School Chooser

The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedChurch of England255 pupilsNurseryLincolnLincolnshire
School Chooser Score
88
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 76 to 95, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 92% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedOutstandingLast Ofsted inspection, January 2024
Reached the expected level at 1165%England 63%
Attendance95.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families37%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull255 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher18.6School workforce census

The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Lincoln for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 255 pupils, 45 more than it has places for. About 37 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 88 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was outstanding, back in 2024.

Pennell Street, Lincoln, LN5 7TA01522 880071st-peter-gowts.lincs.sch.ukMrs Emily Mayer headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 31 January 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Outstanding overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
30 March 2022UngradedSchool remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1165%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level6%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 79%79%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 60%60%20192023: 52%52%20232024: 84%84%20242025: 65%65%2025
Since 2017: -14%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LincolnshireEngland
Pupils tested313231303024
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths65%84%52%60%67%79%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths6%6%3%17%7%8%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0108.0102.0102.0104.0107.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0105.0103.0104.0102.0105.0103.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0106.0103.0104.0104.0106.0103.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard81%91%74%73%73%92%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard81%88%77%80%80%92%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)74%88%74%73%80%83%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.7+1.4+0.9+1.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.7+2.3+0.2+0.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged59%79%47%54%33%82%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged71%89%56%65%81%77%

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. 2 of the 4 gaps are 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
59%71%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
53%79%
Gap 26 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
59%65%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
6%6%
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.

Full217 pupils for 208 places, 2024/25
104% full

The school is full, with 9 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

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 Primary3030LA
2025 Primary3030LA
2024 Primary3030LA
2023 Primary3030LA
2022 Primary3029all offeredLA
2021 Primary3030LA
2020 Primary3030LA
2019 Primary3030LA

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 roll255Census January 2026
Places210121% full
Pupils from low-income families32%37% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English55%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support22%55 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%17 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.77 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)36%£119,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls138 / 117
White British pupils30%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.7 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 (32), Specific learning difficulty (18), emotional and mental health (13), Moderate learning difficulty (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll255264258254258257
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals32%38%43%39%35%31%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language55%50%45%47%46%38%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%20%19%16%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans8%5%5%5%6%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.6%4.9%5.4%5.5%2.6%3.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.0%3.8%4.6%4.5%2.2%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.6%1.1%0.8%0.9%0.4%0.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.6%11.7%15.2%17.0%3.7%5.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.40.40.02.70.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers12.7full-time equivalent, 14 people
Pupils per teacher18.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers93%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,933
Teachers who left in the year12%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.82024/25

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£7,480England £7,738. Total £1.8m
Income per pupil£8,225England £7,697. Total £2.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,898England £3,480
Money in reserve10%A healthy amount put by: £203k, £833 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£182kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,480spent 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 m1,05112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate279 per 1,000 people207% higher than the England average
Typical house price£185,000Lincoln
Nearest bus stop80 mSewell's Walk, 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
The Lincoln Bishop King Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England510 m434Report card 202615Compare
Sir Francis Hill Community Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles562No overall grade 20253Compare
The St Faith and St Martin Church of England Junior School, LincolnChurch of England1.0 miles356Good 202086Compare
The St Faith's Church of England Infant and Nursery School, LincolnChurch of England1.1 miles282Good 202328Compare
Bracebridge Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy1.1 miles85Good 202328Compare
Westgate AcademyAcademy1.1 miles428Report card 202635Compare
Lincoln Monks Abbey Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles588No overall grade 202440Compare
The Lincoln St Peter-In-Eastgate Church of England Infants AcademyAcademy1.2 miles79No overall grade 2025Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats92%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 88 is 45 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 43 · highest 95100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 88 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 88% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 76 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%in line
-0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 31 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 2.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.04
DfE progress measure; 31 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.10
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 198 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 31 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 Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School scores 88 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 92% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 76 to 95, 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 The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School outstanding at its last full inspection on 31 January 2024.

How good are The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 65% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 6% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School have?

255 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 121% full.

Is The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 9 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 28.7 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
Pennell Street, Lincoln, LN5 7TA
Telephone
01522 880071
Website
www.st-peter-gowts.lincs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Emily Mayer
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Lincoln
Local authority
Lincolnshire
Ward
Park
Constituency
Lincoln
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
120563 · LAESTAB 9253111 · UKPRN 10073415

Where these figures come from