Church Lane Primary School & Nursery

Church Lane Primary School & Nursery is performing exceptionally well across all areas of its provision. Pupils are described as happy, safe and highly engaged, with exemplary behaviour and strong relationships with staff. The curriculum is highly ambitious and well sequenced, teachers check understanding carefully, and pupils achieve a deep and secure knowledge base. Reading is prioritised effectively, including early reading, and pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported well so that they are fully included and make strong progress.

Strengths

• Exceptionally ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across all subjects
• Pupils demonstrate exemplary behaviour and highly positive attitudes to learning
• Strong provision for pupils with SEND, including early identification and effective support
• Reading is central to the curriculum and pupils become fluent, confident readers
• Early years provision gives children an exceptionally strong start
• Personal development is exemplary and woven throughout the curriculum
• Wide range of enrichment opportunities, including trips, sports and arts
• Exceptionally well led, with strong collaboration between leaders, governors and staff
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Pupils are fully included in all aspects of school life

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Church Lane Primary School & Nursery attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Church Lane Primary School & Nursery were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Church Lane Primary School & Nursery had 19.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 6.0% of pupils at Church Lane Primary School & Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 8.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Church Lane Primary School & Nursery received £9,757 and spent £9,778 for each of its 218 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £81,000 (£372 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Sleaford · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

What is Church Lane Primary School & Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Church Lane Primary School & Nursery is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Church Lane Primary School & Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Church Lane Primary School & Nursery was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Church Lane Primary School & Nursery have?

Church Lane Primary School & Nursery has 218 pupils on roll.

What age range does Church Lane Primary School & Nursery cover?

Church Lane Primary School & Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Church Lane Primary School & Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Church Lane Primary School & Nursery?

Church Lane Primary School & Nursery is at Church Lane, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7DF.