Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy
Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy is a special academy in Saltburn-by-the-Sea for boys and girls aged 3 to 19. It has 197 pupils, 27 more than it has places for. About 46 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2022.
Marshall Drive, Brotton, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, TS12 2UW01287 677265kts-academy.org.ukMrs Sarah Gunn headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 May 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Outstanding overall.
This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 3 October 2019 | Ungraded | School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
9 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
The government hasn't published this school's headline results. Fewer than eleven pupils sat the exams, so the figures could identify individual children.
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
11 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Redcar and Cleveland | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 11 | 13 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 14 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 66% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 10% | 8% |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -11.1 | -7.3 | -5.5 | -2.6 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -11.6 | -7.8 | -4.4 | -2.7 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | – | – | 0% | – | – | 0% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | – | – | 0% | – | – | 0% | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Redcar and Cleveland council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (119), Severe learning difficulty (36), language and communications needs (20), Profound and multiple learning difficulty (9), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (5), Moderate learning difficulty (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 197 | 189 | 178 | 168 | 170 | 170 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 46% | 42% | 38% | 42% | 42% | 41% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 4% | 4% | 4% | 3% | 2% | 2% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 4% | 4% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 96% | 96% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.2% | 8.7% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 19.6% | 7.9% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 6.8% | 6.8% | 7.8% | 9.1% | 18.9% | 4.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.5% | 1.9% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 3.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 29.1% | 29.5% | 27.8% | 32.3% | 64.6% | 23.2% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 9 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 100%, compared with – for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 100% | 94% | 91% | 100% |
| Education | 100% | 94% | 91% | 100% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 0% | 6% | 9% | 0% |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's Church of England Primary School | Academy | 40 m | 307 | Good 2022 | 59 | Compare |
| Freebrough Academy | Academy | 190 m | 814 | Outstanding 2023 | 74 | Compare |
| Badger Hill Academy | Academy | 0.7 miles | 138 | Good 2022 | 96 | Compare |
| Skelton Primary School | Academy | 1.0 miles | 462 | Report card 2026 | 32 | Compare |
| Huntcliff School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 544 | Good 2023 | 58 | Compare |
| Saltburn Primary School | Academy | 1.5 miles | 351 | Good 2023 | 63 | Compare |
| Whitecliffe Academy | Academy | 1.8 miles | 91 | Not inspected | 40 | Compare |
| Old Farm School | Independent (grammar) | 1.8 miles | 56 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy a good school?
Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it outstanding at its last inspection in May 2022.
What is Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy outstanding at its last full inspection on 17 May 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.
How good are Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.
How many pupils does Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy have?
197 pupils aged 3 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 170 places, so it is 116% full.
What is attendance like at Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy?
Pupils were in school 91.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
Does Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy have a sixth form?
Yes.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Marshall Drive, Brotton, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, TS12 2UW
- Telephone
- 01287 677265
- Website
- www.kts-academy.org.uk
- Headteacher
- Mrs Sarah Gunn
- Type of school
- Special academy (Academy special converter, academies)
- Phase
- Special school, ages 3-19, with nursery, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Single-academy trust
- Kilton Thorpe Specialist Academy (1 schools)
- Local authority
- Redcar and Cleveland
- Ward
- Brotton
- Constituency
- Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 December 2012 (academy converter)
- URN
- 139110 · LAESTAB 8077030 · UKPRN 10039721
- Formerly
- Kilton Thorpe School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.