Thomas Middlecott Academy Review 2026: A small 11–16 academy with strong pastoral routines and a clear improvement focus

A calmer start to the day is one of the clearest signals of change here. Breakfast club, improved morning routines, and a deliberate focus on punctuality set the tone before lessons begin.

Thomas Middlecott Academy is a mixed secondary for students aged 11 to 16, serving Kirton and surrounding villages in the Borough of Boston. It is part of the David Ross Education Trust, and leadership has been relatively new, with Principal Lisa Hawkins joining in November 2023.

The most recent inspection (June 2025) judged the quality of education as Requires Improvement, while behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were graded Good. This is a state school, so there are no tuition fees.

The school’s stated values, ambition, aspirations, courage, and respect, appear frequently in how it frames expectations and day-to-day culture. The tone is intentionally structured, with staff describing a “warm/strict” approach that aims to combine high expectations with strong relationships.

Pastoral support is a defining strength in the current picture. Staff are expected to know students well, and the school highlights routines that reduce friction, including a purposeful start of day and an emphasis on being ready to learn. This matters for families deciding whether a smaller secondary feels secure and personal, especially when a child may benefit from predictable expectations and adults who notice issues early.

There is also a practical recognition that not every student thrives in a standard classroom all day, every day. On-site alternative provision is part of the model, alongside targeted support for students who need help regulating behaviour or accessing learning. For parents, that usually translates into two things: a stronger chance of staying engaged with school, and a reduced likelihood that difficulties escalate into repeated exclusions.

Outcomes remain the central challenge. In FindMySchool’s GCSE-based ranking (built from official data), the academy is ranked 3,760th in England and 5th in the Boston local area. This places performance below England average overall, within the bottom 40% of state secondaries on this measure.

The underlying indicators point in the same direction. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 29.1, and Progress 8 is -0.78, which indicates students, on average, make substantially less progress than similar students nationally from the end of primary school.

EBacc measures also look weak in the available dataset. The average EBacc APS is 2.53, and 2.9% achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc.

None of this means individual students cannot do well, but it does suggest that families should pay close attention to how consistently teaching routines are implemented across subjects, and how the school supports gaps in learning, particularly in reading.

A useful way to use this data is comparative rather than absolute. Parents weighing nearby options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view GCSE indicators side by side, and then sanity-check against the school’s published priorities around literacy, attendance, and behaviour.

The academy positions itself as knowledge-led, with teaching framed around subject expertise, fully guided instruction, and evidence-informed practice. The intention is clear: reduce wasted time, focus on what is remembered, and build habits that help students succeed through Year 11 and into post-16 pathways.

In the latest external picture, the curriculum is described as ambitious and well structured, with stronger consistency in some subjects (English is given as an example) than others. The limiting factor is implementation. Where teachers routinely check understanding and address gaps, learning sticks. Where those checks do not happen reliably, students can carry misconceptions forward and fall behind without it being immediately visible.

Reading is also treated as a priority, including a whole-school reading programme and targeted support for students who struggle. For families, this is relevant even if a child is not an obvious weak reader, because reading fluency affects access to the full curriculum in history, science, and the wider GCSE suite.

Because the school is 11–16, all students leave after GCSEs and move into post-16 education, training, or employment. The academy describes careers education as a high-value strand, supported by labour market information and online programmes, and it works with LincHigher to raise aspirations.

The school also names an Enterprise Advisor, Melanie Baker, who is a former student and now Group Managing Director at Euroflow Automation Ltd, which adds a local, employer-facing element to careers guidance.

For parents, the practical question is less about a single destination list and more about fit. Students aiming for A-levels will typically seek a sixth form or sixth form college; those pursuing technical routes may prefer a college-based programme or apprenticeships. The school states it works with the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and The Careers and Enterprise Company to embed careers education across the curriculum.

Admissions are coordinated in line with Lincolnshire’s secondary admissions process, with the Trust as the admissions authority. The academy describes itself as all-ability and open to a wide catchment, but it is also explicit that oversubscription can apply.

The published admission number is 108 for any one year. When applications exceed places, priority is broadly in this order: looked-after children, siblings, then distance from home to school, with priority for the nearest. The school also states that a waiting list operates until 31 December following an unsuccessful application.

For September 2026 entry, the school advertises an open event on 14 October 2025 (5:30pm to 7pm) and states that the deadline to make final secondary school choices is 31 October 2025, with offers in March 2026.

If distance is likely to be a deciding factor for your family, use the FindMySchool Map Search to check how your home compares to typical allocation patterns, then confirm the current-year position through the local authority process.

Pastoral systems are a key strength in the latest evidence. Students are expected to have an identified adult to go to when worried, and routines have been redesigned so the day begins positively. Breakfast club is described as part of what students value, and this matters because punctuality and calm starts reduce lost learning time.

Support for students with additional needs is also highlighted as improving, with quicker identification of needs and adaptations designed to keep students accessing ambitious learning rather than being steered into a narrower offer. The school’s Inclusion Team explicitly covers SEND, pastoral support, attendance, EAL, and behaviour, reflecting the reality that these areas overlap in day-to-day school life.

Attendance remains a live priority. The school reports improving attendance through work with families, but acknowledges that some vulnerable students still do not attend as regularly as they should, which directly affects learning and wellbeing.

Extracurricular provision is presented as a core part of the school’s “supporting curriculum”, with an expectation that students choose activities for the year ahead rather than dipping in occasionally. The list is notably specific and includes options that appeal to very different students, including Warhammer, Minecraft, Environmental and Eco Club, Boardgames, and Prayer and Meditation. There is also a Duke of Edinburgh Award offer, plus a Friendship Room, which suggests a deliberate effort to provide social space for students who find busy breaktimes difficult.

Music is a particular pillar. The school lists ensembles and clubs including Choir, Taiko Drumming, Samba Band, and a lunchtime keyboard club. It also states that from September 2023 it launched the Music in Secondary Schools Trust programme, described as providing Year 7 students the chance to learn an instrument, with the aim of building participation through Years 7 to 9 and developing an orchestra.

Sport is another clear strand, supported by facilities including a floodlit multi-use games area, a sports centre, a fitness suite, extensive playing fields, and three full-sized football pitches. The sports offer listed by the school runs from volleyball and badminton through to rowing and rugby, with a Sports Enrichment Officer coordinating fixtures and opportunities.

Beyond in-school clubs, the wider Trust enrichment programme described on the site includes opportunities such as Outward Bound expeditions, workshops linked to Nevill Holt Opera, visits to Nottingham Contemporary, debating competitions, and masterclasses with elite athletes. Parents should check what is scheduled in a given year group and term, since some opportunities may be Trust-wide or cohort-dependent.

The academy day starts early. Students can enter the site from 8:10am; registration begins at 8:40am and the teaching day finishes at 3:15pm. Year 11 students may have additional GCSE support sessions that run until 4:00pm.

The school encourages families to consider walking or cycling where possible, and notes that public transport into Boston can be part of the journey, either via pay-as-you-go services or a private bus pass; some students may be eligible for free school transport. For rail connections, Boston station is the main local hub for train travel.

• Academic consistency remains the main issue. The quality of education is still graded Requires Improvement, and subject-to-subject variation is the key risk for families who need predictable teaching quality across the full timetable.

• Attendance is a priority, not a solved problem. Improvement work is underway, but irregular attendance among some vulnerable groups is still a barrier to stronger outcomes.

• No sixth form. Students move on after Year 11, so families should start post-16 planning early and consider travel, courses, and the level of structure a student will need at 16.

• Oversubscription can apply. With distance used as a criterion after looked-after children and siblings, families on the edge of the area should plan realistically and use mapping tools early in the process.

Thomas Middlecott Academy is in an improvement phase with a clearer structure around behaviour, routines, and pastoral support than its headline results would suggest. The extracurricular picture is unusually detailed for a small 11–16, particularly in music and enrichment, and the on-site alternative provision gives added flexibility for students who struggle with a standard classroom day.

It suits families who want a smaller local secondary with strong pastoral systems, clear expectations, and a broad set of clubs that include non-obvious options. The key question is whether academic consistency is now improving fast enough, across all subjects, to match the ambition set out in the curriculum.