Best Schools in Sleaford

How many schools are there in Sleaford?

Sleaford has 21 open schools: 16 state primary, 4 state secondary or all-through and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Sleaford are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Sleaford was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Church Lane Primary School & Nursery. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 17 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.

Church Lane Primary School & Nursery

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Sleaford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Sleaford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 63 and 83% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Carre's Grammar School (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 60 and 82% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and St George's Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 39.4 and 22% 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.

Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective AcademyCarre's Grammar SchoolSt George's Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Sleaford have the best SATs results?

Of the 14 primary schools in Sleaford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School (87% in reading, 90% in maths); Rauceby Church of England Primary School (82% in reading, 85% in maths); and Brown's Church of England Primary School (63% 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.

The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary SchoolRauceby Church of England Primary SchoolBrown's Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Sleaford?

Yes. Carre's Grammar School and Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy are state grammar schools in Sleaford. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Carre's Grammar SchoolKesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Sleaford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Sleaford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Lincolnshire 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 Sleaford?

Apply to Lincolnshire 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.