The St Francis Special School, Lincoln, Lincoln
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Lincoln. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2022 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2011)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The St Francis Special School, Lincoln are Athena School (2.1 miles, Good); The Lincoln St Christopher's School (3.8 miles, Good); Fortuna School (3.9 miles, Outstanding); and The Willows School (4.4 miles).
Athena SchoolThe Lincoln St Christopher's SchoolFortuna SchoolThe Willows School
Where pupils go next
Of the 10 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms.
Who goes there
53.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and other ethnic groups (14%).
Almost every pupil at The St Francis Special School, Lincoln has an education, health and care plan (175 of 175 in 2026). The most common need among them is a physical disability.
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lincoln Central Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wickenby Crescent (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The St Francis Special School, Lincoln stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 240 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from June 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Outstanding.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2011 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
53.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
SpLD, Vision, Other +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with The St Francis Special School, Lincoln
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The St Francis Special School, Lincoln from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The St Francis Special School, Lincoln 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
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 16 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
175 pupils
175 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Lincoln
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Lincoln
Across Lincolnshire council
Places available
9,247
Applications
7,828
Got 1st preference
84.7%
Got preferred school
96.4%
All secondary applications across Lincolnshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
175
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
175
Total Pupils
96
Boys
79
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
5.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,739
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.5%
Overall absence
37.3%
Persistent absence
118
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about The St Francis Special School, Lincoln
What are SATs results like at The St Francis Special School, Lincoln?
Of the pupils at The St Francis Special School, Lincoln who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is The St Francis Special School, Lincoln's Ofsted rating?
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2011, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The St Francis Special School, Lincoln?
No fixed boundary. When The St Francis Special School, Lincoln is oversubscribed, Lincolnshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The St Francis Special School, Lincoln?
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln has around 175 pupils on roll. 54% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The St Francis Special School, Lincoln have specialist SEN provision?
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln provides for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at The St Francis Special School, Lincoln?
14.5% of sessions were missed at The St Francis Special School, Lincoln in 2024/25. 37.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The St Francis Special School, Lincoln?
Apply through Lincolnshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The St Francis Special School, Lincoln on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near The St Francis Special School, Lincoln?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 16 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 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 The St Francis Special School, Lincoln?
The St Francis Special School, Lincoln is at Wickenby Crescent, Ermine Estate, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN1 3TJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)