Deeping St Nicholas Primary School

Deeping St Nicholas Primary School is a small, close-knit primary school of 68 pupils within the Stukeley Federation. Following a full section 5 inspection under the renewed framework, the school is performing well in several areas. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils are proud to attend, feel safe, and behave exceptionally well. Attendance is a key priority and is improving, with persistent absence falling. The early years provision is particularly strong, giving children a confident start, and reading is a notable strength across the school. Personal development is extensive, with pupils benefiting from a wide range of opportunities, including the innovative 'Stukeley University' sessions. Pupils typically achieve well from their starting points, with phonics outcomes often above national averages and key stage 2 outcomes above national averages in reading and writing. The school is inclusive, and leaders act swiftly to support pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. Leadership is effective, with clear improvement priorities, supportive governance, and positive parent engagement. However, the curriculum and teaching are not yet consistently well planned or delivered across all year groups and subjects. This means some pupils do not secure their knowledge as well as they could, and gaps can remain. Assessment is not always used precisely enough, and expectations for the quality of work in pupils' books vary. Leaders have already taken steps to improve this, but the impact is not yet embedded. Additionally, leaders need to strengthen how they measure the impact of support for disadvantaged pupils.

Strengths

• Pupils behave exceptionally well and have excellent manners.
• Attendance is improving and persistent absence continues to fall.
• Early years provision is strong, with children making a confident start.
• Reading is a key strength, with systematic phonics teaching.
• Personal development is extensive and includes innovative 'Stukeley University' sessions.
• Pupils achieve well from their starting points, with strong phonics and KS2 outcomes.
• The school is inclusive, supporting SEND and disadvantaged pupils effectively.
• Leadership is clear-sighted, with effective governance and federation collaboration.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture.
• Pupils feel safe, and bullying is rare.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum and teaching are inconsistent across year groups and subjects.
• Assessment information is not always used precisely enough to address pupils' needs.
• Some pupils' knowledge gaps remain due to inconsistent curriculum delivery.
• Expectations for the quality of work in pupils' books vary across subjects.
• Improvements to curriculum and teaching are not yet embedded, so impact is unclear.
• Leaders need better methods to quality assure curriculum implementation.
• Leaders need to develop how they measure the impact of support for disadvantaged pupils.
• Some pupils' needs are not met closely enough, affecting their readiness to move on.

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 Deeping St Nicholas Primary School attended 97.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.6% 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 Deeping St Nicholas Primary School 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 Deeping St Nicholas Primary School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 12.9% of pupils at Deeping St Nicholas Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% 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 Deeping St Nicholas Primary School received £9,905 and spent £10,771 for each of its 70 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £90,000 (£1,285 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 Spalding · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

What is Deeping St Nicholas Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Deeping St Nicholas Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Deeping St Nicholas Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Deeping St Nicholas Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Deeping St Nicholas Primary School have?

Deeping St Nicholas Primary School has 70 pupils on roll.

What age range does Deeping St Nicholas Primary School cover?

Deeping St Nicholas Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Deeping St Nicholas Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Deeping St Nicholas Primary School?

Deeping St Nicholas Primary School is at Main Road, Deeping St Nicholas, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 3DG.