Willoughby Academy
Willoughby Academy is an academy special converter in Bourne for pupils aged 2 to 19. It has 143 pupils on roll.
| Type | Special School / Academy special converter |
| Age Range | 2-19 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | South Road Bourne Lincolnshire PE10 9JD |
| Phone | 01778425203 |
| Reference Number | 147414 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 143 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 67.13%
Girls: 32.87% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 41.8% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 5.6% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| 3 | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| 4 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 5 | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| 6 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| 7 | 5 | Unknown | 5 |
| 8 | 11 | 3 | 14 |
| 9 | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| 10 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 11 | 10 | 1 | 11 |
| 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| 13 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 81.1% |
| White, Other | 7% |
| White & Asian | 2.8% |
| Unclassified | 2.8% |
| African | 2.1% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1.4% |
| Asian, Other | 1.4% |
| Indian | 0.7% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.7% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | 08 Nov 2023 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 08 Nov 2023 | School inspection |
| 07 Sep 2019 | Academy conversion letter |
| 20 Sep 2016 | Short inspection |
| Previously as The Willoughby School | |
| 09 Oct 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 04 Mar 2010 | Full inspection: |
| 12 Feb 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 01 Jul 2002 | Full inspection |
Destinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Further Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > School Sixth Form | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Sixth Form College | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| > Other Education | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Apprenticeships | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Not in education or employment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Unknown | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
In 2024–25 pupils at Willoughby Academy attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 18.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 10.0% | 8.7% | 6.8% | 5.7% | 6.0% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.3% |
| Severely absent pupils | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2.6% | 0.9% | 0.0% |
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, 5.6% of pupils at Willoughby Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 5.0 | 10.4 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Willoughby Academy had 7.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 7.2% | 12.3% | 36.3% | 10.1% | 15.8% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | – | 81.3% | 82.4% | 68.2% | 78.9% | 42.9% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | – | 8.1 | 13.8 | 12.7 | 8.3 | 2.8 | – |
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 Willoughby Academy had 143 pupils, 100.0% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).
It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.
Pupils by main type of need
| EHC plan | |
|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 67 |
| Severe learning difficulty | 21 |
| Profound and multiple learning difficulty | 16 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 12 |
| Physical disability | 11 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 8 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 2 |
| Vision impairment | 2 |
| Hearing impairment | 1 |
| Multi-sensory impairment | 1 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 1 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 1 |
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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2024–25 Willoughby Academy received £29,004 and spent £26,639 for each of its 144 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £517,000 (£3,593 per pupil).
Across all 14 schools of The Priory Federation of Academies, income was £8,686 and spending £8,648 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £161,000 | £367,000 | £168,000 | £98,000 | £192,000 | £517,000 |
| per pupil | £1,654 | £3,336 | £1,303 | £723 | £1,374 | £3,593 |
| In-year balance | £45,000 | £192,000 | -£118,000 | -£74,000 | £121,000 | £341,000 |
| per pupil | £457 | £1,744 | -£915 | -£547 | £866 | £2,365 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy
Sandown Drive, Elsea Park, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 0WP |
0.26 miles |
|
Bourne Abbey Church of England Primary Academy
Abbey Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9EP |
0.36 miles |
|
Bourne Westfield Primary Academy
Westbourne Park, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9QS |
0.88 miles |
|
Thurlby Community Primary Academy
Crown Lane, Thurlby, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 0EZ |
1.5 miles |
|
The Edenham Church of England School
School Lane, Edenham, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 0LP |
2.76 miles |
|
The Morton Church of England (Controlled) Primary School
Station Road, Morton, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 0NN |
2.79 miles |
|
Baston CE Primary School
103a Main Street, Baston, Peterborough, Lincolnshire, PE6 9PB |
3.36 miles |
|
Witham Hall School
|
3.47 miles |
|
Langtoft Primary School
Manor Close, Langtoft, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE6 9NB |
4.55 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Bourne Grammar School
South Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9JE |
0.05 miles |
|
Bourne Academy
Edinburgh Crescent, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9DT |
0.83 miles |
|
Kirkstone House School
1-6 Main Street, Peterborough, PE6 9PA |
3.53 miles |
All schools in Bourne · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications
Willoughby Academy is part of The Priory Federation of Academies, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:
- Huntingtower Community Primary Academy Grantham
- The Priory Ruskin Academy Grantham
- The Priory Belvoir Academy Nottingham
- Waddington Redwood Primary Academy Lincoln
- Bracebridge Heath St John's Primary Academy Lincoln
- Ling Moor Primary Academy Lincoln
- Heighington Millfield Primary Academy Lincoln
- Bracebridge Infant and Nursery School Lincoln
- The Priory Witham Academy Lincoln
- The Priory Academy LSST Lincoln
How many pupils does Willoughby Academy have?
Willoughby Academy has 143 pupils on roll.
What age range does Willoughby Academy cover?
Willoughby Academy for pupils aged 2 to 19.
Where is Willoughby Academy?
Willoughby Academy is at South Road, Bourne, Lincolnshire, PE10 9JD.