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St Botolph's C of E Primary School

Primary Ages 5-11 402 pupils Sleaford
Ofsted: Good
All schools in Sleaford

St Botolph's C of E Primary School is a voluntary controlled school in Sleaford for pupils aged 5 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 402 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for St Botolph's C of E Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023. In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Ofsted inspection: May 2023. KS2 results: 2025.

Type Primary / Voluntary controlled school
Age Range 5-11
Religion Church of England
Address Rookery Avenue
Lincolnshire
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 7FE
Phone 01529302698
Reference Number 132251

General Makeup

Number of pupils 402
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 45.77%
Girls: 54.23%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 18.9%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 8.2%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 28.6
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 28.2
Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher 28.9

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 21 35 56
2 29 29 58
3 27 31 58
4 25 27 52
5 24 37 61
6 26 36 62

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 86.6%
White, Other 5.2%
Mixed, Other 1.7%
White & Asian 1.2%
White & Black (Caribbean) 0.7%
Indian 0.7%
Asian, Other 0.7%
African 0.5%
Pakistani 0.5%
White & Black (African) 0.2%

St Botolph's C of E Primary School has maintained its status as a good school, reflecting a strong commitment to the school’s Christian values that permeate the entire environment. Leaders are ambitious, cultivating a culture where high expectations are set for all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The curriculum is designed to enhance learning through a variety of experiences, emphasizing reading and mathematics, with evident strengths in phonics and fluency. The school environment supports well-behaved students who are engaged and proud of their roles within the school community. Concerns have been identified regarding the consistency of assessment strategies across subjects, which sometimes hampers teachers' abilities to check and support pupils' knowledge and skills systematically. Overall, students feel safe, well-supported, and are prepared for modern British life, demonstrating a respectful understanding of diversity and community values.

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
Last Report Date 07 Mar 2023
Date Report
07 Mar 2023 School inspection
03 Oct 2017 Full inspection:
12 Mar 2015 Full inspection:
11 Jul 2012 Full inspection:
07 Jan 2011 Interim assessment
25 Feb 2008 Full inspection:
02 Jun 2003 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Strong reading culture with dedicated reading ambassadors.
  • High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND.
  • Effective safeguarding culture with robust support systems.
  • Well-resourced early years environment that promotes play-based learning.
  • Subjects are approached through a question-based curriculum, enhancing retention of knowledge.
  • Positive pupil behavior with a proactive approach to bullying.

Areas for Improvement

  • Inconsistent assessment strategies across all subjects.

How many students meet the standards

Reading, Writing & Maths School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Pupils meeting the expected standard 63%
Pupils meeting a higher standard 7%

Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

Subject School Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading 106
Maths 105

Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Reading -0.5
Writing -1.5
Maths -1.3

How many students meet the standards

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Average Scaled Score

Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.

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Progress Scores

A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.

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Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 32 2
Third Preference 21 0
From another Local Authority 0 0

Previous years

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 St Botolph's C of E Primary School had 400 pupils for 420 places. 20 places (4.8%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Sleaford Primary” planning area

Lincolnshire counted 225 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 240 in 2029–30, up 7%.

201020112012201320142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Places 420420420420420420420420420420420420420420420
Pupils 375381382397386397394404411410412402402406400
Unfilled 10.7%9.3%9.0%5.5%8.1%5.5%6.2%3.8%2.1%2.4%1.9%4.3%4.3%3.3%4.8%

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 St Botolph's C of E Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 3.0%2.7%3.3%3.3%3.1%2.8%1.9%5.4%3.6%3.3%3.3%
Unauthorised absence 0.4%0.4%0.7%0.8%1.0%0.8%0.5%0.9%0.9%0.9%0.7%
Severely absent pupils 0.0%0.0%0.3%1.1%0.0%0.0%0.0%0.3%0.3%0.6%0.6%

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 St Botolph's C of E Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.00.30.30.00.30.00.00.00.50.00.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusions 0000000000000000

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 St Botolph's C of E Primary School had 21.2 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

2011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 15.812.712.612.411.614.613.513.014.416.513.010.010.611.512.010.0
Teachers who left state teaching 7.8%19.8%6.0%11.5%15.8%10.1%10.9%15.1%39.8%0.0%0.0%2.3%5.6%13.1%0.0%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 55.6%42.9%55.0%60.9%0.0%9.5%27.3%40.9%50.0%–30.4%66.7%40.0%22.2%61.5%–
Sick days per teacher 3.35.62.03.60.03.07.39.07.0–1.75.80.90.61.7–

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, 10.2% of pupils at St Botolph's C of E Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
No specialist assessment of need 21 0
Speech, language and communication needs 10 8
Autistic spectrum disorder 2 8
Social, emotional and mental health 7 3
Moderate learning difficulty 1 1
Other difficulty or disability 0 1

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 St Botolph's C of E Primary School received £7,700 and spent £7,834 for each of its 402 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £265,000 (£659 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

20192020202120222023202420252026
Revenue reserve £46,000£100,000£201,000£225,000£209,000£219,000£319,000£265,000
per pupil £112£241£485£553£516£538£791£659
In-year balance £10,000£53,000£101,000£24,000-£16,000£11,000£100,000-£54,000
per pupil £25£129£244£59-£40£26£248-£134

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

Name Distance
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
The Drove, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7AT
0.56 miles
Church Lane Primary School & Nursery
Church Lane, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7DF
0.83 miles
William Alvey School
Eastgate, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7EA
1.04 miles
The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School
Lincoln Road, Leasingham, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8JS
2.04 miles
Rauceby Church of England Primary School
Tom Lane, North Rauceby, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8QW
2.14 miles
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School
Church Lane, Kirkby-la-Thorpe, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 9NU
2.65 miles
Winchelsea Primary School Ruskington
4a Sleaford Road, Ruskington, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 9BY
3.69 miles
Ruskington Chestnut Street Church of England Academy
Chestnut Street, Ruskington, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 9DL
3.87 miles
Cranwell Primary School (Foundation)
Cranwell, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8HH
4.06 miles
Osbournby Primary School
London Road, Osbournby, Open, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 0DG
4.45 miles
Ancaster CofE Primary School
Mercia Drive, Ancaster, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG32 3QQ
4.53 miles
Name Distance
Sleaford Joint Sixth Form
Westholme House, Sleaford, NG34 7PS
0.61 miles
Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy
Jermyn Street, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7RS
0.64 miles
Holton Sleaford Independent School
Westgate House, Westgate, Sleaford, NG34 7RJ
0.66 miles
St George's Academy
Westgate, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7PP
0.67 miles
Willow School
25 Jermyn Street, North Kesteven, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7RU
0.67 miles
Carre's Grammar School
Northgate, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7DD
0.85 miles
Compass Community School Lincolnshire
Thornbrook, 1 London Road, Osbournby, Lincolnshire, NG34 0DG
4.3 miles

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

What is St Botolph's C of E Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Botolph's C of E Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was St Botolph's C of E Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Botolph's C of E Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does St Botolph's C of E Primary School have?

St Botolph's C of E Primary School has 402 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Botolph's C of E Primary School cover?

St Botolph's C of E Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are St Botolph's C of E Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

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

Where is St Botolph's C of E Primary School?

St Botolph's C of E Primary School is at Rookery Avenue, Lincolnshire, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 7FE.

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