University Academy Holbeach

About University Academy Holbeach

University Academy Holbeach was rated Requires Improvement in its most recent Ofsted inspection, a downgrade from the Good rating it held previously. The inspection judged leadership and management, and the quality of education, as requiring improvement, though behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and sixth-form provision were all rated Good. The most telling academic metric is the school’s Progress 8 score of -0.42, which places pupils’ progress well below the national average. This means that, on average, students leave Year 11 with nearly half a grade less per subject than pupils with similar starting points nationally. The school ranks fourth out of five secondary schools in the South Holland local authority area, and sits in the bottom 50 nationally by this measure. With a Progress 8 confidence interval ranging from -0.62 to -0.22, the underperformance is statistically significant across the board.

At GCSE, the school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 36.9, compared with a national average around 46.5, and just 50.7% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, falling to 25.6% for grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 21.3%, and only 6.8% of pupils entered the full EBacc, with 1.4% achieving it at grade 5 or above. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.06, meaning Holbeach’s -0.42 is notably weaker than the typical Lincolnshire secondary. In the sixth form, the picture is similarly challenging: the value added score is -0.61, classed as below average, and the average points per entry equates to a D+ grade. Just 25 pupils were in the sixth-form cohort, and none achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects. The school’s ranking in the East Midlands region places it in the 78th percentile, meaning only about a fifth of schools perform worse.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26, it received 368 applications for 231 places, with 198 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.59. This suggests strong local demand despite the academic picture. Facilities are extensive and include a swimming pool, theatre, chapel, sixth-form centre, astro turf, and science labs. The school supports a wide range of SEND needs, including dyslexia, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health needs. Parent View responses from 148 parents show mixed satisfaction: 66% would recommend the school, and 69% agree their child is happy, but only 37% feel SEND children get the support they need, and 47% disagree that concerns are dealt with properly. This is a large secondary with a high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals (32.4%), and it may suit families who value the breadth of facilities and sixth-form provision but should be aware of the current academic challenges.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About University Academy Holbeach

Helpful Guides for Parents