Ofsted: Good trending_up Places Available emoji_events #54 in Essex public Top 34% UK

Lift New Rickstones

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Simon Gibbs

corporate_fareACADEMIES ENTERPRISE TRUST

location_onWitham, CM8 2SD

language Visit Website phone 1376515756

verified

Ofsted

Good

Inspected 2018

groups

Students

1,065

trending_up

Attainment 8

40.6

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GCSE Rank

#55 in Essex

#2,472 of 3,216 nationally

summarize

Lift New Rickstones is a Academy sponsor led secondary school in Witham, serving ages 11-18. Rated Good by Ofsted.

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School Summary

Lift New Rickstones is an academy sponsor led in Witham, Essex, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. It is part of ACADEMIES ENTERPRISE TRUST. The school has approximately 1,204 pupils on roll, of whom 31% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 40.6, placing the school #55 in Essex and #2,472 of 3,216 nationally. 35.20% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 11.6% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 6 A-level subjects. 36.4% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 9.1% at A*–A. A-level value added: -0.37 — students made below-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2018. The school's current overall rating is Good.

In the most recent admissions cycle, applications were at 0.9× capacity.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 19.0:1. There is 1 teaching vacancy.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were 2 permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 8.1 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

40.6

Grade 5+ E&M

35.20%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)11.6%

Entering EBacc22.70%

EBacc APS3.55

2024

Progress 8 Score

-0.43

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

41.1

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc11.30%

EBacc APS3.48

2023

Progress 8 Score

-0.18

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

44.2

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc12%

EBacc APS3.52

2022

Progress 8 Score

-0.36

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

46.8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc14%

EBacc APS3.68

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc15%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

-0.03

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

44.4

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc10%

EBacc APS3.52

2018

Progress 8 Score

-0.54

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

36.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc7%

EBacc APS2.92

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

88%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)77%

Apprenticeships6%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)9%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

94%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)76%

Apprenticeships6%

Employment11%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)6%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

88%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)76%

Apprenticeships3%

Employment9%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)8%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

89%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)83%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment2%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)10%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

89%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)80%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment8%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)11%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

-0.37

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

C-

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*–A9.1%

Achieving A*–B36.4%

VA Banding Average

A-level subjects offered6

2024

A-Level Value Added

-0.42

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make below-expected progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

D+

Students

Retention rate62.50%

2023

Avg Grade

Students

Retention rate62.50%

2022

Avg Grade

Students

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

08 November 2023

Inspection Report

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16 May 2018

Inspection Report

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13 January 2015

Inspection Report

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08 May 2013

Inspection Report

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17 January 2013

Inspection Report

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02 March 2011

Inspection Report

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16 March 2010

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

2 Evaluations

2018-05-16

S5 Inspection Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

2015-01-13

None Legacy

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

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Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

10.4%per term

warning Above Average

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

5.3%(64 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,204 pupils. During this period, there were 125 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 10.4%, which is above the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,204	125	10.4%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,210	71	5.9%	7.8%	2
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,153	78	6.8%	7.4%	1
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,159	71	6.1%	7.1%	1
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,164	117	10.1%	8.2%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,066	72	6.8%	6.6%	1
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,065	73	6.9%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,065	46	4.3%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	880	49	5.6%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	880	51	5.8%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	883	50	5.7%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	871	23	2.6%	3.6%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	879	5	0.6%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	876	47	5.4%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	782	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	782	39	5.0%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	773	38	4.9%	4.2%	1
2018/19 (Summer term)	674	36	5.3%	3.1%	0
2018/19 (Spring term)	678	28	4.1%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	685	37	5.4%	3.8%	0
2017/18 (Summer term)	593	49	8.3%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	597	41	6.9%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	600	48	8.0%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	584	16	2.7%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	579	45	7.8%	3.3%	1
2016/17 (Autumn term)	575	58	10.1%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 106 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 44 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 28 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 22 pupils

Specific Learning Difficulty 21 pupils

Other Difficulty/Disability 6 pupils

Hearing Impairment 3 pupils

Visual Impairment 3 pupils

Physical Disability 3 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

89.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

88.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

18.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree41%

agree41%

disagree6%

strongly disagree12%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree29%

agree47%

disagree12%

don't know12%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree41%

agree24%

disagree6%

strongly disagree6%

don't know6%

not applicable18%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree47%

agree47%

don't know6%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree59%

agree35%

disagree6%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree47%

agree41%

disagree12%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree41%

agree53%

disagree6%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree24%

agree65%

disagree6%

don't know6%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree35%

agree53%

disagree6%

strongly disagree6%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes94%

no6%

Top Secondary Schools in Essex

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford

Outstanding

location_on Chelmsford, CM1 3SX

emoji_events #1 in LA

Chelmsford County High School for Girls

Outstanding

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Colchester Royal Grammar School

Inadequate

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emoji_events #3 in LA

Colchester County High School for Girls

Outstanding

location_on Colchester, CO3 3US

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Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School

Good

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Saffron Walden County High School

Outstanding

location_on Saffron Walden, CB11 4UH

emoji_events #6 in LA

View all schools in Essex arrow_forward

School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in Essex

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford

Chelmsford County High School for Girls

Colchester Royal Grammar School

Colchester County High School for Girls

Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School

Saffron Walden County High School