Rockcliffe First School
Grafton Road, Whitley Bay, NE26 2NR
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Foundation school
- Ages
- 3 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- The North Tyneside Learning Trust
- Headteacher
- Mr Tom Jones
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Tynemouth
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 251
- Pupils on roll
- 244
- URN
- 108583
- Local authority
- North Tyneside
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01916076573
About this school
Rockcliffe First School is a foundation primary school in Whitley Bay. It teaches children aged 3 to 9 and has 244 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Rockcliffe First School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 272 |
| 2023/24 | 270 |
| 2024/25 | 272 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Rockcliffe First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 89% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 3.7% | 9.2% | 244 | — |
| Cullercoats Primary School | 67% | 3.7% | 10.3% | 409 | 0.5 miles |
| Marine Park First School | — | 3.1% | 7.4% | 476 | 0.7 miles |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Cullercoats | 64% | 3.5% | 17.3% | 185 | 0.8 miles |
| Monkhouse Primary School | 87% | 3.7% | 18.1% | 215 | 1.0 miles |
| Coquet Park First School | — | 2.8% | 2.7% | 169 | 1.2 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 9.17%
- English as an additional language
- 13.6%
- Overall absence
- 3.71%
- Persistent absence
- 6.99%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Cullercoats Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · North Shields
-
Marine Park First School0.7 miles
Primary · Whitley Bay
-
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Cullercoats0.8 miles
Primary · North Shields
-
Monkhouse Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · North Shields
-
Coquet Park First School1.2 miles
Primary · Whitley Bay
Other schools in Whitley Bay
- Appletree Gardens First School Primary
- Coquet Park First School Primary
- Holywell Village First School Primary
- Langley First School Primary
- Marine Park First School Primary
- New Hartley First School Primary
- Seaton Delaval First School Primary
- Seaton Sluice First School Primary
- South Wellfield First School Primary
- Southridge First School Primary
- Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Whitley Bay Primary
- Whitley Lodge First School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Rockcliffe First School teach?
- Rockcliffe First School teaches children aged 3 to 9. It is a primary school in Whitley Bay.
- Who is the headteacher of Rockcliffe First School?
- The headteacher of Rockcliffe First School is Mr Tom Jones, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Rockcliffe First School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Rockcliffe First School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How big is Rockcliffe First School?
- Rockcliffe First School has 244 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 9.
- Is Rockcliffe First School full?
- Rockcliffe First School has capacity for 251 pupils and 244 on roll (97%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Rockcliffe First School a faith school?
- No. Rockcliffe First School has no designated religious character.
- Does Rockcliffe First School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Rockcliffe First School as having nursery classes.
- Who runs Rockcliffe First School?
- Rockcliffe First School is part of The North Tyneside Learning Trust. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is Rockcliffe First School's absence rate?
- Rockcliffe First School's overall absence rate is 3.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Rockcliffe First School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Rockcliffe First School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 29 June 2026.