Cherry Willingham Primary Academy

Cherry Willingham Primary Academy has been rated as good overall in its first inspection under the current standards. The school fosters a proud and safe environment where pupils are enthusiastic about learning and feel like part of a family. There are high expectations for both academic work and behavior, and the teaching staff are knowledgeable, which contributes to positive learning outcomes. The curriculum is ambitious, especially in reading, and support for pupils with special educational needs is given priority. However, the school recognizes it needs to refine assessments in certain foundation subjects to have a clearer understanding of pupil achievement across all areas.

Strengths

• Pupils display exceptional behavior and positive attitudes.
• The school has high expectations for academic performance and behavior.
• Pupils with SEND receive the necessary support for effective learning.
• Strong emphasis is placed on personal development and aspiration.
• There is effective leadership at all levels within the school.
• The curriculum is ambitious and promotes a love of reading.

Areas for Improvement

• The effectiveness of checking pupil learning in some foundation subjects is not yet established.
• Pupils' understanding of British values is underdeveloped.

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 Cherry Willingham Primary Academy attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.5% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Cherry Willingham Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Cherry Willingham Primary Academy had 24.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.4% 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, 13.7% of pupils at Cherry Willingham Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% 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 2024–25 Cherry Willingham Primary Academy received £7,217 and spent £7,055 for each of its 203 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £552,000 (£2,719 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of The Priory Federation of Academies, income was £8,686 and spending £8,648 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Cherry Willingham Primary Academy is part of The Priory Federation of Academies, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• The Priory Pembroke Academy Lincoln
• Heighington Millfield Primary Academy Lincoln
• The Priory Academy LSST Lincoln
• Bracebridge Heath St John's Primary Academy Lincoln
• Bracebridge Infant and Nursery School Lincoln
• The Priory City of Lincoln Academy Lincoln
• The Priory Witham Academy Lincoln
• Waddington Redwood Primary Academy Lincoln
• Ling Moor Primary Academy Lincoln
• The Priory Ruskin Academy Grantham

What is Cherry Willingham Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cherry Willingham Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Cherry Willingham Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Cherry Willingham Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Cherry Willingham Primary Academy have?

Cherry Willingham Primary Academy has 212 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cherry Willingham Primary Academy cover?

Cherry Willingham Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Cherry Willingham Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cherry Willingham Primary Academy?

Cherry Willingham Primary Academy is at Lime Grove, Cherry Willingham, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN3 4BD.