School Chooser

The Donington-on-Bain School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil103 pupilsLouthLincolnshire
School Chooser Score
84
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 95, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, May 2024
Reached the expected level at 1179%England 63%
Attendance96.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
Places2 spare103 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher20.6School workforce census

The Donington-on-Bain School is a council school in Louth for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 103 pupils and room for 105. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 84 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Main Road, Donington-on-Bain, Louth, LN11 9TJ01507 343240dobps.co.ukMrs Louise Anyan head of schoolAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 21 May 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

14 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 1179%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level21%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score108.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 47%47%20172018: 69%69%20182019: 71%71%20192023: 87%87%20232024: 64%64%20242025: 79%79%2025
Since 2017: +32%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LincolnshireEngland
Pupils tested141115141319
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths79%64%87%71%69%47%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths21%0%20%14%8%5%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0107.0107.0107.0103.0104.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score108.0104.0107.0106.0105.0101.0103.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0101.0104.0106.0103.0102.0103.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard86%73%93%86%77%84%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard93%73%87%79%69%58%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)79%64%93%79%77%63%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.2+5.2+0.5+1.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.3+3.7+2.6-1.8

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.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places99 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
94% full

About 6 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 (14 offers for 15 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary1514all offeredLA
2025 Primary1513all offeredLA
2024 Primary1514all offeredLA
2023 Primary1717LA
2022 Primary1515LA
2021 Primary1511all offeredLA
2020 Primary1514all offeredLA
2019 Primary1513all 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 roll103Census January 2026
Places10598% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%14 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.84 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils25%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)11%£17,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls47 / 56
White British pupils95%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (6), emotional and mental health (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Other difficulty or disability (2), Hearing impairment (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1039794949488
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%11%11%12%12%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%1%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support24%13%12%11%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%4%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school4.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.1%5.2%4.1%7.1%2.9%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.4%3.5%3.2%6.4%2.4%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.8%0.9%0.7%0.5%0.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence4.7%15.4%8.8%19.1%5.3%6.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.0full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher20.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,550
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.42024/25

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£8,049England £7,738. Total £781k
Income per pupil£8,278England £7,697. Total £803k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,639England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £15k, £152 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£22kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,049spent 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 m412 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate41 per 1,000 people55% lower than the England average
Typical house price£219,950East Lindsey
Nearest bus stop50 mDemand Responsive Area, 3 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
Scamblesby Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England3.6 miles46Good 202411Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Donington-on-Bain 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.

Beats80%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 84 is 33 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 51 · highest 96100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 84 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 84% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 95. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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%above
+0.10
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 14 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.11
DfE progress measure; 14 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.11
2024/25; 86 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.14
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 14 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 The Donington-on-Bain School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. The Donington-on-Bain School scores 84 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 80% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 95, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is The Donington-on-Bain School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Donington-on-Bain School good at its last full inspection on 21 May 2024.

How good are The Donington-on-Bain School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 79% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 21% 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 The Donington-on-Bain School have?

103 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 98% full.

Is The Donington-on-Bain School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 6 places were empty in 2024/25 (6% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Donington-on-Bain School?

Pupils were in school 96.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 5% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The Donington-on-Bain School?

The average class had 25.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 25% 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
Main Road, Donington-on-Bain, Louth, LN11 9TJ
Telephone
01507 343240
Website
www.dobps.co.uk
Head of School
Mrs Louise Anyan
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Lincolnshire
Ward
Tetford & Donington
Constituency
Louth and Horncastle
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
120444 · LAESTAB 9252149 · UKPRN 10078631

Where these figures come from