School Chooser

St Bartholomews CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England85 pupilsSpaldingLincolnshire
School Chooser Score
3
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 2 to 8
Out of 100. Better than 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedRequires improvementLast Ofsted inspection, June 2024
Reached the expected level at 1144%England 63%
Attendance95.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families37%Far more than most schools
Places20 spare85 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher15.5School workforce census

St Bartholomews CofE Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Spalding for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 85 pupils and room for 105. About 36 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 3 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was requires improvement, back in 2024.

Leaveslake Drove, West Pinchbeck, Spalding, PE11 3QJ01775 640357stbartholomews.lincs.sch.ukMrs Sophie Farrar headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 12 June 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Requires improvement overall.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

16 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1144%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score99.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 57%57%20172018: 63%63%20182019: 64%64%20192023: 43%43%20232024: 50%50%20242025: 44%44%2025
Since 2017: -13%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LincolnshireEngland
Pupils tested16162311167
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths44%50%43%64%63%57%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%6%0%0%13%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0104.0102.0103.0107.0104.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score99.0100.0101.0107.0104.0106.0103.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0105.0101.0110.0107.0108.0103.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard56%69%61%64%88%57%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard56%63%61%91%69%71%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)69%75%65%100%94%71%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.8-3.7-0.5-6.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.9-0.2-2.2-6.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged14%17%13%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged67%70%60%

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
14%67%
Gap 53 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
33%50%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places91 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
87% full

About 14 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child chosen by how close to the school they lived, but the council didn't publish how far away that was.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary1515LA
2025 Primary159all offeredLA
2024 Primary1510all offeredLA
2023 Primary1515LA
2022 Primary158all offeredLA
2021 Primary1512all offeredLA
2020 Primary158all offeredLA
2019 Primary1512all 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 roll85Census January 2026
Places10581% full
Pupils from low-income families37%37% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English7%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%18 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.34 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)30%£40,300 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls42 / 43
White British pupils92%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 16.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), language and communications needs (4), emotional and mental health (2), Physical disability (1), Severe learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll85899610195107
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals37%34%30%32%30%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language7%6%6%6%1%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support24%15%9%10%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%3%4%3%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.3%5.5%6.9%6.3%3.5%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%4.1%6.3%5.4%2.8%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.5%1.4%0.6%0.8%0.6%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.3%14.1%17.5%16.3%5.1%6.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.35.20.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.5full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher15.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,179
Teachers who left in the year22%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.42023/24

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£8,627England £7,738. Total £768k
Income per pupil£9,200England £7,697. Total £819k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,658England £3,480
Money in reserve1%Very little put by: £11k, £129 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£51kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,627spent 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

Local crime rate59 per 1,000 people35% lower than the England average
Typical house price£235,000South Holland

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
Monkshouse Primary AcademyAcademy3.2 miles446Good 202327Compare
Clough and Risegate Community Primary SchoolCouncil3.2 miles91Good 202440Compare
Wygate Park AcademyAcademy3.3 miles272No overall grade 202589Compare
The Pinchbeck East Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy3.3 miles390Good 202427Compare
Spalding Primary AcademyAcademy3.4 miles407Good 202429Compare
St Norbert's Catholic Voluntary AcademyAcademy3.6 miles204No overall grade 202526Compare
The Spalding St John the Baptist Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.6 miles415Good 202362Compare
Spalding Parish Church of England Day SchoolAcademy4.5 miles537Good 202423Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Bartholomews CofE Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats13%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 3 is 17 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 21 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Bartholomews CofE 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
The St Gilbert of Sempringham Church of England Primary School, PointonChurch of England6.4 miles69Good 202461Compare
Helpringham Primary AcademyAcademy10.4 miles83Good 202450Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 3 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 3% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 2 to 8. 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
-0.22
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 16 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.57
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.25
DfE progress measure; 16 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 86 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 16 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 St Bartholomews CofE Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Bartholomews CofE Primary School scores 3 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 2 to 8, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Bartholomews CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Bartholomews CofE Primary School requires improvement at its last full inspection on 12 June 2024.

How good are St Bartholomews CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 44% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does St Bartholomews CofE Primary School have?

85 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 81% full.

Is St Bartholomews CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 14 places were empty in 2024/25 (13% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Bartholomews CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.7% 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 St Bartholomews CofE Primary School?

The average class had 21.3 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
Leaveslake Drove, West Pinchbeck, Spalding, PE11 3QJ
Telephone
01775 640357
Website
www.stbartholomews.lincs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sophie Farrar
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Lincoln
Local authority
Lincolnshire
Ward
Pinchbeck and Surfleet
Constituency
South Holland and The Deepings
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
120551 · LAESTAB 9253092 · UKPRN 10078860

Where these figures come from