New Rickstones Academy Review 2026: A large Witham secondary with a clear focus on culture and opportunity

New Rickstones Academy is a mixed, 11 to 18 secondary in Witham, Essex, serving a sizeable local intake. Its published identity now sits within Lift Schools and the public-facing name on the school website is Lift New Rickstones, with Lift Witham Sixth Form as the post 16 offer.

The current leadership team is led by Principal Karen Jones, supported by a broad group of vice and assistant principals, including a designated safeguarding lead and a named sixth form lead.

Parents should understand two headline realities. First, the most recent external judgement confirms the school is Good, and safeguarding is effective. Second, published performance indicators point to outcomes that are below England average in both GCSE and A level measures, which makes the school’s improvement agenda and day to day teaching consistency especially relevant when shortlisting.

The strongest available evidence on day to day atmosphere comes from the most recent inspection report. The picture is of a calm, orderly environment where pupils move sensibly around site, disruption to learning is uncommon, and relationships feel respectful. The same report highlights that pupils value being able to be themselves and see staff as responsive when issues arise.

Current leadership messaging places heavy emphasis on three organising ideas, Ambition, Character and Opportunity, with Character explicitly linked to behaviour routines and pastoral structures. While leadership statements are not proof on their own, they matter because they shape what pupils experience most, lesson routines, corridor expectations, and how quickly issues are followed up.

Sixth form students are described as well supported, with planned teaching and careers guidance that helps them prepare for next steps. This matters in a school with a mixed profile of destinations, because strong guidance can widen options for students who are undecided or who want a pathway into work as well as those aiming for university.

At GCSE level, the most recent dataset shows an Attainment 8 score of 41.1 and a Progress 8 score of -0.43. Progress 8 below zero indicates pupils make less progress, on average, than pupils nationally with similar starting points. For families, that is a signal to ask direct questions about consistency of teaching across subjects and how the school intervenes when pupils fall behind.

Ranked 3,141st in England and 2nd in Witham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance sits below England average, consistent with the school’s placement in the lower band nationally.

EBacc indicators reinforce that picture. The average EBacc APS is 3.48 compared with an England average of 4.08, and 2.3% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across EBacc subjects.

At A level, the sixth form outcomes are also in the lower band nationally. The A level breakdown shows 5% at A*, 10% at A, and 15% achieving A* to B, compared with England averages of 23.6% at A* to A and 47.2% at A* to B.

Ranked 2,360th in England and 1st in Witham for A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the sixth form sits below England average in the current dataset.

The practical implication is straightforward. New Rickstones Academy is not a results driven outlier in the local market on these measures, so parents should weigh the school most heavily on the strength of its routines, curriculum delivery, intervention support, and pastoral culture, as these are the levers that typically drive sustained improvement.

The most recent inspection narrative points to an ambitious curriculum across key stages and staff who, in the main, deliver that intended curriculum effectively, including in the sixth form. Specific classroom practices cited include deliberate questioning, modelling, and checking for gaps in knowledge.

The main development area is consistency at key stage 3. Where training and subject confidence are uneven, work can lack ambition, and identified misconceptions are not always addressed through adapted teaching. For families, this is a key line of enquiry at open events, how subject teams are supported, how new teachers are coached, and how the school assures quality across every year group, not just in examination years.

Reading is positioned as a priority. The report describes targeted identification of pupils who struggle with reading, small group interventions, and timetabled reading sessions in the library. This is a meaningful strength, because literacy improvements tend to lift achievement across the curriculum, particularly in humanities and extended written responses.

New Rickstones Academy has a sixth form, marketed as Lift Witham Sixth Form, offering a mix of A levels and BTEC pathways and a planned study programme, including structured independent study expectations.

The sixth form is clear that all students are expected to complete work experience in the final two weeks of the summer term in Year 12. This is a practical employability advantage, especially for students considering apprenticeships or direct entry routes into work.

Destination data for the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort shows 26% progressed to university, 46% entered employment, and 8% started apprenticeships (with other routes not detailed). The implication is that the post 16 culture needs to be flexible, supporting both UCAS pathways and employment facing routes. Done well, that breadth can suit students who want structured guidance rather than a single, university only model.

Oxbridge application and acceptance counts are not available in the current dataset for this school, so it is best assessed on the wider mix of progression routes and on the quality of careers education, information, advice and guidance.

Year 7 applications are made through the local authority coordinated process, and the school confirms that the secondary admission round opens in September each year, with the statutory closing date on 31 October.

For September 2026 entry, Essex County Council confirms that applications received after 31 October 2025 are treated as late, and the Essex secondary admissions brochure notes that the first round of offers is made on 02 March 2026.

The school’s determined admissions arrangements set a published admission number of 240 for Year 7. If the school is oversubscribed, priority is applied through clearly ordered criteria, including looked after and previously looked after children, exceptional medical or social need, sibling, named partner primary schools, pupil premium eligibility, children of staff in specified circumstances, then distance as the final criterion. A supplementary information form is required for certain criteria, and the waiting list is held until the last school day of the summer term.

Sixth form admissions include capacity for up to 75 external students into Year 12, subject to academic entry requirements for chosen courses and available places. Where capacity is reached, priority criteria apply, and late applicants can expect reduced choice.

Parents weighing catchment and distance should use the FindMySchool Map Search tool to estimate travel practicality and compare realistic options across Witham and nearby towns, then verify details against the published admissions arrangements for the relevant year.

External evidence highlights a culture where pupils are polite, friendly, and generally focused in lessons, with adults addressing inappropriate behaviour promptly. That matters for parents worried about low level disruption, because classroom climate is one of the fastest ways a school either supports or undermines progress.

The school’s safeguarding arrangements were confirmed as effective at the most recent inspection, which is a baseline expectation but still an essential reassurance.

Support for pupils with SEND is described as well organised, with staff awareness of pupils needing additional help and targeted provision for a small group to access the same curriculum as peers. For families, the most useful next step is to ask how this works in practice, what support looks like inside mainstream lessons, and how the school tracks impact over time.

Enrichment is a clear feature in both official reporting and the school’s published clubs listings. The inspection report cites a broad range of extra curricular activities, with examples spanning table tennis, football, basketball, drama, and a fantasy role playing game.

The school’s current clubs pages add further specificity. Examples include Dungeons and Dragons, DIY Life Skills, Spanish Board Game Club, Key Stage 3 Art Club, cookery club, badminton, trampolining, and a Lower School Band Club. There is also an LGBTQ+ club listed, which can be a meaningful signal of inclusion and student voice for some families.

For sixth form students, the offer includes personal development content such as PSHE time and explicit careers support, with links to work experience and post 18 planning. This matters because strong outcomes are not only exam grades. For many students, the most important result is leaving Year 13 with a viable plan, confirmed placements, and the confidence to succeed in that next environment.

The school day timings are published in detail. Morning registration runs from 08:30 to 08:50, and the final period ends at 15:15, with after school activities, including clubs and intervention, running to 16:00.

Breakfast club and after school club options are signposted on the website, with booking via ParentPay and operational details handled through the school office. Specific session prices are not published on the after school club page, so families should confirm current arrangements directly before relying on wraparound availability.

For transport, Witham is served by rail and local bus routes, and many families will base decisions on journey time rather than straight line distance. For those driving, drop off patterns and parking practicality are worth checking at an open event, as large secondary sites can experience congestion at peak times.

• GCSE and A level measures sit below England average. The current dataset shows a Progress 8 score of -0.43 and a national lower band placement for both GCSE and A level indicators. Families should ask how the school is driving consistent teaching quality across all subjects, and what targeted support looks like for pupils who fall behind.

• Key stage 3 consistency is a stated improvement priority. The most recent inspection highlights that a minority of teachers are not yet consistently trained to deliver the ambition of the key stage 3 curriculum, and that gaps in knowledge are not always addressed through adapted teaching. For parents of Year 7 and Year 8 pupils, this is an especially relevant question area.

• Admissions criteria include partner primary schools and supplementary forms for specific criteria. In oversubscription, priority is not purely distance based from the outset. Parents should read the determined arrangements carefully and submit any required forms by the published deadline.

• Sixth form destinations are mixed. With a sizeable proportion entering employment and apprenticeships alongside university progression in the published cohort, families should consider whether the sixth form pathways and guidance match their child’s intended route, and how course choice and work experience are supported.

New Rickstones Academy offers a large, structured 11 to 18 education with clearly articulated expectations around conduct, reading support, and participation beyond lessons. The latest external evidence supports a calm culture and effective safeguarding, while published outcomes suggest that raising attainment and consistency remains the central challenge.

Best suited to families who want a mainstream Witham secondary with a broad enrichment menu and a sixth form that accommodates both university and employment facing routes, and who are prepared to engage actively with the school’s support and intervention structures as their child moves through key stage 3 and into examination years.