Beacon Academy, Cleethorpes Review 2026: A rebuilt campus, and a school rebuilding standards

A brand new building can change how a school feels, but it does not automatically change what happens in classrooms. At Beacon Academy, Cleethorpes, those two realities sit side by side. The academy moved into a new £20 million facility in late 2025, designed for 750 students, with modern teaching spaces and improved sports, science and arts facilities.

At the same time, the latest graded Ofsted inspection (24 and 25 June 2025) judged Quality of education, Behaviour and attitudes, and Leadership and management as Inadequate, with Personal development as Requires improvement. Safeguarding was judged effective.

This is, therefore, a school best understood as being in a high-stakes improvement phase. For families, the key question is not whether Beacon has a clear set of values or ambition, it does, but whether the day-to-day experience, particularly learning and behaviour, is now consistently improving across every classroom.

Beacon describes its ethos as “Human Scale Education”, meaning students are meant to be known and supported as individuals, and it explicitly frames its values around kindness, aspiration, integrity, inclusion, pride, and community. It also sets out a guiding trio, Enlighten, Inspire, Innovate, which it positions as the basis for academic learning, motivation, and future readiness.

The challenge is that culture statements only matter if they are visible in corridors and classrooms. The most recent inspection paints a blunt picture of a school where standards declined after the previous inspection, where disruption is common, and where some pupils report bullying and prejudicial language that is not always handled effectively. Pupils still report feeling safe and having a trusted adult, but that is a lower bar than feeling settled and able to learn without interruption.

In a school at this stage, parents should treat the atmosphere as variable. Some students will experience strong relationships with particular staff and benefit from a supportive pastoral approach. Others may find day-to-day routines and expectations less consistent than they would hope, especially while behaviour systems and staff practice are being re-established and embedded.

Beacon Academy is a non-selective, state-funded secondary serving students aged 11 to 16.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), Beacon ranks 3,720th in England and 2nd locally in Cleethorpes. This places it below England average overall, within the lower-performing group nationally.

The most useful single indicator for many parents is Progress 8, because it signals how much progress students make from their starting points. Beacon’s Progress 8 figure is -0.83, which indicates students, on average, make substantially less progress than similar students nationally. Attainment 8 is 32.9, and the average EBacc APS is 2.56. These figures sit alongside the inspection’s conclusion that classroom work is often not well matched to pupils’ needs, assessment and feedback are not consistently effective, and a lack of challenge limits learning.

If you are shortlisting locally, it is worth using the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to view these measures next to nearby alternatives, because the best decision is rarely made in isolation. The published figures indicate Beacon has been underperforming academically, and any improvement plan needs to show impact in both progress measures and classroom practice.

Beacon sets out a broad curriculum model. Its curriculum overview lists English, mathematics, science, information technology, physical education, engineering, French, art (including fine art, graphics and photography), and performing arts (music, dance, drama). It also describes a blended humanities approach for some pupils, delivering history, geography and religious studies through topic-style planning across the term and year.

That curriculum breadth can be a genuine strength for students who respond well to practical and creative pathways, particularly where engineering, photography or performing arts provide motivation alongside core subjects. The implication for parents is that, on paper, Beacon is not a narrow “GCSE factory”. It is attempting to combine core academics with applied and creative options that can keep engagement high for a wide intake.

However, the most recent inspection judged the quality of education as Inadequate and highlights several operational classroom issues: pupils’ understanding is not assessed effectively across subjects, misconceptions are not consistently identified, feedback is not consistently meaningful, and work is at times not appropriately matched to pupils’ needs. It also flags an ineffective approach for struggling readers, where pupils do not benefit from a clearly sequenced support programme.

For families, the practical takeaway is this: ask what has changed since June 2025, and ask for specifics. Which reading intervention programme is now in place, how are staff trained to deliver it, and how is impact checked? What does lesson-level behaviour management now look like, and how is consistency supported across staff? A school can improve quickly, but only if these basics become routine.

Where Students Go Next

Beacon is an 11 to 16 school, so the key transition is post-16, into sixth form, further education, apprenticeships, or training. The most recent inspection notes that students are strongly supported in learning about different careers, and that the school meets provider access legislation requirements, which obliges schools to give pupils access to information and engagement about technical education and apprenticeships.

That said, the published destination data is limited in the available dataset for this school, so families should treat post-16 guidance as something to verify directly: what are typical local pathways after Year 11, how are students supported to choose subjects and providers, and how does the school support those at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training? In a school working to rebuild attendance and behaviour, the quality of careers guidance and transition planning can be an important stabiliser.

Admissions are coordinated by North East Lincolnshire Council, with Beacon’s governing body as the admissions authority. The academy’s published admission number (PAN) is 150 for Year 7 entry.

Demand is currently significant. For the most recent admissions cycle Beacon received 351 applications for 141 offers, and is recorded as oversubscribed. That demand level suggests the school remains a common choice locally, despite mixed performance indicators. (Admissions patterns often reflect distance, transport practicality, sibling links, and the availability of alternatives, as much as raw results.)

For 2026 entry, Beacon’s published timeline states: applications open 10 September 2025, the national application deadline is 31 October 2025, and offers are released on the first working day after 1 March, shown as 2 March 2026 on the school’s timeline.

The admissions policy document for 2026 to 2027 also lists the closing date as 31 October 2025, with national offer day 1 March 2026.

Because the school is oversubscribed and admissions are council-coordinated, parents should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their realistic positioning against admission criteria, and to sense-check how competitive the local market is each year.

Beacon’s published approach emphasises relationships with families and structured pastoral links, including “Meet Your Coach” evenings as an additional line of communication alongside subject parents’ evenings.

The most recent inspection provides a mixed wellbeing picture. On the positive side, safeguarding arrangements were judged effective, and pupils report feeling safe and having trusted adults. On the concern side, behaviour disruption is described as frequent, some staff expectations are described as too low, and pupils report bullying and prejudicial language that is not always addressed effectively. Attendance is also flagged as a significant issue, with too many pupils missing important learning.

In practical terms, families should ask to see the school’s current behaviour and anti-bullying processes in action, not just on paper. What does reporting look like for pupils, what do parents receive back, and how does the school track patterns by year group? If your child is anxious, easily distracted, or needs calm routine to thrive, the present variability described in the inspection is an important factor.

A school rebuilding outcomes often benefits from strengthening enrichment, because it creates alternative routes to belonging and pride, which can support attendance and behaviour. Beacon highlights a programme that includes performances such as a Christmas pantomime and summer music concerts, activity days, art clubs, and access to homework and intervention spaces after the school day.

More specifically, its enrichment timetable lists a range of lunchtime and break clubs that give a clearer sense of student life. Examples include Debate Club, Science Club, Chess Club, Rowing Club, Lego Club, Maths Paper Society, Sewing and Cross Stitch Club, New Age Kurling, Karaoke Club, and Make Up Art and Face Painting.

The implication is that students who benefit from structured lunchtime options should be able to find something that fits, whether that is academic extension (Debate Club, Maths Paper Society), practical creativity (DT clubs, art clubs), or low-pressure social activity (Check-in and Games Club). For many pupils, especially those who find formal lessons challenging, these anchors can be what makes school feel manageable.

The morning tutor session begins at 08:30, with students encouraged to be on site by 08:25. The school day ends at 15:05, and the academy states it offers 33 hours of weekly learning.

As a secondary school, it does not publish wraparound childcare in the way primary schools often do. For families who need supervised early drop-off or late pick-up arrangements, it is sensible to ask directly what is currently available and whether any provision is targeted (for example, intervention sessions, homework clubs, or pastoral support) rather than general childcare.

• Current inspection profile. The latest inspection (June 2025) judged Quality of education, Behaviour and attitudes, and Leadership and management as Inadequate, with Personal development as Requires improvement. This is a serious signal, and parents should weigh improvement actions and evidence of impact carefully.

• Behaviour consistency. The inspection describes frequent disruption and inconsistent implementation of the behaviour policy. If your child needs calm, predictable classrooms to learn well, ask direct questions about consistency across subjects and year groups.

• Attendance and learning gaps. Attendance is highlighted as a significant weakness. In practice, poor attendance can quickly widen gaps for vulnerable pupils, so families should ask what support is offered when attendance slips, and how catch-up is structured.

• Reading support. The inspection states that the programme for struggling readers was not effective enough at the time of inspection. If your child is below age-related expectations in reading, you will want to understand what structured support is now in place and how progress is measured.

Beacon Academy, Cleethorpes is a school of contrasts: a new, well-resourced building and an ambitious statement of values, alongside a very challenging inspection profile from June 2025 and weak recent performance indicators. The education on offer is likely to feel uneven while improvement work embeds, with some students benefiting from strong relationships and enrichment, and others experiencing disruption and inconsistent classroom practice.

Who it suits: families who want a local, non-selective secondary and are willing to scrutinise the current improvement plan closely, particularly around behaviour, reading support, attendance, and consistent teaching. Families seeking a settled, consistently high-performing academic environment should consider alternatives, or revisit once progress is clearly evidenced.