Best Schools in Gainsborough

These schools serve pupils with particular needs, so they aren't ranked against mainstream schools on exam results. Places are usually arranged through the council, often via an Education, Health and Care plan.

Aegir - A Specialist AcademyAges 11-19 · Good
Warren Wood - A Specialist AcademyAges 2-11 · Good

Questions parents ask about schools in Gainsborough

How many schools are there in Gainsborough?

Gainsborough has 26 open schools: 18 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 2 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Gainsborough are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Gainsborough was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Gainsborough Hillcrest Early Years Academy. Counting Good as well, 86% of the 22 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

The Gainsborough Hillcrest Early Years Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Gainsborough get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Gainsborough with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 62 and 74% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Kirton Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.7 and 25% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Gainsborough Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 33.1 and 21% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough Kirton Academy The Gainsborough Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Gainsborough have the best SATs results?

Of the 16 primary schools in Gainsborough with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Willoughton Primary School (86% in reading, 100% in maths); The Marton Academy (89% in reading, 78% in maths); and Waddingham Primary School (89% in reading, 78% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Willoughton Primary School The Marton Academy Waddingham Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Gainsborough?

Yes. The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough is a state grammar school in Gainsborough. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Gainsborough have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Gainsborough have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Gainsborough?

Apply to your council - Lincolnshire or North Lincolnshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.