Hartsholme Academy

Hartsholme Academy is performing well across all inspected areas, having improved since its previous inspection. Pupils are safe, well cared for and respectful, and behaviour and attendance have improved. The school has high expectations and an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum, with reading as a particular strength through expert phonics teaching and effective catch-up support. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported well, while personal development and early years provision are also strong. The school is part of Harbour Learning Trust and is well supported by the trust, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Leaders have made significant curriculum improvements, but some variation remains in how consistently the curriculum is delivered. Where teaching strategies and learning activities are less effective, pupils’ learning is less secure, and the proportion of pupils achieving above the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 is below the national average. The school also lacks robust systems for evaluating the impact of its curriculum and other strategies, meaning leaders do not yet have an accurate view of how well their actions are working.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, are well cared for and behave politely and respectfully.
• The school has high expectations and an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum.
• Reading is central to the curriculum, with expert phonics teaching and effective catch-up support.
• Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported through ambitious, individualised provision.
• Behaviour and attendance have improved, with effective personalised support when needed.
• Personal development is well provided through clubs, trips, leadership roles and PSHE.
• Early years provision offers a well-resourced, caring environment that develops children’s social and communication skills.
• The school is well supported by the multi-academy trust, and safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• There is variation in the quality of curriculum delivery across subjects.
• Some learning activities are less well designed, so pupils do not gain knowledge as securely.
• The proportion of pupils achieving above the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 is below the national average.
• Systems for evaluating the impact of the curriculum are not well established in all subjects.
• Leaders lack robust systems to monitor the impact of their work and do not have an accurate view of effectiveness.

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 Hartsholme Academy attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Hartsholme 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 Hartsholme Academy had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.6% 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, 17.3% of pupils at Hartsholme Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 Hartsholme Academy received £7,689 and spent £7,914 for each of its 348 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £130,000 (£373 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Harbour Learning Trust, income was £7,685 and spending £7,718 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 Lincoln · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

Hartsholme Academy is part of Harbour Learning Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• St Giles Academy Lincoln
• Ermine Primary Academy Lincoln
• Woodlands Academy Grimsby
• Healing Academy Grimsby
• Healing Primary Academy Grimsby
• Great Coates Primary School Grimsby
• William Barcroft Junior School Cleethorpes

What is Hartsholme Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hartsholme Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Hartsholme Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Hartsholme Academy was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Hartsholme Academy have?

Hartsholme Academy has 346 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hartsholme Academy cover?

Hartsholme Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hartsholme Academy?

Hartsholme Academy is at Carrington Drive, Lincoln, LN6 0DE.