School Chooser

Scotter Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil247 pupilsGainsboroughLincolnshire
School Chooser Score
17
Below
similar schools
Likely range 9 to 31
Out of 100. Better than 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, February 2026
Reached the expected level at 1161%England 63%
Attendance95.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend61%67 Parent View responses
Places23 spare247 pupils, 270 places

Scotter Primary School is a council school in Gainsborough for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 247 pupils and room for 270. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 17 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in February 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

High Street, Scotter, Gainsborough, DN21 3RY01724 762259scotter.lincs.sch.ukMrs Tracy Cockram headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 10 February 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
19 September 2023S5 InspectionRequires improvement

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1161%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
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: 76%76%20182019: 75%75%20192023: 40%40%20232024: 55%55%20242025: 61%61%2025
Since 2017: -4%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LincolnshireEngland
Pupils tested444445363834
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths61%55%40%75%76%65%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%5%0%17%13%24%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0104.0102.0107.0107.0106.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0103.0100.0106.0105.0106.0103.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0102.0106.0106.0106.0103.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard75%73%60%78%89%82%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%68%56%81%82%71%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)82%84%69%89%84%82%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.4+0.7+2.7-0.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.2-0.6+1.3+0.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged27%50%8%38%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged73%55%52%73%

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
27%73%
Gap 46 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
65%58%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%2%
Gap 2 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 places249 pupils for 280 places, 2024/25
89% full

About 31 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 14% 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 (21 offers for 40 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary4021all offeredLA
2025 Primary4041LA
2024 Primary4024all offeredLA
2023 Primary4037all offeredLA
2022 Primary4022all offeredLA
2021 Primary4038all offeredLA
2020 Primary4037all offeredLA
2019 Primary4033all offeredLA

What parents say

Would recommend the school61%England 87%
My child is happy here78%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe81%
Positive overall58%
My child is happy at this school
78%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
81%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
63%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
27% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
22%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
54%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
33% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
36%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
67%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
54%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
60%England 82%
I would recommend this school
61%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
58%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 67 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll247Census January 2026
Places27091% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%44 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%11 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.09 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)13%£51,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls137 / 110
White British pupils88%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 19.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (19), Moderate learning difficulty (15), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6), Specific learning difficulty (6), language and communications needs (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll247249264277286278
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%15%16%18%17%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%3%4%4%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%16%22%17%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%1%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school7.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.5%4.9%5.5%6.6%2.6%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.4%3.7%4.0%5.2%2.2%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.2%1.4%1.4%0.4%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence7.5%9.0%10.6%15.8%4.1%6.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.71.11.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers13.3full-time equivalent, 16 people
Pupils per teacher18.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,857
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.92024/25

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£6,277England £7,738. Total £1.6m
Income per pupil£6,236England £7,697. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,291England £3,480
Money in reserve22%A lot put by: £334k, £1,342 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£10kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,277spent 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 m5112 months to June 2026, mostly shoplifting
Local crime rate67 per 1,000 people27% lower than the England average
Typical house price£230,000West Lindsey
Nearest bus stop50 mCounty Primary School, 8 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
Messingham Primary SchoolCouncil2.4 miles249Good 202375Compare
Kirton Lindsey Primary AcademyAcademy3.3 miles192Requires improvement 2023Compare
Bottesford Junior SchoolCouncil4.0 miles263Not inspected36Compare
Bottesford Infant SchoolCouncil4.0 miles210No overall grade 202597Compare
Blyton Cum Laughton Church of England SchoolChurch of England4.1 miles122Good 202325Compare
Leys Farm Junior SchoolCouncil4.3 miles124Good 202319Compare
Holme Valley Primary SchoolCouncil4.4 miles417No overall grade 202499Compare
Enderby Road Infant SchoolCouncil4.4 miles112No overall grade 202443Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Scotter Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats6%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 17 is 41 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 59 · highest 96100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Scotter 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
Bottesford Junior SchoolCouncil4.0 miles263Not inspected36Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 17 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 17% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 9 to 31. 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%in line
-0.08
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 44 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%below
-0.12
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.25
DfE progress measure; 44 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.13
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.06
2024/25; 226 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 44 pupils
What parents say5%well below
-0.11
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 67 responses

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 Scotter Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Scotter Primary School scores 17 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 6% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 9 to 31, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Scotter Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 February 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Scotter Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 61% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Scotter Primary School have?

247 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 270 places, so it is 91% full.

Is Scotter Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 31 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Scotter Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Scotter Primary School?

61% of the 67 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 78% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Scotter Primary School?

The average class had 23.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
High Street, Scotter, Gainsborough, DN21 3RY
Telephone
01724 762259
Website
www.scotter.lincs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Tracy Cockram
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Lincolnshire
Ward
Scotter and Blyton
Constituency
Gainsborough
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
120473 · LAESTAB 9252188 · UKPRN 10078618

Where these figures come from