Sign up free
Skip to main content

Schools across Lincolnshire

Local authority · 401 schools across 36 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Lincolnshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lincolnshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Lincolnshire →

Schools in Lincolnshire (401)

Showing 20 of 401 schools

Total Schools

401

279 primary · 55 secondary

Total Pupils

110,062

87% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

120

8 outstanding · 112 good

Capacity

126,667

16,605 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

112
273
Outstanding: 8
Good: 112
Requires Improvement: 8
Not inspected: 273

Best Schools in Lincolnshire

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

38.9

GCSE Eng+Maths

35.2%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

85% full
53,968 pupils63,631 capacity

9,663 spare places

Secondary Schools

91% full
48,292 pupils53,347 capacity

5,055 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.1%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

15.6%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

343

2024/25

Absence trend across Lincolnshire schools

4.7%
18/19
4.5%
20/21
7.5%
21/22
6.6%
22/23
6.5%
23/24
6.1%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

87%

Plans Issued

1,133

Assessment Requests

1,988

Tribunal Cases

35

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

75%
2019
40%
2020
95%
2021
77%
2022
100%
2023
99%
2024
87%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

8,748 admissions

112

Lodged

(1.3%)

71

Heard

18

Successful

(25%)

Primary (infant classes)

7,263 admissions

61

Lodged

(0.8%)

33

Heard

8

Successful

(24%)

Secondary

9,993 admissions

647

Lodged

(6.5%)

548

Heard

267

Successful

(49%)

Total

18,741 admissions

759

Lodged

(4.0%)

619

Heard

285

Successful

(46%)

Total appeals lodged per year

1872
2019
1728
2020
1487
2021
1695
2022
1626
2023
2112
2024
1783
2025
1579
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Lincolnshire

Lincoln

104 schools

Spalding

46 schools

Grantham

42 schools

Boston

39 schools

Gainsborough

23 schools

Sleaford

21 schools

Louth

16 schools

Market Rasen

16 schools

Skegness

12 schools

Bourne

10 schools

Stamford

10 schools

Spilsby

7 schools

Peterborough

7 schools

Alford

6 schools

Grimsby

5 schools

Horncastle

5 schools

Mablethorpe

4 schools

LINCOLN

3 schools

Lincolnshire

3 schools

Woodhall Spa

3 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Lincolnshire

How many schools are there in Lincolnshire?

Lincolnshire has 401 open schools: 279 state primary, 61 state secondary or all-through, 14 independent, 37 special and 10 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Lincolnshire are rated Outstanding?

35 schools in Lincolnshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Tudor Lodge Therapeutic School, Branston Church of England Infant Academy, Witham St Hughs Academy, Springwell Alternative Academy Mablethorpe, The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School and 30 more. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 353 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 AcademyWitham St Hughs AcademySpringwell Alternative Academy MablethorpeThe Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Lincolnshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 60 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 245 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); Quadring Cowley & Brown's Primary School (94% in reading, 100% in maths); and The Claypole Church of England 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 SchoolQuadring Cowley & Brown's Primary SchoolThe Claypole Church of England 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, 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 Lincolnshire?

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. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables