Ancaster CofE Primary School

Ancaster CofE Primary School is performing well, maintaining its status as a good school. The pupils enjoy their educational experience, demonstrating strong personal development and exemplary behavior. Leaders have established high expectations that promote both academic achievement and positive attitudes among students. The strong emphasis on reading and mathematics ensures pupils build a solid foundation in their learning. Additionally, the school's culture fosters safety and respect, with parents expressing overwhelming satisfaction with the progress and support their children receive. Despite the school's many strengths, there are areas identified for improvement, particularly regarding curriculum coherence in some subjects and the need for a more consistent approach to assessment across the wider curriculum. Leaders are already addressing these issues to enhance the overall educational experience for all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This inspection marks the first routine evaluation since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, providing context to the findings and the school's ongoing development.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy their learning and feel safe at school.
• High expectations set by staff lead to strong personal and academic development.
• Pupils demonstrate exemplary behavior and respectful attitudes.
• A strong emphasis on reading fosters phonics knowledge and love for literature.
• Mathematics teaching enables pupils to build understanding over time.
• Teachers adapt teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND effectively.
• High-quality personal development opportunities enhance pupils' well-being.
• Positive relationships exist between staff, pupils, and the wider school community.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum coherence is not fully developed in some subjects.
• Assessment approaches in foundation subjects lack consistency.

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 Ancaster CofE Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.0% 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 Ancaster CofE 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 Ancaster CofE Primary School had 20.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.2% 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, 22.6% of pupils at Ancaster CofE 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 Ancaster CofE Primary School received £7,157 and spent £7,236 for each of its 186 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £12,000 (£63 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 Grantham · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

What is Ancaster CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ancaster CofE Primary School is Good, from an inspection in February 2023.

When was Ancaster CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ancaster CofE Primary School was last inspected in February 2023.

How many pupils does Ancaster CofE Primary School have?

Ancaster CofE Primary School has 186 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ancaster CofE Primary School cover?

Ancaster CofE Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ancaster CofE Primary School?

Ancaster CofE Primary School is at Mercia Drive, Ancaster, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG32 3QQ.