Willows Academy

Willows Academy is performing well, maintaining the standards observed in its previous inspection. The school fosters a safe and nurturing environment, supported by strong relationships between staff and pupils. With a focus on inclusivity, all students have access to an ambitious curriculum that promotes academic achievement. Notably, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective support. Leaders have successfully improved pupil attendance, which consistently exceeds local and national averages, and behavioral expectations are set high, contributing to a positive learning atmosphere.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils create a supportive environment.
• High attendance rates consistently above national and local levels.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND.
• Well-designed curriculum that promotes knowledge accumulation.
• Pupils achieve very well in reading due to prioritized early language acquisition.
• Highly effective governance by well-informed trustees.
• Pupils display kindness and consideration towards each other.

Areas for Improvement

• The English curriculum lacks adequate support for early writing skills.

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 Willows Academy attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 0.5% of pupils at Willows Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Willows Academy had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 15.2% of pupils at Willows Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Willows Academy received £7,824 and spent £7,415 for each of its 176 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £288,000 (£1,636 per pupil).

Across all 62 schools of Delta Academies Trust, income was £7,459 and spending £7,562 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

Willows Academy is part of Delta Academies Trust, which runs 62 schools. The nearest others:

• John Whitgift Academy Grimsby
• Wybers Wood Academy Grimsby
• Macaulay Primary Academy Grimsby
• Strand Primary Academy Grimsby
• Weelsby Academy Grimsby
• Worlaby Academy Brigg
• Craven Primary Academy Hull
• Estcourt Primary Academy Hull
• The Vale Academy Brigg
• Mersey Primary Academy Hull

What is Willows Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Willows Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Willows Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Willows Academy was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Willows Academy have?

Willows Academy has 184 pupils on roll.

What age range does Willows Academy cover?

Willows Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Willows Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Willows Academy?

Willows Academy is at Queensway, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, DN37 9AT.