, pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers and participate fully in school life. The special educational needs coordinator gives staff clear guidance on how to adapt their teaching. All staff have received the training they need to support pupils with SEND, those

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Inclusion Strong standard

who are disadvantaged, and those who face other barriers to their learning effectively. The strategies that staff use are implemented consistently.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use additional funding to reduce the barriers that disadvantaged pupils face. The academic support that the school provides is highly effective in accelerating the progress these pupils make. Leaders also prioritise these pupils' wellbeing and access to clubs and wider opportunities. As a result, they benefit from a rich and rewarding school experience.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and those responsible for governance have set out a clear vision for excellence. They have established a high aspirations culture in school. This is captured in the school's motto, 'Make the most of every day'. Staff, pupils and those with responsibility for governance understand and support this vision. Decisions are made in the best interests of pupils. Leaders have robust systems in place to evaluate the impact of the strategic decisions they make. This means they understand the school’s strengths well. Actions for improvement are sharply targeted at where they will make the most difference for pupils.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Those with responsibility for governance, including trustees and members of the local governing body, understand their statutory duties. They visit the school to check on leaders’ actions and receive detailed information from leaders about the progress the school is making. They provide challenge and support for leaders, ensuring that the pace of improvement is rapid and sustained.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff appreciate the professional development and trust wide networking opportunities that they receive. Working collaboratively, staff share impactful practice and support with one another. Leaders consider staff's workload and wellbeing carefully when they introduce new initiatives. Staff describe leaders as approachable and say that they feel valued and well supported.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders engage effectively with parents and carers through regular communication and opportunities to visit the school. Parents are positive about the school and the education that their children receive.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The provision for pupils’ personal development and wellbeing is a strength of the school. Leaders are reflective and carefully monitor the impact of the personal development curriculum on their pupils. They use this information to thoughtfully adapt the curriculum to support pupils' personal, social and health development. The curriculum reflects the school's values of determination, honesty, passion, respect, self-belief and teamwork.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The ‘Breckon Hill 50 experience challenge’ broadens pupils’ spiritual, cultural and sporting horizons. It provides memorable life experiences and opportunities that challenge pupil’s thinking, views and opinions. For example, residential visits help pupils to see the value of teamwork and build self-confidence while learning about other cultures teach them about the importance of equality, tolerance and respect. Pupils understand the risks that they may face when using the internet, and they know to report any concerns to a trusted adult. A well taught relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education curriculum gives older pupils an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils learn about fundamental British values, including democracy. They bring these values to life when they elect their peers to positions of responsibility, such as the school council. Pupils take on a range of responsibilities. These roles allow pupils to

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

be active citizens and contribute to their school community. Librarians, sports leaders and attendance ambassadors take their roles seriously. They act as positive role models for younger pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, including choir and dance. Leaders monitor who takes part and they encourage disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities to join in. Participation rates for these pupils are high.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff support pupils' wellbeing with care. Pupils know that adults will help them when they feel worried or upset. ‘The Link’ specialist provision has been established to provide pastoral support for pupils. As a result, pupils are increasingly able to manage their own feelings and this helps them access learning alongside their peers.

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