Lift North Thoresby

North Thoresby Primary Academy is a small primary school that remains a good school overall, with behaviour and attitudes standing out as excellent. Inspectors found high expectations from the early years onwards, warm relationships, and pupils who are polite, proud of their school and clear about the school’s values. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, supported by the Lift Schools Trust, and reading is a clear priority; phonics teaching is consistent and effective, and pupils achieve well across a range of subjects. Personal development is a significant strength. Pupils take part in community events, clubs and leadership roles, learn about safety, health, relationships and diversity, and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Early years provision gives children a strong start, with a carefully designed environment and knowledgeable staff. Leadership and trust oversight are effective, staff feel well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area for improvement is the consistency of curriculum adaptation for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Although systems to identify and meet SEND needs are clear, teachers do not always adapt lessons effectively, so some pupils with SEND do not build their knowledge as securely as they could. The report asks the school to refine curriculum adaptations and lesson design so all pupils achieve as well as intended. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is part of the Lift Schools Trust and a federation with Utterby Primary Academy.

Strengths

• Excellent pupil behaviour and attitudes, with high expectations from the early years
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum supported by the trust
• Strong phonics and reading provision with effective support for pupils at risk of falling behind
• Pupils achieve well and make connections across their learning
• Clear SEND identification and support processes, with learning generally adapted so pupils access the same curriculum
• Strong early years provision with enthusiastic children and a well-designed learning environment
• Personal development is a significant strength, including community involvement, clubs, leadership and safety education
• Trustees understand their statutory duties and staff feel well supported by leaders and the trust
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers do not always make effective or appropriate curriculum adaptations for pupils with SEND
• Some pupils with SEND do not build on their knowledge securely
• Curriculum adaptations and lesson design need refinement so all pupils achieve as intended

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 North Thoresby attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.5% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Lift North Thoresby 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 Lift North Thoresby had 12.0 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, 7.1% of pupils at Lift North Thoresby were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% 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 Lift North Thoresby received £8,998 and spent £9,657 for each of its 99 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £79,000 (£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 Grimsby · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

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

• Lift Utterby Louth
• Lift Newington Hull
• Lift Hall Road Hull
• Lift Green Way Hull
• Lift Kingswood Hull
• Lift Shafton Barnsley
• Lift Firth Park Sheffield
• Lift St Helen's Barnsley
• Lift Meadstead Barnsley
• Lift Cottingley Leeds

What is Lift North Thoresby's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lift North Thoresby is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Lift North Thoresby last inspected by Ofsted?

Lift North Thoresby was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Lift North Thoresby have?

Lift North Thoresby has 98 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lift North Thoresby cover?

Lift North Thoresby for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Lift North Thoresby's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lift North Thoresby?

Lift North Thoresby is at High Street, North Thoresby, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, DN36 5PL.