Reynolds Primary Academy

Reynolds Primary Academy is a welcoming school where pupils feel safe, most behave well, and children in the early years are happy, curious and independent learners. Safeguarding is effective, an ambitious curriculum is in place, and pupils benefit from a range of activities that help them learn how to keep themselves safe and take on responsibilities. Attendance has improved in recent years, although the school continues to work with families whose children do not attend regularly. The main concern is that the school's high expectations have not yet translated into consistently good outcomes for pupils, including those with SEND. Teaching strategies are not used consistently well, support for pupils with SEND is uneven, and some early readers receive books that do not match their phonics knowledge. This means some pupils do not make the progress they should, and engagement can dip when work is not well matched to their needs. Leadership has recognised the weaknesses and has begun to act, but it does not routinely check whether improvement work is having the intended impact. Personal development is less secure than other areas, with pupils' understanding of individual characteristics and their role in society not as well developed. This is the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is part of Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and know there are trusted adults to talk to
• Most pupils behave well in class and around school
• Attendance has improved and pupils understand its importance
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• The curriculum is ambitious and staff have received training in some subjects
• Early years provision is strong, with children happy, curious and independent
• Children benefit from language and vocabulary opportunities through songs, rhymes and poems
• Pupils learn practical safety skills such as swimming, cycling, fire safety and first aid
• Pupils have leadership opportunities such as school councillors and well-being ambassadors
• Pupils learn about local artists and arts and culture in the town

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching strategies are not used consistently well, so some pupils do not understand important concepts
• Some pupils lose focus when work is too easy or too difficult
• Pupils with SEND do not receive consistently strong support across subjects
• The school did not identify some pupils' learning and development needs accurately or swiftly until recently
• Some early readers receive books that do not match their phonics knowledge
• Phonics practice is inconsistent and errors are not addressed swiftly enough
• Personal development is less secure, including pupils' understanding of individual characteristics and their role in society
• Leaders do not routinely check whether actions to improve the school are having the intended impact
• Published outcomes in recent years have not been acceptable, and high expectations for achievement have not been realised

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 Reynolds Primary Academy attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.1% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Reynolds Primary 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 Reynolds Primary Academy had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.2% 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, 11.8% of pupils at Reynolds Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Reynolds Primary Academy received £6,816 and spent £7,026 for each of its 384 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £541,000 (£1,411 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 Cleethorpes · North East Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

Reynolds Primary Academy is part of Lincolnshire Gateway Academies Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

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

What is Reynolds Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Reynolds Primary Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Reynolds Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Reynolds Primary Academy was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Reynolds Primary Academy have?

Reynolds Primary Academy has 338 pupils on roll.

What age range does Reynolds Primary Academy cover?

Reynolds Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Reynolds Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Reynolds Primary Academy?

Reynolds Primary Academy is at Machray Place, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, DN35 7LJ.