University Academy Long Sutton, Spalding

Ofsted's report card from its 24 March 2026 inspection grades University Academy Long Sutton on 6 areas: 1 expected standard, 4 needs attention and 1 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school is ambitious that all pupils should be well prepared for their lives in modern Britain."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Too many pupils do not attend school as well as they should."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of teaching is inconsistent."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "The identification of specific barriers to learning faced by pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) lacks precision."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders' improvement work is in the early stages."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils' attainment and progress are consistently below national averages over time."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders need to ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, gain the knowledge, skills and qualifications they need to be well prepared for their next stages in education, training or employment"; "Leaders need to make sure that staff share high expectations for all pupils and that the curriculum supports pupils who have weak foundational reading and writing skills to catch up quickly so that all pupils achieve well"; "Leaders need to make sure that teachers consistently deliver the curriculum effectively, checking pupils' learning carefully to identify any gaps or misconceptions, and support pupils to learn securely and to remember what they have learned"; "Leaders need to ensure that staff have an accurate understanding of the specific barriers to learning faced by disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils, as well as those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and that they routinely adapt teaching to help pupils overcome any barriers to learning"; "Leaders need to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly"; "Leaders need to ensure that they have strategic oversight of the actions they take to improve the school to make sure that actions are coordinated and impactful for the benefit of all pupils"; "Leaders should continue to prioritise disadvantaged pupils when considering the extra-curricular offer to ensure that all pupils benefit fully from the activities that are available".

In 2026, pupils at University Academy Long Sutton averaged an Attainment 8 score of 34, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.9 in Lincolnshire and 47 across England.

18% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Lincolnshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 32.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.68: 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, against 37.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 7.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 121 families put University Academy Long Sutton as their first choice and 220 named it as one of their preferences, for 131 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

University Academy Long Sutton is one of 7 schools run by University of Lincoln Academy Trust, an academy trust.

44 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about University Academy Long Sutton (as of April 2026): 64% would recommend the school, 52% say their child is happy there and 55% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (64%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (39%).

Of the 139 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 81% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

42.5% 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.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of University Academy Long Sutton.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is University Academy (adjacent), 80 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 49 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, University Academy Long Sutton issued 558 suspensions, 80.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to University Academy Long Sutton are Long Sutton County Primary School (0.8 miles) and Lutton St Nicholas Primary Academy (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.