The Priory Pembroke Academy Review 2026: A structured, values-led 11 to 16 academy with strong pastoral systems

A secondary school serving Cherry Willingham and the wider Lincoln fringe, this is a mixed 11 to 16 academy with capacity for 600 pupils. Competition for Year 7 places is real, with 365 applications for 113 offers in the most recent admissions data, which equates to 3.23 applications per place.

The academy’s tone is deliberately values-led. “Achieving Together” sits at the centre, backed by five named values, Curiosity, Courage, Generosity, Passion, and Wisdom, plus three simple expectations that appear consistently across policies and daily routines, Being Safe, Being Respectful, and Being Ready.

Academically, outcomes look broadly in line with England’s middle band for state secondaries. Ranked 2,687th in England and 6th in Lincoln for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), it sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Progress 8 is 0.02, indicating progress that is close to England average from students’ starting points.

The academy’s culture is built around clarity. Behaviour expectations are framed as practical habits rather than slogans, with staff modelling calm conduct and routines, and students taught what “ready, respectful, safe” looks like in everyday terms.

A notable feature is the way recognition is structured. Rewards are designed to be frequent and inclusive, including postcards home, attendance points, weekly prize draws, and house awards such as Learner of the Week and House Attendance Hero. Alongside this sits a higher tier of recognition, including reward trips, GCSE trophies, and Head of House awards.

Pastoral support is presented as joined-up rather than bolted on. The Inclusion Hub is described as a dedicated space linking safeguarding, attendance and restorative approaches, with tiered counselling and bespoke interventions. This matters for families weighing up how effectively a school can respond when attendance dips, friendship issues escalate, or a student’s learning is disrupted by wider pressures.

Historically, the school site and provision have evolved over time. The setting opened in the mid-1960s as Cherry Willingham Secondary Modern School, and later became The Priory Pembroke Academy under The Priory Federation of Academies Trust.

The headline message is consistency rather than extremes. Ranked 2,687th in England and 6th in Lincoln for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), results land in the broad middle of England’s secondary distribution, which for many families signals a school that is likely to suit a wide range of learners rather than only the very highest attainers.

The average Attainment 8 score is 42.1. Progress 8 is 0.02, which points to outcomes that are close to what would be expected nationally given students’ prior attainment.

For EBacc measures, the average EBacc APS score is 3.66, and 9.8% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc combination.

For parents comparing local options, the FindMySchool Local Hub pages can be useful for viewing GCSE measures side by side and keeping the comparison grounded in the same official dataset.

The curriculum narrative emphasises sequencing and accessibility. The academy describes “The Pembroke Lesson” as a consistent approach intended to make challenging content accessible, while keeping the ambition of what is taught intact. It also frames learning through a “Before, Now, Next” structure to help students connect prior knowledge to new content.

External review evidence supports this direction. The most recent Ofsted inspection (25 January 2022) rated the academy Good, with Good grades across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

Within that picture, strengths include well-planned subject curricula and staff subject knowledge, alongside a reading curriculum designed to promote a love of reading and exposure to challenging texts.

Areas to keep an eye on are equally clear. Assessment and feedback consistency, the impact of teaching assistants, persistent absence, and ensuring students learn sufficiently about other cultures were all identified as improvement priorities at the time of the inspection.

With no sixth form on site, post-16 progression is a central part of Year 10 and Year 11 planning. Careers education is positioned as starting early, with careers lessons and work encounters from Year 7, and a week of work experience in Year 10.

The careers model also stresses employer engagement. The academy describes working through a regional Careers Hub and partnering with an Enterprise Advisor, which typically translates into more consistent encounters with employers and clearer routes into apprenticeships, technical pathways, and local labour market understanding.

For families, the practical implication is straightforward. If your child is likely to want a specific post-16 route, such as a particular sixth form, a technical college, or an apprenticeship pathway, it is worth checking how the academy supports applications and visits, and how it coordinates with local providers.

Year 7 entry is through local authority coordinated admissions. The academy’s determined admissions arrangements for 2026 confirm a published admission number of 120 for Year 7 in 2026 to 27.

Key timings follow the standard pattern. Applications are submitted on the Common Application Form by 31 October in the year before admission, and offers are released on 1 March. The admissions arrangements note that exact dates within months can vary year to year, but the end-of-October deadline and 1 March offer day framework is the reference point families should plan around.

Demand data indicates pressure on places. With 365 applications for 113 offers and a subscription proportion of 3.23, competition is a defining feature for Year 7 entry. For families applying across multiple Lincoln-area schools, a realistic shortlist matters, as does understanding how the local authority applies oversubscription criteria in practice.

In-year admissions are also handled within Lincolnshire’s coordinated scheme, with the academy aiming to respond within 10 school days and notifying outcomes within 15 school days.

Pastoral systems are presented as structured and accessible. The Inclusion Hub is framed as the centre of targeted support, linking safeguarding, attendance and restorative approaches, with counselling and tiered interventions.

The behaviour model aligns with this, using restorative language and a reward-led approach. Expectations are communicated as shared norms across staff and students, which can be reassuring for families who want predictable routines and consistent responses.

Safeguarding was judged effective at the most recent inspection, supported by staff training and prompt action when concerns arise.

Extracurricular provision is described as free of charge after school, with clubs running daily and changing by module. This rolling model tends to suit students who want to try activities without over-committing for a full year, and it allows the school to respond to student interest.

The most useful detail for parents is the specificity of what is actually on offer. Listed clubs include Football, Badminton, Athletics, Musical Theatre Appreciation, Lego, Chess, Dungeons and Dragons, Craft, and World Cooking (with a small charge for ingredients).

Trips and visits add another layer. The academy describes curriculum-linked visits, rewards trips, and optional international opportunities such as a Priory Federation ski trip, a Barcelona cultural visit, and an Italian food tour. For families, the practical point is to ask how these trips are allocated, how costs are managed, and what support exists for pupils eligible for pupil premium when opportunities are time-limited or oversubscribed.

There is also a strong emphasis on literacy culture and recognition. The school refers to reading badges as part of a reading reward scheme, which can be a helpful motivator for students who respond well to visible milestones.

The academy day is clearly structured. Registration and personal development run from 08.35 to 09.10, with five teaching periods, and the day ending at 15.05.

Breakfast club is available daily from 08.00 to 08.35 in the library, with no requirement to book a space.

The Library and Careers Hub is described as providing support from 08.00 to 16.00 each day, which is a practical advantage for students who need a quiet place to work, structured support with reading, or help with post-16 research.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual costs associated with secondary education, such as uniform, optional trips, and music tuition where applicable. Music lessons are delivered through Lincolnshire Music Service peripatetic staff and are not funded by the academy.

• Competitive entry. Recent demand shows 365 applications for 113 offers, which equates to 3.23 applications per place. Families should build a balanced list of preferences and understand how oversubscription is applied locally.

• Post-16 transition planning is essential. With provision ending at 16, families should check early how the academy supports applications to sixth forms, colleges and apprenticeships, and how Year 10 work experience is organised.

• Attendance and consistency remain a key theme. Persistent absence was identified as an area for improvement at the latest inspection, so families may wish to understand the current attendance strategy and how the school responds when students struggle to attend regularly.

• Support deployment in lessons. The inspection identified that teaching assistants were not consistently deployed to maximise learning impact. For students with SEND or additional needs, it is worth asking how in-class support is now structured.

The Priory Pembroke Academy is a structured, values-led 11 to 16 academy where routines, recognition systems, and pastoral support are central to day-to-day life. Academically it sits in the broad middle of England’s state secondary picture, with progress close to England average and a clear emphasis on curriculum sequencing and reading culture.

Who it suits: families looking for a local, mainstream secondary with a clear behaviour framework, an explicit values model, and purposeful support around wellbeing and post-16 progression. The main practical hurdle is admission, which is competitive, and the main planning point is ensuring the post-16 route is well understood before Year 11.