The Priory City of Lincoln Academy, Lincoln

Requires Improvement
Secondary
Academy sponsor led
Mixed
Ages 1118

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.5km)Possible (~2.2km)Unlikely (~2.8km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr Martin Whitaker
Pupils:922 / 950 capacity
LA:Lincolnshire
Phone:01522882800
Address:Skellingthorpe Road, Lincoln, LN6 0EP
Trust:THE PRIORY FEDERATION OF ACADEMIES
Admissions:Non-selective
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2008

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 9 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Sixth Form
Expected Standard
Inspected 9 December 2025View full report
URN:135564
UKPRN:10024303
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Lincoln
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school provides excellent pastoral care and enrichment opportunities that engage all pupils, including disadvantaged students. The sixth form is particularly strong, with students achieving well and gaining valuable work experience. Leaders are committed to improving the school and have begun implementing changes to strengthen teaching and support for all learners.

Key Strengths

  • Strong pastoral care and support for vulnerable pupils including those in care, young carers, and disadvantaged students
  • Excellent enrichment opportunities with high uptake including sports, music, trips, and leadership roles
  • Well-designed sixth form with strong student outcomes and work placements

Areas for Improvement

  • Teaching quality is too variable and pupils don't always have enough time to practise new learning
  • Not enough pupils achieve their full potential in GCSEs, particularly disadvantaged pupils
  • Behaviour and attendance need improvement, with some pupils disengaged from learning
  • Support for pupils with special educational needs is inconsistent and strategies need to be more precise

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have created an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Multi-sports club, book groups, chess club, choir, museum trips, Globe Theatre visits, STEM festivals, author visits, ski trip to Italy, Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, careers fair, student council, wellbeing ambassadors

The Priory City of Lincoln Academy is a secondary school where safeguarding standards are met and pupils generally feel safe. However, the school faces challenges in achievement, teaching quality, and behaviour management, though leaders have begun implementing improvements.

At a Glance

36.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

19.9

Avg class size

41

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

City School (adj)
83m · 1 min walk
Spanby Drive (opp)
199m · 3 min walk
Almond Avenue (adj)
366m · 6 min walk
Holy Cross Church (opp)
463m · 8 min walk
Bucknall Avenue (opp)
498m · 8 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

97%

Near capacity

922 pupils

950 capacity

28 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Lincoln

Low pressure
New homes approved:2,536
Projected new pupils:456

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Lincoln

Admissions Demand - Lincolnshire

Low demand0.86x oversubscription

Places available

9,207

Applications

7,938

Got 1st preference

86.0%

Got preferred school

96.2%

Secondary admissions across Lincolnshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(7)

9 December 2025Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Sixth Form
10 May 2023
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Sixth FormGood
8 December 2015
Leadership & ManagementGood

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

13.5009%

Overall absence

36.18421%

Persistent absence

912

Enrolments

Authorised9.46171%
Unauthorised4.03919%
Persistent (10%+)36.18421%
Severe (50%+)8.66228%

Absence trend

6.60713%
18/19
6.57843%
20/21
11.99491%
21/22
11.24785%
22/23
12.9857%
23/24
13.5009%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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