School profile

Lakelands Academy

Secondary · Academy converter · Ellesmere, SY12 0EA

Good

Map showing Lakelands Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,223 of 3,312

Worse than 67% of schools in England

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

Lakelands Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 9 Jun 2026

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

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils590
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Mark Hignett
TrustTHE 3-18 EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityShropshire
Opened01 Dec 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 139102.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolShropshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.42.7, worse than England, similar to Shropshire41.246.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.54.6%, worse than England, similar to Shropshire56.4%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.40.3%, worse than England, better than Shropshire34.5%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.6.7%, worse than England, similar to Shropshire7.1%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths53.8%, worse than England, similar to Shropshire51.2%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4119--

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 pupils590
Girls271
Boys319
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.23.1%
First language not English5.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.580
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.85
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.45
Average class size23.4

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
88.5%
Other White
4.6%
Other ethnic group
1.2%
Other Asian
0.7%
White and Black Caribbean
0.3%
White and Asian
0.3%
Other mixed
0.3%
Indian
0.3%
Bangladeshi
0.3%
Chinese
0.3%

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 teacher16.3
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.9.1
Teachers (FTE)36.18
Teaching assistants (FTE)19.92
Support staff (FTE)41.28
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2533.2
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2528.9
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253.3

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.113
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.242
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.107
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.107
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 schoolShropshireEngland
Overall absence6.4%, better than England, better than Shropshire8.5%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.18.7%, better than England, better than Shropshire23.3%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.3%, better than England, better than Shropshire3.5%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 rate10%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.2%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions2

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.81.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.71.7%
Sixth form college36.8%
Further education26.4%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.9.4%
School sixth form7.5%
Employment6.6%
Apprenticeship2.8%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 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 Lakelands Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryEllesmere Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miNot applicableEllesmere CollegeOther independent school
Unrated

Frequently asked questions about Lakelands Academy

What is Lakelands Academy's Ofsted rating?

Lakelands Academy is rated Good, last inspected on 9 Jun 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Lakelands Academy rank in England?

Lakelands Academy ranks 2,223 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 67% of schools).

What are Lakelands Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 40.3% of pupils at Lakelands Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 42.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Lakelands Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Lakelands Academy made 113 offers from 242 applications (2.1 per offer), and 107 of 107 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Lakelands Academy?

Lakelands Academy has 590 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Lakelands Academy?

Lakelands Academy had 580 school places in 2024/25.

Does Lakelands Academy have a sixth form?

No, Lakelands Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Lakelands Academy?

At Lakelands Academy, the average class had 23.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.3 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Lakelands Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Lakelands Academy missed 6.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 18.7% 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.