Waltham Toll Bar Academy

Waltham Toll Bar Academy has been inspected for the first time in nearly a decade, reflecting significant changes in leadership and a renewed focus on educational quality. The school is performing well overall, rated as 'Good' in key areas such as the quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and sixth-form provision. Although there have been improvements, particularly in student behaviour and engagement, there are concerns regarding standardised reading support and the consistency of assessment methods used by teachers.

Strengths

• High standard of pupil behaviour and conduct.
• Effective pastoral support for students.
• Ambitious curriculum designed for all pupils.
• Strong personal development programs, including extracurricular activities.
• Detailed careers guidance for sixth-form students.

Areas for Improvement

• Absence of a systematic reading support program for early learners.
• Inconsistencies in teachers' questioning techniques limiting understanding.

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 Waltham Toll Bar Academy attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.9% 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, 7.3% of pupils at Waltham Toll Bar Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Waltham Toll Bar Academy had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.9% 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, 12.2% of pupils at Waltham Toll Bar Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.6% 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 Waltham Toll Bar Academy received £7,548 and spent £7,287 for each of its 1,733 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £4,293,000 (£2,477 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust, income was £8,133 and spending £8,144 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 Grimsby · North East Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

Waltham Toll Bar Academy is part of Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Waltham Gateway Academy Grimsby
• Scartho Gateway Academy Grimsby
• Cleethorpes Academy Cleethorpes
• Reynolds Primary Academy Cleethorpes
• Pilgrim Academy Immingham
• Somercotes Academy Louth
• Kidgate Academy Louth
• Louth Academy Louth
• Theddlethorpe Academy Mablethorpe
• Kirton Academy Gainsborough

What is Waltham Toll Bar Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Waltham Toll Bar Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Waltham Toll Bar Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Waltham Toll Bar Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Waltham Toll Bar Academy have?

Waltham Toll Bar Academy has 1,611 pupils on roll.

What age range does Waltham Toll Bar Academy cover?

Waltham Toll Bar Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Waltham Toll Bar Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.6, and 51% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Waltham Toll Bar Academy?

Waltham Toll Bar Academy is at Station Road, New Waltham, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, DN36 4RZ.