The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School, Sleaford
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Sleaford, part of Kirkby la Thorpe Church of England Primary Academy. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 14 schools in Sleaford with published results, and 10,359th of 14,452 across England. It was 73% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Lincolnshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School in detail
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a busy but friendly school, with lots going on. Situated in the village of Kirkby la Thorpe, we are a small, rural primary school, meeting the needs of pupils across Sleaford and the surrounding area. We are delighted to now offer an on-site Pre-School provision, providing high-quality early years education within our nurturing school family."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball and choir.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 71% in Lincolnshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 53% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 30 named it as one of their preferences, for 16 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School are William Alvey School (1.7 miles, Good, 82% reading, 77% maths); Church Lane Primary School & Nursery (1.9 miles, Outstanding, 72% reading, 78% maths); Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (2.3 miles, Good, 62% reading, 45% maths); and St Botolph's C of E Primary School (2.6 miles, Good, 80% reading, 78% maths).
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
William Alvey SchoolChurch Lane Primary School & NurseryOur Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary AcademySt Botolph's C of E Primary School
The trust
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Who goes there
3.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 10 pupils (9.4%) received SEN support and 5 (4.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Sleaford Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (adjacent), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33).
Suspensions and exclusions
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from September 2016, 10 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2016 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
18.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 80% to 60% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 53% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 60% to 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
17.0
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School
Term dates
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School 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 The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
1 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 The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lincolnshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School for 2014 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
73%
Available places
102 pupils
140 places
38 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Sleaford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sleaford
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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
14.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
106
Total Pupils
55
Boys
51
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
15.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,832
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,252
Per pupil
£740k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.7%
Overall absence
9.6%
Persistent absence
94
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 60% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School is oversubscribed, Lincolnshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 73% of its 140 places.
How big are the classes at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
Classes at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School average 17 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School has around 106 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
4.7% of sessions were missed at The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 9.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Lincolnshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School 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.
How many road collisions happen near The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 1 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 The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School is at Church Lane, Kirkby-la-Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 9NU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)