The Gainsborough Academy, Gainsborough
The Gainsborough Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Gainsborough, part of Wickersley Partnership Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 50th-highest of the 54 schools in Lincolnshire with published results, and 3,177th of 3,298 across England. It was 60% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
- 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 Lincolnshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Gainsborough Academy in detail
The Gainsborough Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Gainsborough Academy is an 11-16 school in Lincolnshire with 670 students on roll. We consider ourselves to be a genuine comprehensive school, catering for students of a wide range of abilities, needs, aspirations and backgrounds. The school is part of Wickersley Partnership Trust (WPT), a growing family of like-minded secondary and primary schools."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Gainsborough Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 33.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.9 in Lincolnshire and 47 across England.
21% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Lincolnshire and 47% in England.
That is down from 38 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.81: 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 30.9, against 37.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.5 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 20 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at The Gainsborough Academy
For September 2026 entry, 137 families put The Gainsborough Academy as their first choice and 179 named it as one of their preferences, for 155 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Gainsborough Academy
The trust
The Gainsborough Academy is one of 13 schools run by Wickersley Partnership Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.5 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 106 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 73% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 58% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 7% into work.
Who goes there
65.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 5.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 192 pupils (25%) received SEN support and 34 (4.4%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
The Gainsborough Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 23 places, 23 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Gainsborough Central Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Trent Valley Academy (adjacent), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 146 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Gainsborough Academy issued 1124 suspensions, 155.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 10 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Gainsborough Academy are Castle Wood Academy (0.6 miles), The Gainsborough Charles Baines Community Primary School (0.7 miles), White's Wood Academy (0.7 miles) and The Gainsborough Hillcrest Early Years Academy (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Castle Wood AcademyThe Gainsborough Charles Baines Community Primary SchoolWhite's Wood AcademyThe Gainsborough Hillcrest Early Years Academy
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); 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Most pupils, staff, and parents and carers agree that this school is improving. Raised expectations are helping to change the school's culture. Pupils' attendance is increasing and their behaviour is getting better. Most pupils feel safe. There is a growing confidence that staff will resolve any bullying concerns. However, some pupils do not come to school often enough and miss out on important learning. Other pupils struggle to conduct themselves consistently well. Therefore, despite the improvements since the previous inspection, there is more work to do.
Pupils appreciate the wide range of subjects they can study. An increasing number of pupils follow the English Baccalaureate at key stage 4. Most pupils want to learn and do well. A reduction in low-level disruption helps them to focus during lessons. However, some pupils lack belief in their own abilities to be successful. Pupils' outcomes are improving. However, they do not achieve as well as they could by the end of key stage 4.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
School and trust leaders have an ambitious vision for the school to help it overcome the barriers that it faces. A sustained focus on the key priorities is making a positive difference. Increased leadership capacity and additional resources have helped to bring about some marked improvements. The school is actively involved in the local community so that others can hear about the positive work that is taking place. However, leaders have not ensured that all stakeholders, including pupils, staff and parents, understand why these changes are necessary.
The planned curriculum provides a clear structure for what pupils need to know and how they will make progress. Careful thought has been given to when pupils learn new knowledge and skills, and how these link to what has gone before. The school's curriculum is well suited to its particular context and the experiences of its pupils.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its July 2024 inspection.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
65.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -0.39 to -0.81 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 37.8 to 33.1 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 21% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 33.1 | 20.8% |
| Disadvantaged(94) | - | 30.9 | 17% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(50) | - | 37.4 | 28% |
| Boys(76) | - | 31.8 | 17.1% |
| Girls(68) | - | 34.6 | 25% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(6) | - | 45.8 | 50% |
| Non mobile(134) | - | 33.5 | 21.6% |
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) - 106 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
10
Permanent exclusions
1.39%
Exclusion rate
1124
Suspensions
155.68%
Suspension rate
196 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 722 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Latest from The Gainsborough Academy
Y5/6 Open Evening 2026
2 Oct 2026
Y7 Art Assessment
25 Sep 2026
TGA Proud Podium
24 Sep 2026
Mr Wilby AWPC World Championships Success
15 Sep 2026
TGA Proud Podium
14 Sep 2026
TGA Proud Podium
8 Sep 2026
From The Gainsborough Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Gainsborough Academy
Term dates
The Gainsborough Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lincolnshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Gainsborough Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Gainsborough Academy is in Lincolnshire; for families living there:
Apply to Lincolnshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 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 The Gainsborough Academy
Will you get a place at The Gainsborough Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Gainsborough Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Gainsborough Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Gainsborough Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lincolnshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Gainsborough Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lincolnshire 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
60%
Available places
723 pupils
1,200 places
477 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Gainsborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Gainsborough
Across Lincolnshire council
Places available
9,247
Applications
7,828
Got 1st preference
84.7%
Got preferred school
96.4%
All secondary applications across Lincolnshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
192
SEN Support
34
EHC Plans
29.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Gainsborough Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 23 places, 23 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
767
Total Pupils
379
Boys
388
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
45
Teachers
17.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,927
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,301
Per pupil
£6635k
Total funding
£456k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.8%
Overall absence
39.7%
Persistent absence
795
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 The Gainsborough Academy
What are GCSE results like at The Gainsborough Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Gainsborough Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 33.1. 21% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Gainsborough Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Gainsborough Academy was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2022 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for The Gainsborough Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Gainsborough Academy is oversubscribed, Lincolnshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Gainsborough Academy?
The Gainsborough Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 60% of its 1200 places.
How big are the classes at The Gainsborough Academy?
Classes at The Gainsborough Academy average 22.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Gainsborough Academy?
The Gainsborough Academy has around 767 pupils on roll. 65% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Gainsborough Academy have specialist SEN provision?
The Gainsborough Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 23 places, 23 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at The Gainsborough Academy?
12.8% of sessions were missed at The Gainsborough Academy in 2024/25. 39.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Gainsborough Academy?
Apply through Lincolnshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Gainsborough Academy 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 The Gainsborough Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 1 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Gainsborough Academy?
The Gainsborough Academy is at Sweyn Lane, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 1PB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)