The Gainsborough Academy

The Gainsborough Academy is undergoing significant improvements, reflecting a change in culture with raised expectations for both pupils and staff. Most stakeholders, including pupils, parents, and staff, recognize this positive momentum, yet some challenges remain. Attendance is on the rise, and pupils generally feel safe, but certain students continue to struggle with consistent attendance and behaviour, impacting overall learning outcomes. Although some pupils are achieving well, there is a clear need for better support to ensure all students reach their full potential by the end of key stage 4.

Strengths

• Pupils appreciate a wide range of subjects offered.
• A clear structure in the curriculum helps guide students' learning.
• Improvements in pupils' attendance and behaviour are being noted.
• Reading is prioritized, and supports are in place for struggling readers.
• Pupils demonstrate respect towards each other and staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation is inconsistent across subjects.
• Teachers' questioning and checks on pupils' learning are often ineffective.
• Some pupils do not have high enough expectations of their achievements.
• Behaviour challenges persist, particularly among vulnerable groups.
• Persistent absence remains an issue among disadvantaged pupils.

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 The Gainsborough Academy attended 87.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 39.7% 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, 27.1% of pupils at The Gainsborough Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 10 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 The Gainsborough Academy had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.5% 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, 25.0% of pupils at The Gainsborough Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has a SEN unit with 3 pupils.

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 The Gainsborough Academy received £9,598 and spent £9,530 for each of its 723 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,088,000 (£1,505 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Wickersley Partnership Trust, income was £8,491 and spending £8,459 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 Gainsborough · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

The Gainsborough Academy is part of Wickersley Partnership Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Wickersley School and Sports College Rotherham
• Thrybergh Academy Rotherham
• Thrybergh Primary School Rotherham
• Aston Hall Junior and Infant School Sheffield
• Foljambe Primary School Rotherham
• Aston Lodge Primary School Sheffield
• Rawmarsh Sandhill Primary School Rotherham
• Clifton Community School Rotherham
• Rawmarsh Ashwood Primary School Rotherham
• Rawmarsh Community School Rotherham

What is The Gainsborough Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Gainsborough Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was The Gainsborough Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Gainsborough Academy was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does The Gainsborough Academy have?

The Gainsborough Academy has 767 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Gainsborough Academy cover?

The Gainsborough Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Gainsborough Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 33.1, and 21% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Gainsborough Academy?

The Gainsborough Academy is at Sweyn Lane, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1PB.