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Hartlepool Free School

Special / other · Hartlepool · TS25 1FF

Data updated

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Not yet graded

No graded inspection outcome is available for this school under either the current or the previous framework. This is common for recently opened or converted schools.

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At a glance

33 pupils · 52% of 64 capacity (January 2026 census)

School type
Free schools special
Age range
5–19
Gender
Mixed
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
78.8% of pupils (January 2026)
English as additional language
0% of pupils (2024/2025)
SEN support
5.3% of pupils (2024/2025)
EHC plan
94.7% of pupils (2024/2025)
Sixth form
Yes
Website
makeitdifferent.org.uk
URN
150740

In figures

In the 2025/26 autumn and spring terms its pupils missed 31.7% of sessions, against 6.6% across England. It had 33 pupils at the 15 January 2026 census.

Key stage 2 results (2024/2025)

No figure is published for reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Key stage 2 tests measure the age-11 curriculum; most pupils at special schools are assessed under other frameworks, so 97% of special schools publish 0% here.

Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · what “suppressed” means National averages are not shown here. The England figures are dominated by mainstream schools, and pupils at a special school are working towards outcomes those measures were not designed to capture, so the comparison would mislead more than it tells you.

Pupils by ethnicity (January 2026)

White British 94% (Hartlepool 93%, England 66%) · Any other Mixed background 3% (Hartlepool 1%, England 3%) · Mixed White and Asian 3% (Hartlepool 1%, England 1%)

Source: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026 census · how to read these figures

Attendance (2025/26 autumn and spring terms)

Sessions missed (overall absence)
31.7%
England 6.6%
Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions (persistent absence)
68.6%
England 17.5%

Suspensions and permanent exclusions (2024/25)

752.63 suspensions per 100 pupils and 2 permanent exclusions · England, special schools: 12.32 suspensions and 0.08 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils · Hartlepool: 43.28 suspensions and 0.60 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils

Source: DfE pupil absence data, autumn and spring terms, and DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions, school-level file · how absence is measured · how to read exclusions

Staffing

Pupils per qualified teacher
3.9
England 18.5

Full-time-equivalent, 2025/26.

Teacher retention (2024/25)

78% of teachers stayed at the school the following year · 22% left the state-funded sector

Vacancies (November 2025)

0% of teaching posts vacant, 11.89% filled temporarily · England, special schools and PRUs: 0.68% vacant, 1.02% temporary

Teacher sickness absence (reported in the November 2024 census)

33.3% of teachers took sickness absence, 6 days each on average · England, all state-funded schools: 61.8%, 8.1 days

Teacher pay (November 2025)

Mean salary of full-time qualified teachers £59,946; 36.4% on the leadership pay range · England, special schools and PRUs: £53,604, 18.3%

Vacancies, sickness and pay, last three years Premium

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Source: DfE School Workforce Census · how these figures are counted

The area around the school

Child poverty (IDACI)
1/10among the most deprived tenth of England
Overall deprivation (IMD)
1/10among the most deprived tenth of England
Census 2021This areaEngland
Adults with a degree or higher16.5%33.9%
Adults with no qualifications30.1%18.1%
In managerial or professional work16.3%33.2%
Households deprived in two or more ways34.6%18.1%
Residents in very good health40.4%48.5%
Homes owned by the occupier41.7%62.3%
Social housing47.2%17.1%
Privately rented10.6%20.5%
Detached houses4.1%22.9%
Flats12.3%22.2%
Homes with four or more bedrooms10.3%21.1%
Households with no car or van34.3%23.5%

These figures describe the area, not the pupils. Source: Census 2021 (ONS) and English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG) for small area E01011989 · how to read area figures

What homes cost nearby

Median sale price
£156,000224 sales within 1 km, January 2024 to September 2026
Typical range
£127,000–£190,000the middle half of sales
England median
£300,000all sales over the same period
Detached (52)£210,000
Semi-detached (108)£153,500
Terraced (59)£125,000
Flat (5)£72,000

Homes around this school are among the cheapest tenth of school neighbourhoods in England, comparing the median within 1 km across every state school.

Source: HM Land Registry sales within 1 km since January 2024 · how sales are counted. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcodes located with OS Code-Point Open: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026; contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Roads around the school

Child pedestrian casualties
2an urban school averages 2.0
Collisions at school-run times
4an urban school averages 5.7
All reported collisions
9an urban school averages 30.5
Of those, serious or fatal
4an urban school averages 6.1

A high count usually reflects traffic, not an unsafe school. Source: DfT road casualty statistics (STATS19), collisions within 500 m, 2021–2025 · what is counted

Nearby schools