The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern, Alford
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Alford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 246 schools in Lincolnshire with published results, and 637th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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 St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern in detail
Results
In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern reached the expected standard in reading and 100% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 72% and 71% in Lincolnshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (100% in reading, 86% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern as their first choice and 12 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 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 St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern are Theddlethorpe Academy (3.8 miles, Good, 69% reading, 69% maths); East Wold Church of England Primary School (3.9 miles, Requires improvement, 43% reading, 29% maths); Grimoldby Primary School (4 miles, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths); and Alford Primary School (4.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 79% maths).
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Theddlethorpe AcademyEast Wold Church of England Primary SchoolGrimoldby Primary SchoolAlford Primary School
Who goes there
36% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 7 pupils (9.3%) received SEN support and 3 (4%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Demand Responsive Area, 160 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 1 crime within a mile of the school, most often drug offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Lincolnshire (33).
Suspensions and exclusions
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern 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 · 5 years agoThis judgement is from October 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 Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2011 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
36.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 100% to 88% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 86% to 100% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 100% to 88% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.8
Avg class size
16.5
KS2
4
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern
Term dates
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Lincolnshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Thursday 3 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Wednesday 14 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Wednesday 19 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern 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
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern
Will you get a place at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Lincolnshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern 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
99%
Near capacity
69 pupils
70 places
1 spare place in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Alford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Alford
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
7
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
13.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
75
Total Pupils
35
Boys
40
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
8.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,226
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,708
Per pupil
£620k
Total funding
£30k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
4.8%
Persistent absence
62
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern
What are SATs results like at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
Of the pupils at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 88% reached the expected standard in reading and 100% did so in maths.
What is The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern's Ofsted rating?
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
No fixed boundary. When The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern 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 St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
Classes at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern average 18.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern has around 75 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
3.8% of sessions were missed at The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern in 2024/25. 4.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
Apply through Lincolnshire's coordinated admissions process, naming The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern 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.
What are The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern's term dates?
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern is a voluntary controlled school, so its term dates are set by Lincolnshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Thursday 3 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Tuesday 5 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Wednesday 14 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Monday 6 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Wednesday 5 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Wednesday 19 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Margaret's Church of England School, Withern?
The St Margaret's Church of England School, Withern is at Main Road, Withern, Alford, Lincolnshire, LN13 0NB.
Sources: Lincolnshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)