Lift New Forest, Southampton
Lift New Forest is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Southampton, part of Lift Schools. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 14th-highest of the 21 schools in Southampton with published results, and 2,647th of 3,298 across England. It was 50% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Hampshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lift New Forest in detail
Lift New Forest in its own words
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Lift New Forest averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.6 in Hampshire and 47 across England.
32% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Hampshire and 47% in England.
That is up from 38.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.51: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 33.4, against 44.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Lift New Forest
For September 2026 entry, 74 families put Lift New Forest as their first choice and 124 named it as one of their preferences, for 101 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Lift New Forest are Noadswood School (2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.6); Applemore College (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37.4); The Hamble School (3.7 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 48.1); and Weston Secondary School (3.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 30.3).
Lift New Forest's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Noadswood SchoolApplemore CollegeThe Hamble SchoolWeston Secondary School
The trust
Lift New Forest is one of 62 schools run by Lift Schools, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.7 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 113 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 72% to a further education college, 6% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.
Who goes there
42.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 96 pupils (19%) received SEN support and 34 (6.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Netley Rail Station, about 3.3 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Secondary School (se-bound), 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lift New Forest issued 59 suspensions, 10.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Lift New Forest are Manor Church of England Infant School (0.3 miles), Cadland Primary School (0.6 miles), Blackfield Primary and Nursery School (1.4 miles) and Wildground Junior School (1.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Manor Church of England Infant SchoolCadland Primary SchoolBlackfield Primary and Nursery SchoolWildground Junior School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
42.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.67 to -0.51 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 36.3 to 39.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 20% to 32% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 39.9 | 32.3% |
| Disadvantaged(39) | - | 33.4 | 20.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(60) | - | 44.2 | 40% |
| Boys(50) | - | 42.6 | 38% |
| Girls(49) | - | 37.2 | 26.5% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(93) | - | 40.2 | 32.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 113 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
59
Suspensions
10.77%
Suspension rate
39 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 548 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Lift New Forest
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lift New Forest from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lift New Forest is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Lift New Forest
Will you get a place at Lift New Forest? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lift New Forest's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lift New Forest:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lift New Forest.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hampshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lift New Forest for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hampshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
50%
Available places
542 pupils
1,079 places
537 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Southampton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southampton
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,392
Applications
13,874
Got 1st preference
90.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
96
SEN Support
34
EHC Plans
25.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
504
Total Pupils
274
Boys
230
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
31
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,844
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,501
Per pupil
£4373k
Total funding
£239k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.4%
Overall absence
23.8%
Persistent absence
558
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Lift New Forest
What are GCSE results like at Lift New Forest?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Lift New Forest achieved an Attainment 8 score of 39.9. 32% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Lift New Forest's Ofsted rating?
Lift New Forest was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2023.
What is the catchment area for Lift New Forest?
No fixed boundary. When Lift New Forest is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lift New Forest?
Lift New Forest was not full in 2025: it ran at 50% of its 1079 places.
How big are the classes at Lift New Forest?
Classes at Lift New Forest average 20.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lift New Forest?
Lift New Forest has around 504 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lift New Forest?
9.4% of sessions were missed at Lift New Forest in 2024/25. 23.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lift New Forest?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Lift New Forest on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Lift New Forest?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 4 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lift New Forest?
Lift New Forest is at Long Lane, Holbury, Southampton, Hampshire, SO45 2PA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)