Classpot

Lift Unity City

Middlesbrough, TS3 8RESecondaryAges 11–16MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Good
May 2022
Progress 8
-0.87
Well below average
−20+2
Competition
1.1×
Oversubscribed
219 1st-choice / 203 places
Ranking
#2,964
of 3,141 nationally

About Lift Unity City

Lift Unity City is a mixed state secondary in Middlesbrough that serves a notably high-needs community. With 1,027 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,050, the school is effectively full, and demand is strong: for 203 places in the 2025/26 intake, there were 363 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.79. Of those, 219 families put it as their first preference, and 192 received first-preference offers. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 70.6%, which is far above the national average and signals a catchment with significant socioeconomic challenge. The school’s headteacher is Jill Gray, and it has no religious character. Despite the pressures that come with such a high FSM intake, the school has held a Good rating from Ofsted since its most recent graded inspection in May 2022, having improved from a Requires Improvement judgement in September 2018.

Key Details

School TypeSecondary (State)
Age Range11 to 16 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressOrmesby Road, Middlesbrough, Middlesbrough, TS3 8RE
HeadteacherJill Gray
Local AuthorityMiddlesbrough
Number of Pupils1,027
Free School Meals (FSM)70.6%
School Capacity1,027 / 1,050 (98% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
See an example
One-off paymentNo subscriptionStripe checkout

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

10 May 2022
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Good
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Source: Ofsted, 30 Jun 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

Facilities

9
Playing FieldsLibraryICT SuiteDining HallScience LabsSports HallSixth Form CentreGymnasiumChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

17

Sports

BadmintonBasketballRoundersNetballSwimmingDanceMartial ArtsCricketGymnasticsHockey

Clubs & Activities

ChessNewspaperDebateCodingDuke of EdinburghOrchestraFilm Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

SEND Support

Resourced Provision
AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageHearingVisionPhysicalLearning DifficultySevere LearningResourced ProvisionOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

Was this page helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions About Lift Unity City

Lift Unity City has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.