Lift Maltings

Lift Maltings has demonstrated a commitment to improvement, meeting safeguarding standards and fostering a positive school culture. While overall attendance is improving, it remains below the national average, and gaps in pupil achievement, particularly in writing, require attention. The school is part of Lift Academies Trust, which supports its leadership and governance, and the community perceives the school positively. Leaders have made strides in curriculum and teaching, but some inconsistencies hinder the full potential of all pupils, especially those with special educational needs.

Strengths

• Effective safeguarding measures create a safe environment for pupils.
• Ambitious and well-designed curriculum that promotes raising aspirations.
• Strong relationships between staff and pupils contribute to a positive culture.
• Well-planned personal development programs enhance pupils’ wellbeing.
• Vulnerable pupils, including those with SEND, gain confidence to learn alongside peers.

Areas for Improvement

• Overall attendance remains below the national average.
• Gaps in learning occasionally lead to missed opportunities for pupil progression.
• Writing skills among some pupils need further development.
• Inconsistent support for pupils with SEND affects their engagement in learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Lift Maltings attended 87.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 12.0% of pupils at Lift Maltings were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Lift Maltings had 20.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 15.0% of pupils at Lift Maltings were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Lift Maltings received £8,394 and spent £8,046 for each of its 842 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £676,000 (£803 per pupil).

Across all 59 schools of Lift Schools, income was £8,746 and spending £8,644 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Witham · Essex local authority: places and applications

Lift Maltings is part of Lift Schools, which runs 62 schools. The nearest others:

• Lift New Rickstones Witham
• Lift Ashingdon Rochford
• Lift Plumberow Hockley
• Lift Greensward Hockley
• Lift Hockley Hockley
• Lift Westerings Hockley
• Lift Clacton Clacton On Sea
• Lift Hamford Walton On The Naze
• Lift Tendring Frinton-On-Sea
• Lift Bexleyheath Bexleyheath

What is Lift Maltings's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lift Maltings is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Lift Maltings last inspected by Ofsted?

Lift Maltings was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Lift Maltings have?

Lift Maltings has 787 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lift Maltings cover?

Lift Maltings for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Lift Maltings's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.6, and 38% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Lift Maltings?

Lift Maltings is at Spinks Lane, Witham, Essex, CM8 1EP.