St Nicholas CE Primary Academy

St Nicholas CE Primary Academy is performing well, with an overall effectiveness rated as good. The school fosters a positive learning environment where pupils feel part of a strong community and understand the school's values. There is an ambitious curriculum in place that includes adaptations for special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring that most pupils, including those with SEND, make secure progress in their learning. However, some inconsistencies in teaching practices and curriculum checks indicate areas for improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy attending school and feel part of a community.
• The school promotes positive behaviour and respect for others.
• An ambitious curriculum clearly identifies key knowledge for pupils.
• Strong emphasis on reading with early interventions for all students.
• Positive provision for pupils' personal development and wider opportunities.
• Staff report feeling respected and valued at the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in addressing misconceptions in pupils' learning.
• Lack of precise evaluations of some aspects of the curriculum.

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 Nicholas CE Primary Academy attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.1% 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, 1.6% of pupils at St Nicholas CE Primary Academy 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 St Nicholas CE Primary Academy had 23.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.5% 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, 34.8% of pupils at St Nicholas CE Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 St Nicholas CE Primary Academy received £8,196 and spent £7,265 for each of its 188 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £168,000 (£896 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Infinity Academies Trust, income was £7,320 and spending £7,049 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 Boston · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

St Nicholas CE Primary Academy is part of Infinity Academies Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• St Thomas CofE Primary Academy Boston
• Wyberton Primary Academy Boston
• Gipsey Bridge Academy Boston
• The Pinchbeck East Church of England Primary Academy Spalding
• Spalding Primary Academy Spalding
• Spilsby Primary School Spilsby
• St Helena's Church of England Primary Academy, Willoughby Alford
• Bourne Abbey Church of England Primary Academy Bourne
• Bourne Elsea Park Church of England Primary Academy Bourne
• Leadenham Church of England Academy Lincoln

What is St Nicholas CE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Nicholas CE Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was St Nicholas CE Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

St Nicholas CE Primary Academy was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does St Nicholas CE Primary Academy have?

St Nicholas CE Primary Academy has 187 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Nicholas CE Primary Academy cover?

St Nicholas CE Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Nicholas CE Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Nicholas CE Primary Academy?

St Nicholas CE Primary Academy is at Woad Farm Road, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 0EF.