William Lovell Church of England Academy, Boston

Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades William Lovell Church of England Academy on 6 areas: 2 expected standard, 2 needs attention and 2 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "School leaders have established a clear framework for identifying and assessing the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school's ethos and values of 'excellence, growth and responsibility' are at the heart of its personal development programme."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of teaching varies."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders are aware of the school's areas of strength and weakness."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not progress well across a range of subjects."

Attendance and behaviour - Urgent improvement. "Pupils' attendance is low."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders must continue to act swiftly and decisively to improve the attendance of all pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities"; "Leaders must make sure that their actions to improve the curriculum lead to significant improvement in the achievement of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders must continue with their strategy to ensure that the curriculum is taught effectively and consistently well across all subjects"; "Leaders must ensure that pupils at all stages get the support they need to secure their foundational knowledge, especially in literacy, so that they can access the curriculum"; "The trust, including those responsible for governance, must ensure that their work to support and challenge the school continues to lead to sustainable improvements".

In 2026, pupils at William Lovell Church of England Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 28.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.9 in Lincolnshire and 47 across England.

8% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Lincolnshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 29.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -1.34: 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 26.3, against 30.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 13 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Religious Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 47 families put William Lovell Church of England Academy as their first choice and 132 named it as one of their preferences, for 63 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

William Lovell Church of England Academy is one of 24 schools run by Lincoln Anglican Academy Trust, an academy trust.

32 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about William Lovell Church of England Academy (as of April 2026): 69% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 46% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (75%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (46%).

Of the 61 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 61% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

52.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 128 pupils (36.9%) received SEN support and 27 (7.8%) 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.

William Lovell Church of England Academy had 26 teachers in 2026, one for every 12 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of William Lovell Church of England Academy.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is William Lovell School, 50 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 8 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, criminal damage and arson and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33).

In 2024/25, William Lovell Church of England Academy issued 217 suspensions, 68.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.