Lift Tamworth, Tamworth
Lift Tamworth is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Tamworth, part of Lift Schools. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 6th-highest of the 6 schools in Tamworth with published results, and 3,089th of 3,298 across England. It was 63% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Staffordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lift Tamworth in detail
Lift Tamworth 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 Tamworth averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Staffordshire and 47 across England.
26% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Staffordshire and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 36.1.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.63: 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 30.6, against 39.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.5 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 17 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Geography.
Getting a place at Lift Tamworth
For September 2026 entry, 109 families put Lift Tamworth as their first choice and 222 named it as one of their preferences, for 124 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 Tamworth are The Wilnecote School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.3); Landau Forte Academy, Amington (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.9); Landau Forte Academy, QEMS (2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.3); and The Polesworth School (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Lift Tamworth.
The Wilnecote SchoolLandau Forte Academy, AmingtonLandau Forte Academy, QEMSThe Polesworth School
The trust
Lift Tamworth 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.
What parents say
70 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lift Tamworth (as of September 2025): 69% would recommend the school, 73% say their child is happy there and 29% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (80%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (29%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 134 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 67% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
43.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 3.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wilnecote (Staffs) Rail Station, about 920 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Enterprise College (opposite), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 218 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lift Tamworth issued 156 suspensions, 25.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Lift Tamworth are Bird's Bush Primary School (0.2 miles), St Gabriel's Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles), Oakhill Primary School (0.4 miles) and Hanbury's Farm Community Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Bird's Bush Primary SchoolSt Gabriel's Catholic Primary SchoolOakhill Primary SchoolHanbury's Farm Community Primary 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; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school has made impressive improvements and creates a warm, supportive environment where pupils feel safe and motivated. Staff are well-supported by the LIFT Schools Trust, and the school places strong emphasis on pupils' well-being, mental health, and preparation for their futures. Pupils benefit from ambitious teaching across the curriculum and daily enrichment activities that develop their talents and interests.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on pupils' personal development, mental health and well-being with a well-planned PSHE curriculum
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs through personalized 'passports' and specialist teaching for reading difficulties
- High-quality careers programme that prepares pupils well for their next stages
- Warm, respectful relationships between staff and pupils with clear behavioral expectations
- Daily STRIVE enrichment activities including musical theatre, sports and debates
Areas for Improvement
- Some teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding or identify gaps in their knowledge, limiting progress
- In some subjects, teachers do not consistently adapt teaching to challenge all pupils and help them deepen their knowledge and skills
- Attendance for some pupils remains higher than it should be, despite effective school action
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical theatre, sports, debates, student ambassador roles, STRIVE enrichment activities
Tamworth Enterprise College and AET Academy is a secondary comprehensive school that has undergone significant change since its previous inspection. The school is rated Good across all key areas, having improved from a Requires Improvement rating, with staff and pupils sharing high aspirations supported by warm relationships and a purposeful learning atmosphere.
At a Glance
43.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
70 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.91 to -0.63 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 34.1 to 35.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 22% to 26% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 35.3 | 26.3% |
| Disadvantaged(59) | - | 30.6 | 11.9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(74) | - | 39.1 | 37.8% |
| Boys(70) | - | 35.7 | 31.4% |
| Girls(63) | - | 34.9 | 20.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(9) | - | 37.6 | 22.2% |
| Non mobile(121) | - | 36.4 | 28.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 134 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.50%
Exclusion rate
156
Suspensions
25.79%
Suspension rate
71 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 605 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Lift Tamworth
Term dates
Lift Tamworth is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Staffordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lift Tamworth from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lift Tamworth is in Staffordshire; for families living there:
Apply to Staffordshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
4 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 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 Tamworth
Will you get a place at Lift Tamworth? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lift Tamworth's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lift Tamworth:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lift Tamworth.
- Staffordshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Lift Tamworth that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lift Tamworth for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Staffordshire 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
63%
Available places
606 pupils
960 places
354 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Tamworth
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Tamworth
Across Staffordshire council
Places available
8,807
Applications
7,681
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.5%
All secondary applications across Staffordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
136
SEN Support
28
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
636
Total Pupils
320
Boys
316
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
35
Teachers
18.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,003
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,587
Per pupil
£5012k
Total funding
£288k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.8%
Overall absence
37.8%
Persistent absence
650
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
Lift Tamworth
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Lift Tamworth
What are GCSE results like at Lift Tamworth?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Lift Tamworth achieved an Attainment 8 score of 35.3. 26% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Lift Tamworth's Ofsted rating?
Lift Tamworth's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2018, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Lift Tamworth?
No fixed boundary. When Lift Tamworth is oversubscribed, Staffordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lift Tamworth?
Lift Tamworth was not full in 2025: it ran at 63% of its 960 places.
How big are the classes at Lift Tamworth?
Classes at Lift Tamworth average 26.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lift Tamworth?
Lift Tamworth has around 636 pupils on roll. 44% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lift Tamworth?
11.8% of sessions were missed at Lift Tamworth in 2024/25. 37.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lift Tamworth?
Apply through Staffordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Lift Tamworth 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 Tamworth?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 9 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 4 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 Staffordshire is 5 (the median across 457 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lift Tamworth?
Lift Tamworth is at Birds Bush Road, Belgrave, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B77 2NE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)