Hartsholme Academy, Lincoln
Hartsholme Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Lincoln, part of Harbour Learning Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2023. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 54th-highest of the 63 schools in Lincoln with published results, and 12,330th of 14,452 across England. It was 80% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hartsholme Academy in detail
Results
In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils at Hartsholme Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 71% in Lincolnshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 73% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Hartsholme Academy
For September 2026 entry, 33 families put Hartsholme Academy as their first choice and 51 named it as one of their preferences, for 34 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hartsholme Academy are Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School (0.9 miles, Requires improvement, 70% reading, 59% maths); Lincoln Birchwood Junior School (1 mile, Good, 65% reading, 67% maths); The Lancaster School (1 mile, Good); and Woodlands Infant and Nursery School (1.1 miles, Good).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Hartsholme Academy.
Sir Francis Hill Community Primary SchoolLincoln Birchwood Junior SchoolThe Lancaster SchoolWoodlands Infant and Nursery School
The trust
Hartsholme Academy is one of 8 schools run by Harbour Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
58 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hartsholme Academy (as of September 2025): 72% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 64% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (64%).
Who goes there
42.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 6.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Hartsholme Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 0 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hykeham Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Jarvis House (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hartsholme Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 3rd decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 196 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Hartsholme Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Hartsholme Academy are The Priory City of Lincoln Academy (0.3 miles); St Peter and St Paul, Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.7 miles); The Priory Witham Academy (0.7 miles); and The Priory Academy LSST (1.4 miles).
The Priory City of Lincoln AcademySt Peter and St Paul, Catholic Voluntary AcademyThe Priory Witham AcademyThe Priory Academy LSST
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Hartsholme Academy has made impressive improvements and now provides a safe, caring environment where pupils thrive. The school excels at teaching reading through expert phonics instruction, and offers an ambitious curriculum with excellent support for children with additional needs. Your child will benefit from strong relationships with staff, lots of enrichment opportunities, and a school that celebrates the values of being ambitious, resilient and respectful.
Key Strengths
- Expert phonics teaching and strong focus on reading from early years through key stage 2 - pupils enjoy reading for pleasure
- Well-designed, ambitious curriculum with clear sequencing of knowledge that helps pupils connect new learning to what they already know
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, including detailed individualised curriculums delivered by well-trained staff
- Improved behaviour and attendance, with effective personalised support for pupils who need it
- Strong personal development opportunities including clubs, trips, and leadership roles
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent quality in how teachers deliver the curriculum across the school - some lessons are less effective, meaning pupils don't learn as securely as they could
- Number of pupils achieving above expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics is below the national average
- Leaders lack robust systems to accurately evaluate the impact of the curriculum and other school improvements, making it hard to know what's working
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear systems in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, trips and visits, reading ambassadors, prefects, house captains
Hartsholme Academy is a primary school that has significantly improved since its previous inspection. Pupils are safe, well cared for, and enjoy positive relationships with staff while achieving good outcomes across the curriculum.
At a Glance
42.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Speech and language
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
58 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 73% to 54% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 79% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
24.2
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
25.3
KS2
14
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Hartsholme Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Hartsholme Academy.
- Premier Education WAC @ Hartsholme AcademyAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Hartsholme Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Lincolnshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hartsholme Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hartsholme Academy is in Lincolnshire; for families living there:
Apply to Lincolnshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Hartsholme Academy
Will you get a place at Hartsholme Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hartsholme Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hartsholme Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hartsholme Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lincolnshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hartsholme Academy for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Lincolnshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
80%
Available places
334 pupils
420 places
86 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Lincoln
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Lincoln
Across Lincolnshire council
Places available
8,940
Applications
6,453
Got 1st preference
96.3%
Got preferred school
99.7%
All primary applications across Lincolnshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
60
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
22.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Hartsholme Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 0 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
346
Total Pupils
186
Boys
160
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
17.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,210
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,483
Per pupil
£2139k
Total funding
£208k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
16.1%
Persistent absence
304
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Hartsholme Academy
What are SATs results like at Hartsholme Academy?
Of the pupils at Hartsholme Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 54% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Hartsholme Academy's Ofsted rating?
Hartsholme Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2023, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Hartsholme Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Hartsholme Academy is oversubscribed, Lincolnshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hartsholme Academy?
Hartsholme Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Hartsholme Academy?
Classes at Hartsholme Academy average 24.2 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Hartsholme Academy?
Hartsholme Academy has around 346 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Hartsholme Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Hartsholme Academy has a SEN unit for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 0 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Hartsholme Academy?
6% of sessions were missed at Hartsholme Academy in 2024/25. 16.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hartsholme Academy?
Apply through Lincolnshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Hartsholme Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Hartsholme Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Premier Education WAC @ Hartsholme Academy (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Hartsholme Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 8 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Lincolnshire is 6 (the median across 401 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hartsholme Academy?
Hartsholme Academy is at Carrington Drive, Lincoln, LN6 0DE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)