School profile

Lift Maltings

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Witham, CM8 1EP

Requires improvement

Map showing Lift Maltings

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,550 of 3,312

Worse than 76% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Lift Maltings Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 24 Mar 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Needs attention
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils787
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Leanne Abbott-Jones
TrustLIFT SCHOOLS
Local authorityEssex
Opened01 Sept 2008
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 135653.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.40.6, worse than England, worse than Essex45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.58.6%, worse than England, worse than Essex63.2%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.37.7%, worse than England, worse than Essex44.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.5.6%, worse than England, worse than Essex12.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths50.6%, worse than England, worse than Essex58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4162--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils787
Girls401
Boys386
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.22.6%
First language not English7.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,188
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.33.8%
Sixth form places2021/22200
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.118
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.27
Average class size28.2

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
80.1%
Other mixed
3.9%
Other White
3.7%
African
3.3%
Indian
1.7%
White and Black Caribbean
1.5%
White and Asian
1.4%
White and Black African
0.9%
Other Asian
0.9%
Chinese
0.5%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher20.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.20.5
Teachers (FTE)38.36
Teaching assistants (FTE)0
Support staff (FTE)28.05
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2547.7
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2528.3
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/2512.4
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/257

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.128
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.204
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.105
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.105
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Overall absence11.2%, worse than England, worse than Essex8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.31.2%, worse than England, worse than Essex21.4%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.6.7%, worse than England, worse than Essex4%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate23.5%
Pupils with one or more suspensions12%
Permanent exclusion rate0.4%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.84.8%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.72.5%
Further education43.3%
Sixth form college21.1%
School sixth form8.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.7.6%
Employment7%
Apprenticeship5.3%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Destinations after A-levels

2021/22

Where students went after 16 to 18 study, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.64.7%
Employment26.5%
Higher education23.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.23.5%
Apprenticeship14.7%
Further education0%

Source: DfE, 16 to 18 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Lift Maltings
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryHowbridge Infant SchoolFoundation school
Good
0.4 miPrimaryHowbridge Church of England Junior SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryHoly Family Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryChipping Hill Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryWitham Oaks AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryAcorn Infant AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimaryTemplars AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.5 miSecondaryLift New RickstonesAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.5 miPrimaryElm Hall Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Lift Maltings

What is Lift Maltings' Ofsted rating?

Lift Maltings is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 24 Mar 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Lift Maltings rank in England?

Lift Maltings ranks 2,550 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 76% of schools).

What are Lift Maltings' GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 37.7% of pupils at Lift Maltings got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 40.6 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Lift Maltings?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Lift Maltings made 128 offers from 204 applications (1.6 per offer), and 105 of 105 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Lift Maltings?

Lift Maltings has 787 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Lift Maltings?

Lift Maltings had 1,188 school places in 2024/25.

Does Lift Maltings have a sixth form?

Yes, Lift Maltings has a sixth form with 200 places in 2021/22.

How big are classes at Lift Maltings?

At Lift Maltings, the average class had 28.2 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 20.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Lift Maltings?

In 2025/26, pupils at Lift Maltings missed 11.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 31.2% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.