Schools in Retford
Nottinghamshire · 21 schools
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Nottinghamshire (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 Nottinghamshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Schools in Retford (21)
- North Wheatley Church of England Primary School
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 9DH
Ofsted: Outstanding (2015)KS2: 61% expected (2025) - Bracken Lane Primary Academy
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 7EU
Ofsted: Good (2013)New report cardKS2: 86% expected (2025) - Carr Hill Primary and Nursery School
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 6SW
Ofsted: Good (2022)KS2: 43% expected (2025) - Elkesley Primary and Nursery School
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 8AQ
Ofsted: Good (2019)KS2: 45% expected (2025) - Gamston St Peter's CofE Primary School
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 0PE
Ofsted: Good (2024)KS2: 73% expected (2025)94% of first choices got in - Leverton Church of England Academy
Primary · Ages 2-11 · DN22 0AD
Ofsted: Good (2023)KS2: 88% expected (2025) - Rampton Primary School
Primary · Ages 2-11 · DN22 0JB
Ofsted: Good (2016)New report cardKS2: 46% expected (2025) - St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 7BP
Ofsted: Good (2014)KS2: 77% expected (2025) - Sturton CofE Primary School
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 9HQ
Ofsted: Good (2023)KS2: 75% expected (2025) - Sutton-Cum-Lound CofE School
Primary · Ages 4-11 · DN22 8PP
Ofsted: Good (2022)KS2: 54% expected (2025) - The Elizabethan Academy
Secondary · Ages 11-18 · DN22 7PY
Ofsted: Good (2024)Attainment 8: 42.9 (2026)85% of first choices got in - Thrumpton Primary Academy
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 7AQ
Ofsted: Good (2014)New report cardKS2: 86% expected (2025) - St Swithun's Church of England Primary Academy
Primary · Ages 3-11 · DN22 6LD
Ofsted: Requires Improvement (2022)New report cardKS2: 38% expected (2025)
Showing 20 of 21 schools
By type:Primary schools in Retford (17)Special schools in Retford (2)Secondary schools in Retford (2)
21
17 primary · 2 secondary
5,449
86% capacity used
7
0 outstanding · 7 good
6,358
909 spare places
Ofsted Ratings
Best Schools in Retford
View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more
Best Schools in Nottinghamshire
Compare all schools across the county
Area Performance (2026)
Attainment 8
41.9
GCSE Eng+Maths
41.1%
School Capacity & Demand
Housing Growth Detected
1,168 new homes approved nearby. This could generate an estimated +292 primary and +210 secondary pupils.
Source: MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years)
Primary Schools
88% occupied · 377 spare places
Secondary Schools
84% occupied · 443 spare places
Questions parents ask about schools in Retford
How many schools are there in Retford?
Retford has 21 open schools: 17 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through and 2 special.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Which schools in Retford are rated Outstanding?
1 school in Retford was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: North Wheatley Church of England Primary School. Counting Good as well, 95% of the 20 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.
North Wheatley Church of England Primary School
Source: Ofsted
Which secondary schools in Retford get the best GCSE results?
Of the 2 schools in Retford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Elizabethan Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 42.9 and 46% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Retford Oaks Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 40.8 and 36% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.
The Elizabethan AcademyRetford Oaks Academy
Source: DfE school performance data
Which primary schools in Retford have the best SATs results?
Of the 16 primary schools in Retford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Ranskill Primary School (93% in reading, 100% in maths); Leverton Church of England Academy (88% in reading, 88% in maths); and Bracken Lane Primary Academy (86% in reading, 86% 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.
Ranskill Primary SchoolLeverton Church of England AcademyBracken Lane Primary Academy
Source: DfE school performance data
Are there grammar schools in Retford?
No. None of the state secondary schools in Retford selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.
Source: DfE Get Information About Schools
Do schools in Retford have catchment areas?
Most state schools in Retford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Nottinghamshire 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 Retford?
Apply to Nottinghamshire 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.