Kirton Primary School

Kirton Primary School is a caring and ambitious school where pupils feel safe, relationships are positive and behaviour is calm and purposeful. Inspectors found strong provision across the judged areas, with high expectations, effective support for pupils who need help with behaviour, and a curriculum that is particularly well planned in English and mathematics. Mathematics is a notable strength, including clear explanation, good modelling and strong adaptation for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Reading and language development are prioritised from the early years, and pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, sporting opportunities and leadership roles. The school promotes pupils' personal development well, including their understanding of British values, diversity, healthy relationships and financial literacy through the 'kirts' system. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and there have been leadership changes, including a new headteacher appointed in September 2024. The previous inspection grade was good, and under the current inspection framework the school does not receive an overall effectiveness grade. The main area for improvement is the wider curriculum. In a few foundation subjects, the essential knowledge pupils should learn is not yet fully identified or sequenced, so staff are not always clear what to teach and when, and pupils cannot always connect new learning to prior learning. The school should define the most important content across all subjects and ensure it is clearly sequenced.

Strengths

• Caring school with respectful and positive relationships
• Pupils feel safe and trust adults to listen and support them
• High expectations of behaviour with calm, purposeful classrooms
• Pupils take leadership roles seriously and are proud of them
• Well-thought-out curriculum in English and mathematics
• Mathematics is a particular strength, with clear explanation and modelling
• Teaching adapts well for pupils with SEND so they access lessons and learn well
• Systematic approach to early reading and phonics is having a positive impact
• Strong focus on developing pupils' language and communication skills
• Personal development promoted well, including British values and diversity
• Financial literacy is taught extremely well through the 'kirts' system
• Wide range of clubs, sporting competitions and enrichment experiences
• Attendance systems are having a positive impact
• Governors know the school well and fulfil statutory duties
• Staff feel valued and well supported with workload
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• In a few foundation subjects, essential knowledge is not fully identified or sequenced
• Staff are not always clear what pupils need to learn and when in those subjects
• Pupils cannot always connect new learning to previous learning in weaker subjects

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 Kirton Primary School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Kirton Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Kirton Primary School had 20.3 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, 14.7% of pupils at Kirton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Kirton Primary School received £7,150 and spent £7,060 for each of its 520 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £786,000 (£1,513 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 Boston · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

What is Kirton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kirton Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Kirton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kirton Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Kirton Primary School have?

Kirton Primary School has 537 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kirton Primary School cover?

Kirton Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Kirton Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kirton Primary School?

Kirton Primary School is at Station Road, Kirton, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE20 1HY.