Lift New Rickstones
Witham, CM8 2SD · Essex · secondary school
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48th of 78 secondary schools in Essex we can score, 81 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 2.9/10 against 840 of them, against 2.9/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 52 | 35% | 1.84 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 39.8 · 37 | 30% | 1.10 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.43 · 19 | 25% | 0.48 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 42.5 · 32 | 10% | 0.32 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Lift New Rickstones overview
How it's doing
The school is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected in 2023-12. In 2024/25, 35.2% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 40.6, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.43 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Narrow the comparison to the schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — a tougher field — and it places 1.8 out of 10 among them, against 2.4 out of 10 nationally.
Beyond the classroom
Pupils can join clubs including Dungeons and Dragons, Cookery Club, and Spanish Board Game Club. Sports options include Netball, Table Tennis, and Futsal Trials. Arts and music provision covers Vocal Lessons, Piano Lessons, and Key Stage 3 Art Club. Both a breakfast club and an after-school club are available.
Getting in
The published school roll is 1,221 pupils against a stated capacity of 1,100. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
What specific support is offered to help pupils improve their Progress 8 scores? How are the various clubs and sports scheduled to
What Ofsted said about Lift New Rickstones
Overview
New Rickstones Academy continues to be a good school, where pupils display "positive attitudes towards their education" and enjoy an "orderly" atmosphere. The report highlights an "ambitious curriculum" and effective support for sixth-form students, though it notes inconsistencies in how some staff deliver the new key stage 3 curriculum.
Strengths
- Pupils are "polite and friendly," maintaining "high levels of concentration" and rarely disrupting learning.
- Staff are generally skilled at using strategies like questioning and modelling to help pupils "think deeply and embed the intended learning."
- The school has "effective processes" for identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
- Reading is a clear priority, with targeted interventions enabling struggling pupils to become "confident readers."
- Sixth-form students benefit from "well planned" lessons and helpful careers guidance, including valued work experience opportunities.
Areas to improve
- Leaders must ensure all staff are "appropriately supported and trained to deliver the full ambition of the curriculum," as some teachers lack the knowledge to plan suitably ambitious lessons for key stage 3.
- The school needs to ensure staff effectively adapt teaching when gaps in knowledge are identified, providing "targeted opportunities" to address misunderstandings so all pupils meet curriculum aims.
Safeguarding
The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 41.1 |
| 2024/25 | 40.6 |
| 2025/26 | 42.5 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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