School Chooser

Market Deeping Community Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil289 pupilsLincolnshire
School Chooser Score
40
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 22 to 61
Out of 100. Better than 65% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2024
Reached the expected level at 1158%England 63%
Attendance96.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families31%A bit more than most schools
Places26 spare289 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher20.1School workforce census

Market Deeping Community Primary School is a council school in Market Deeping for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 289 pupils and room for 315. About 31 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 40 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 65% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Willoughby Avenue, Market Deeping, PE6 8JE01778 343654mdcp.org.ukMr Mark Ratchford headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 30 January 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

48 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1158%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 65%65%20172018: 73%73%20182019: 73%73%20192023: 56%56%20232024: 56%56%20242025: 58%58%2025
Since 2017: -7%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LincolnshireEngland
Pupils tested485245303031
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%56%56%73%73%65%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%6%4%13%10%13%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0103.0104.0104.0105.0106.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0105.0103.0105.0104.0105.0103.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0105.0105.0107.0106.0107.0103.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard65%62%64%77%87%77%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard65%69%73%80%80%77%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)67%71%69%80%90%87%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.4-1.1-1.8-1.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.0-0.1-1.6-2.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged38%13%40%25%67%67%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged69%73%63%91%76%64%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
38%69%
Gap 31 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
68%45%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%4%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places294 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
93% full

About 21 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (24 offers for 45 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary4524all offeredLA
2025 Primary4529all offeredLA
2024 Primary4528all offeredLA
2023 Primary4541all offeredLA
2022 Primary4531all offeredLA
2021 Primary4545LA
2020 Primary4545LA
2019 Primary4534all offeredLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll289Census January 2026
Places31592% full
Pupils from low-income families31%31% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%30 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%21 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.810 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils10%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)28%£120,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls146 / 143
White British pupils89%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (22), Moderate learning difficulty (11), emotional and mental health (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), Physical disability (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll289292317306315287
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals31%30%30%26%23%22%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%5%6%5%4%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%16%14%17%18%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school8.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.0%4.1%4.7%6.0%5.7%4.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.9%3.0%3.7%5.1%5.4%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.1%0.9%0.9%0.3%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.5%7.4%9.6%15.7%19.1%5.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.51.00.30.60.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers14.4full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher20.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants16.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,359
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.52024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,673England £7,738. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£6,947England £7,697. Total £2.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,056England £3,480
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £85k, £292 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£80kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,673spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m16212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate57 per 1,000 people38% lower than the England average
Typical house price£262,000South Kesteven
Nearest bus stop150 mThe Orchard, 12 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
William Hildyard Church of England Primary and Nursery SchoolChurch of England120 m190Good 202429Compare
Linchfield AcademyAcademy640 m294Good 202352Compare
Deeping St James Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles199Good 202371Compare
Northborough Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles187Good 202451Compare
Langtoft Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles188Good 202363Compare
Baston CE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.9 miles188No overall grade 202464Compare
Peakirk-Cum-Glinton Cofe Primary AcademyAcademy3.0 miles197Requires improvement 202110Compare
John Clare Primary SchoolAcademy3.6 miles130Report card 202693Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Market Deeping Community Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats65%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 40 is 5 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 35 · highest 90100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Market Deeping Community Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Linchfield AcademyAcademy640 m294Good 202352Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 40 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 40% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 22 to 61. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.11
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 48 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.10
DfE progress measure; 48 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 270 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 48 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Market Deeping Community Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Market Deeping Community Primary School scores 40 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 65% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 22 to 61, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Market Deeping Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Market Deeping Community Primary School good at its last full inspection on 30 January 2024.

How good are Market Deeping Community Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 58% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Market Deeping Community Primary School have?

289 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 92% full.

Is Market Deeping Community Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 21 places were empty in 2024/25 (7% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Market Deeping Community Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Market Deeping Community Primary School?

The average class had 28.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 10% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Willoughby Avenue, Market Deeping, PE6 8JE
Telephone
01778 343654
Website
www.mdcp.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr Mark Ratchford
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Lincolnshire
Ward
Market & West Deeping
Constituency
South Holland and The Deepings
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
120398 · LAESTAB 9252065 · UKPRN 10072555

Where these figures come from