Skegness Academy Review 2026: A large, improving 11 to 19 academy with a calm-drive reset since 2023

Skegness Academy is a big, all ability secondary and sixth form where the direction of travel matters as much as the headline data. The academy describes a new chapter from September 2023, centred on higher expectations and clearer routines, with an emphasis on order in lessons and a sharper focus on learning.

The most recent inspection (6 and 7 December 2023) judged the school Requires Improvement overall, with Personal development, Leadership and management, and Sixth form provision graded Good.

That combination points to a school where leadership, wider development, and post 16 structures are in better shape than day to day learning consistency and behaviour in every classroom, which is where improvement priorities sit. A large site, extensive sports facilities, and major estate investment (a £19m capital programme) support a broad offer, but the academic picture at GCSE and A level remains a key consideration for families weighing options.

The academy’s public messaging is direct, four values lead the homepage, Excellence, Respect, Personal Responsibility, and Gratitude. That framing is not subtle; it is designed to set expectations for conduct and effort.

There is strong evidence of an intentional culture reset since September 2023. The principal, Claudio Gissendorf, took up post in September 2023, and the academy explicitly links that point to higher expectations and a calmer environment.

In practice, this kind of reset tends to be most visible in corridors, transitions, and lesson starts. The latest inspection supports the idea of improvement and positive staff student relationships, while also signalling that disruption still affects some lessons.

A distinctive pastoral feature is the SEND hub, described as being at the heart of the school, with a sensory room used to help students regulate when they are finding classroom demands difficult.

For families of children with additional needs, that matters because it points to a physical space and a defined support route, not just a policy statement.

At GCSE level, the performance indicators sit below England average. The academy’s Attainment 8 score is 28.4 and Progress 8 is -0.64, which indicates students make substantially less progress than similar students nationally. Entry to the English Baccalaureate is a particular weakness in the available dataset (with a recorded EBacc average point score of 2.1 and 0% achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure).

Rankings contextualise this further. Ranked 3816th in England and 2nd in Skegness for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the academy sits in the lower performance group nationally.

At A level, the outcomes are also below England average in the available dataset. 16.67% of grades are A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2% for A* to B; the proportion at A* and A is recorded as 0%. Ranked 2495th in England and 2nd in Skegness for A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the sixth form’s results signal that academic outcomes are not yet matching the strengths seen in leadership and personal development judgements.

What this means for families is straightforward. If your child is already highly self driven and tends to thrive with structure, the school’s tightening culture and clear expectations may help. If your child needs consistently high quality teaching across every subject to secure strong grades, you will want to probe carefully on curriculum delivery, intervention, and subject level consistency.

The inspection evidence points to an ambitious, well sequenced curriculum, with improving delivery, but with inconsistency in the effectiveness of learning activities and checking for understanding.

For parents, that tends to show up in two ways.

First, the basics: routines for recap, practice, and feedback need to be reliable across classrooms. If checking is inconsistent, gaps can persist, and progress slows, particularly for students who do not automatically ask for help.

Second, reading. The school has prioritised reading support for those who need it, which is a sensible lever in a coastal community where student starting points can vary widely.

If your child is a reluctant reader or has weaker literacy, it is worth asking how reading assessment works on entry, how interventions are timetabled, and how subject teachers reinforce reading and vocabulary beyond English lessons.

The post 16 destinations profile suggests a mixed set of next steps, with a meaningful proportion moving directly into work. For the 2023/24 leaver cohort (44 students), 27% progressed to university, 11% started apprenticeships, 34% went into employment, and 7% moved into further education.

This is not a typical “university conveyor belt” sixth form profile, and it will suit some students very well. A school that supports employment and apprenticeships effectively should have strong careers guidance, employer links, and practical preparation for interviews and work readiness. The inspection evidence notes structured careers education and engagement with employers.

Families interested in university routes should ask for current subject level outcomes, sixth form retention, and how the school supports applications, particularly for competitive courses. If your child is aiming for Russell Group universities, you should ask whether the academy publishes destination patterns or named university lists, as these are not presented as headline statistics in the public material reviewed here.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Lincolnshire County Council rather than direct application to the academy. The published admission number for Year 7 is 200 places.

For September 2026 entry, the county timetable lists applications opening on 8 September 2025 and closing on 31 October 2025 (national closing date).

Lincolnshire also publishes late application windows and processing dates, including an “admissions reopen” period in March 2026 and further handling after early April 2026.

For sixth form entry, applications are handled directly with the academy. The sixth form admissions policy sets a baseline academic threshold of at least five GCSEs at grades 9 to 4, including English Language and Mathematics, with higher requirements for some courses.

For families considering Year 12 entry from another school, it is worth clarifying how subject choices are matched to GCSE profiles, and what happens if a student does not meet the entry requirement for their first choice subjects.

A practical tip: if you are comparing several options across Skegness and the wider area, FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools can help you view local outcomes side by side, using consistent metrics.

The report confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Beyond statutory safeguarding, pastoral care appears structured around two practical mechanisms: staff student relationships and accessible support spaces. The SEND hub is a concrete example, and students are signposted to staff they can talk to if worried.

The academy also participates in Magic Breakfast, offering a free breakfast before school, with staff present around the site in the morning.

For some families, that is a meaningful support that improves readiness to learn and reduces stress at the start of the day.

Attendance is an explicit improvement priority, with additional staffing and family work noted, but with impact not yet described as fully sustained in the most recent inspection evidence.

If attendance has been a challenge for your child, it is sensible to ask what early intervention looks like, and how the school balances expectations with practical support.

Extracurricular participation is described as a strength, with clubs and enrichment used both to build belonging and to widen horizons. The inspection narrative references debate club and school productions, alongside sport and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Sport is clearly prominent, with a termly schedule of after school activities that includes year group football, netball, basketball, dodgeball, badminton, and boccia (including some invite only sessions). External partnerships feature too, including Positive Futures delivery in some sessions and Jack’s Community Soccer linked activity.

The implication is a programme with both participation routes and more structured pathways for students in sport qualifications, including OCR sport theory support sessions.

There is also a clear outward facing enrichment strand. The academy references a positive relationship with the Outward Bound Trust, enabling some pupils to attend free residential courses, and it lists engagement with national organisations including Too Fast Too Soon and Prison, Me, No Way.

For students who benefit from experiential learning, confidence building, and real world context, these elements can be as important as clubs in school, because they create memorable learning moments and broaden ambition.

The academy day runs from 8.40am to 3.10pm, Monday to Friday, with gates opening at 8.30am, and after school time used for pre arranged clubs and activities.

Specific wraparound childcare provision is not presented as a headline feature in the material reviewed, so families who need supervision beyond clubs should ask directly about any breakfast or after school arrangements beyond the free breakfast offer.

For transport, the school is in Skegness and typically serves local families across the town and surrounding villages. If you are weighing travel time, FindMySchool’s Map Search is a useful way to check practical distances from your home to the school.

• Academic outcomes are a key watchpoint. GCSE and A level indicators in the available dataset sit below England average, so families should ask for current subject level improvement actions, intervention, and how consistency is being secured across classrooms.

• Behaviour consistency varies by lesson. The inspection evidence describes generally calm lessons, but also notes that some learning is disrupted in certain classrooms. Ask how the behaviour system is applied, and what happens when a student repeatedly struggles to meet expectations.

• Attendance remains an improvement priority. The school is taking action, but sustained impact is still developing. For families where attendance has been uneven, clarify how support and challenge are balanced.

• Post 16 routes are mixed, with a strong employment and apprenticeship share. This suits many students well, but university focused families should ask how the sixth form supports high attainment and competitive applications.

Skegness Academy is a large coastal academy with clear signs of a culture reset since September 2023, backed by stronger judgements in personal development, leadership, and sixth form provision than in day to day classroom outcomes. The offer is broad, supported by facilities, enrichment, and practical pastoral features such as the SEND hub and free breakfast programme.

Best suited to students who respond well to structured expectations and want an inclusive, local 11 to 19 pathway with varied post 16 routes, including apprenticeships and employment. The main challenge is academic outcomes, so families should do careful due diligence on subject level improvement and the consistency of teaching and behaviour across lessons.