Stamford Welland Academy, Stamford

Ofsted's report card from its 12 May 2026 inspection grades Stamford Welland Academy on 6 areas: 3 strong standard, 2 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders and staff, including those linked to the house system, know pupils and families extremely well."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "This is a highly inclusive school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders have ensured an extremely well-planned and well-delivered personal, social and health education (PHSE) curriculum that is highly relevant to pupils' needs and context."

Achievement - Expected standard. "The school serves a complex community."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders are highly focused in their ambition to secure the very best education and care for pupils at Stamford Welland Academy."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have identified that pupils experience some inconsistencies in relation to the quality of the curriculum in some subjects."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that they embed highly effective subject curriculums, teaching and assessment across the school so that all groups of pupils make positive and sustained progress across the curriculum and achieve consistently well"; "Leaders should make sure that pupils consistently develop important writing skills and knowledge across the curriculum that includes spelling, punctuation and grammar".

From the headteacher's welcome: "I am proud to be the Principal of Stamford Welland Academy where every child is known, valued, and supported to achieve above and beyond their potential. SWA has grown significantly in the last few years into the ‘school of choice’ for Stamford and the surrounding areas."

In 2026, pupils at Stamford Welland Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.9 in Lincolnshire and 47 across England.

28% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Lincolnshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 39.7 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.01: pupils made about 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 37.8, against 43.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 18 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Sports Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 117 families put Stamford Welland Academy as their first choice and 227 named it as one of their preferences, for 125 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Stamford Welland Academy is one of 36 schools run by Meridian Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.9 in 2024/25.

Of the 122 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 72% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 6% into work.

37.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 112 pupils (17.3%) received SEN support and 61 (9.4%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Stamford Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alexandra Road (adjacent), 70 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 127 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 Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Stamford Welland Academy issued 57 suspensions, 9.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Stamford Welland Academy are The Bluecoat School (under 0.1 miles), St Augustine's Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.2 miles), St George's Church of England Aided Primary School (0.3 miles) and Stamford St Gilberts Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.