Lift Unity City, Middlesbrough

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades Lift Unity City on 6 areas: 4 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Attendance at Unity City is everyone's responsibility."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Staff work as a close team to keep a focus on the most vulnerable pupils."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have provided clear leadership that has brought important improvements in a short space of time."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a personal development programme that is responsive to the needs of pupils."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement over time has not been good enough, including that of disadvantaged pupils."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have done much to enhance the curriculum and improve the quality of teaching after a period of staffing changes."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should intensify developments in curriculum and teaching to further develop pupils' foundational knowledge to support stronger achievement for all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders should improve the use of assessment to check learning, deepen understanding and adapt teaching and the curriculum to better support pupils' progress"; "Leaders should further embed strategies to improve pupils' behaviour and their perception of behaviour, particularly at social times and at times of transition at the end of breaks".

In 2026, pupils at Lift Unity City averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 41.6 in Middlesbrough and 47 across England.

22% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 38% in Middlesbrough and 47% in England.

That is up from 34.2 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.87: 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 33.6, against 45.1 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and Sports Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 175 families put Lift Unity City as their first choice and 291 named it as one of their preferences, for 196 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Lift Unity City are Outwood Academy Ormesby (0.9 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 36.1); Trinity Catholic College (1.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 42.7); Outwood Academy Normanby (1.6 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 36.5); and St Peter's Catholic College (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.6).

Lift Unity City's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Lift Unity City 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.

Of the 172 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 70% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 62% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

72% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 11.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%) and Black (7%).

Lift Unity City has a resourced provision for moderate learning difficulties.

The nearest railway station is James Cook Rail Station, about 850 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Kelvin Grove (b), 100 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lift Unity City stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Lift Unity City issued 549 suspensions, 53.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 11 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Lift Unity City are St Pius X Catholic Primary School, a Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.3 miles); Pallister Park Primary School (0.4 miles); Park End Primary School (0.4 miles); and Berwick Hills Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.