Best Schools in Lincolnshire

How many schools are there in Lincolnshire?

Lincolnshire has 458 open schools: 328 state primary, 73 state secondary or all-through, 12 independent, 31 special and 14 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Lincolnshire are rated Outstanding?

39 schools in Lincolnshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Tudor Lodge Therapeutic School, Branston Church of England Infant Academy, Franklin Sixth Form College, Witham St Hughs Academy, The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School and 34 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 406 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.

Tudor Lodge Therapeutic SchoolBranston Church of England Infant AcademyFranklin Sixth Form CollegeWitham St Hughs AcademyThe Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Lincolnshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 72 schools in Lincolnshire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The King's School, Grantham (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 73.2 and 98% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Caistor Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 68.9 and 90% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 68.4 and 90% 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 King's School, GranthamCaistor Grammar SchoolKesteven and Grantham Girls' School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Lincolnshire have the best SATs results?

Of the 285 primary schools in Lincolnshire with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Digby Church of England School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); St Mary's Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy (Brigg) (100% in reading, 95% in maths); and Quadring Cowley & Brown's Primary School (94% in reading, 100% 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.

Digby Church of England SchoolSt Mary's Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy (Brigg)Quadring Cowley & Brown's Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Lincolnshire?

Yes. Lincolnshire has 15 state grammar schools, including Boston High School, Bourne Grammar School, Caistor Grammar School, Carre's Grammar School, Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School and Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Boston High SchoolBourne Grammar SchoolCaistor Grammar SchoolCarre's Grammar SchoolKesteven and Grantham Girls' SchoolKesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Lincolnshire have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Lincolnshire 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 Lincolnshire?

Apply to your council - Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire or North East 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.