The University of Lincoln sponsors the University of Lincoln Academy Trust and plays a leading role in the governance of the trust and establishing the ethos and operational principles. It delegates to its executive staff a high level of responsibility, whilst ensuring it can monitor the work of its academies in a supportive but challenging manner. At the heart of the Trust’s work is enhancing social justice and raising aspirations in one of the most deprived areas of the country. It places great emphasis on supporting the local communities that it serves. All our current academies are based in South Holland District Council area in South East Lincolnshire, which is one of the most deprived areas of Lincolnshire with one of the lowest average wages in the country.

The key to our success is having high quality staff in an area where recruitment in professional services in all areas of employment is not easy. Thus recruiting, retaining and developing high quality staff is very high priority for the Trust. The Trust uses the national pay scales for teachers and conditions of service including pensions and it uses the local conditions of service for non-teaching staff and the Lincolnshire local government pension scheme. The Trust has a comprehensive set of services to support each academy and in terms of safeguarding and child protection, finance, human resources, payroll, health and safety these are common across all our academies. The Trust uses a combination of in house services or services procured through competitive tender, which are held under regular review. However where other existing services are performing well and providing good value for money the Trust permits flexibility amongst its academies. As a result of our commitment to the communities we serve, we seek wherever possible to purchase goods and services locally, provided they meet our best value conditions.

The Trust was formed in 2014 when University Academy Holbeach agreed to become a multi academy trust and was renamed and gained new articles of association and funding agreement. University Academy Holbeach was created in 2011 when George Farmer Technology and Languages College and St Guthlac’s Crowland were merged.

University Academy Holbeach is an academy based in Holbeach, in South East Lincolnshire. The academy was established in 2011 following the closure of the St Guthlac’s School in Crowland and its merger with the George Farmer Technology and Language College. George Farmer had been managing St Guthlac’s for four years before the merger. George Farmer itself was opened as a secondary modern school in 1958 and named after George Farmer who in 1669 donated 17 acres and three roods to establish the first free school in Holbeach. In seeking to set up the new academy at George Farmer the local authority invited University of Lincoln to be its education sponsor. At the time of transfer Ofsted rated it as good.

In 2014, Holbeach Primary School joined the newly established multi academy trust as a convertor and was renamed Holbeach Primary Academy. This academy is based on an adjoining site to University Academy Holbeach. It was opened in 1877 as Holbeach Boys Board school and has had a range of iterations before in 1947 it became Holbeach County School and a year later Holbeach Primary School. It moved to its current site in 1982. At the time of transfer Ofsted rated it as requiring improvement.

In 2016, Gosberton House Special School joined the Trust as a convertor and was named Gosberton House Academy. It is a 2 to 11 specialist academy specialising in Autism. This academy is based approximately 13 miles from Holbeach. The school opened in 1953 in what is now the residential nursing home. The school moved into its current buildings in the grounds of the nursing home in 1988.

At the time of transfer Ofsted rated it as outstanding. It also provides the Autism Outreach Service for Lincolnshire County Council.

In 2018, Holbeach Bank Primary School joined the Trust as a sponsored academy at the request of Lincolnshire County Council and the Regional Schools Commissioner. It was named Holbeach Bank Academy and it based less than 2 miles from Holbeach Primary Academy. It is a very small rural school using its original buildings opened in 1877. At the time of transfer Ofsted rated it as inadequate.

In 2019, the Peele Community College joined the Trust as a sponsored academy at the request of Lincolnshire County Council and the Regional Schools Commissioner. It was named University Academy Long Sutton and is based less than 6 miles from Holbeach. The Peele school was opened in 1958 on land once owned by Thomas Peele. This academy is freehold having previously been a Foundation school. It has a nursery on site that serves Long Sutton, a Leisure Centre and an all-weather pitch, owned by the Trust, but leased out to outside bodies with academy use during the day. At the time of transfer Ofsted rated it as inadequate.

In 2020 a Strategic review of the Trust was carried out and one outcome was the recommendation that the Trust was renamed. This took place in May 2021 when the University of Lincoln Academy Trust was formed. This will help working with the University easier and will help the development of the Trust

University Academy Holbeach (UAH) – is an 11 to 19 non-selective school in a selective area (often called a secondary modern school) with 1,300 students, with 300 in the sixth form. Its PAN has been raised from 180 to 240 because of the oversubscription of the academy; this will result in the academy increasing to approximately 1,500 students. The academy is an accredited centre for apprenticeship. In the last inspection by Ofsted in March 2019 – Good in all aspects. UAH is one of only three non-selective schools in a selective area in Lincolnshire that has never been in an Ofsted category since the introduction of Ofsted. The Executive Principal is Steve Baragwanath and the Principal is Sheila Paige.

 

Holbeach Primary Academy (HPA) – a primary school with over 290 children. It is fully subscribed and has an outstanding reputation for its work in the community. In 2018 it was in the top 10% of Lincolnshire schools for pupil outcomes. Last inspected by Ofsted in 2017 – Good in all aspects. It is the lead academy working with Holbeach Bank Academy with the same Governing Body and Executive Staff. The Executive Principal is Susan Boor and Executive Vice Principal is Nicola Kenyon.

 

Gosberton House Academy (GHA) – a special academy for primary aged children with over 96 children and it specialises in teaching children with autism. It runs at capacity all the time and is much sought after by parents as a place for their children. The academy was externally assessed by the National Autistic Society and achieved Advanced status – one of the first in the country in 2017 to have this highest grade. It also runs the outreach service throughout Lincolnshire for Autism. This was recently assessed and also achieved the Advanced status. Last Inspection by Ofsted in May 2019 – outstanding again in all aspects. The Executive Principal is Louise Stanton.

 

Holbeach Bank Academy (HBA) – a primary academy with 58 children. This is a very small village academy working within an area of very significant deprivation. The same Governing Body and Executive staff as Holbeach Primary Academy lead this academy. Sponsored in June 2018 and currently has no Ofsted grade. The Executive Principal is Susan Boor and Executive Vice Principal is Nicola Kenyon.

 

University Academy Long Sutton (UALS) – is 11 to 16 non-selective schools in a selective area (often called a secondary modern school) with 660 students. In recent years it has struggled to fill its PAN of 144 places, but in the last 2 years it has been over subscribed.  Last inspected in 2019 as inadequate. Sponsored July 2019 and currently has no Ofsted grade. The Executive Principal is Steve Baragwanath and the Principal is Liam Davé.