School Chooser

The North Cotes Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England29 pupilsLincolnshire
School Chooser Score
2
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 1 to 7
Out of 100. Better than 17% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, November 2023
Attendance87.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families35%Far more than most schools
Places48 spare29 pupils, 77 places
Pupils per teacher6.8School workforce census
Pupils on roll29Census January 2026

The North Cotes Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in North Cotes for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 29 pupils and room for 77. About 34 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 17% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Sea Lane, North Cotes, DN36 5UZ01472 388379northcotes.lincs.sch.ukMr Jonathan Grant headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 2 November 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

3 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 11Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected levelOfficial name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2019
2017: 50%50%20172018: 64%64%20182019: 43%43%2019
Since 2017: -7%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017LincolnshireEngland
Pupils tested35271110
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths43%64%50%59%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%9%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score99.0108.0102.0104.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0106.0101.0103.5104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score99.0106.0104.0103.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard71%91%70%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard71%82%60%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)57%73%80%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.9+1.8-2.9
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.4+1.5-3.9

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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Plenty of spare places35 pupils for 77 places, 2024/25
46% full

42 places were empty (55% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

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 (1 offers for 11 places).

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary111all offeredLA
2025 Primary111all offeredLA
2024 Primary115all offeredLA
2023 Primary113all offeredLA
2022 Primary116all offeredLA
2021 Primary115all offeredLA
2020 Primary116all offeredLA
2019 Primary116all 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 roll29Census January 2026
Places7738% full
Pupils from low-income families35%35% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English7%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%5 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan14%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size14.52 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%£17,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls14 / 15
White British pupils69%

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

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll293532323438
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals35%37%28%28%21%24%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language7%6%6%6%15%11%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support29%13%19%21%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans11%9%0%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 87.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance87.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school32.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence12.5%10.8%7.5%7.8%4.0%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence10.3%10.0%6.8%7.1%3.4%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.2%0.8%0.8%0.6%0.6%0.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence32.3%41.9%29.6%23.7%8.8%8.7%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.

Teachers4.3full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher6.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£59,205
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.42024/25

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£12,911England £7,738. Total £452k
Income per pupil£12,684England £7,697. Total £444k
Spent on teachers per pupil£6,099England £3,480
Money in reserve0%Very little put by: £1,688, £48 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£7,933it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£12,911spent 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 m1212 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate44 per 1,000 people52% lower than the England average
Typical house price£219,950East Lindsey
Nearest bus stop60 mChurch of England School, 5 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
Marshchapel Infant SchoolCouncil1.0 miles27Not inspectedCompare
Tetney Primary SchoolCouncil2.4 miles123Good 202462Compare
Fulstow Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.5 miles30No overall grade 202517Compare
Grainthorpe Junior SchoolCouncil3.3 miles42Good 202417Compare
The Humberston Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles196Not inspected13Compare
Humberston Cloverfields AcademyAcademy4.0 miles307Good 202372Compare
Holton-le-Clay Junior SchoolCouncil4.0 miles99Good 202448Compare
Lift North ThoresbyAcademy4.1 miles98No overall grade 202567Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The North Cotes Church of England 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.

Beats17%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 3 is 15 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 17 · highest 93100

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 The North Cotes Church of England 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
Fulstow Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.5 miles30No overall grade 202517Compare

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: 1 to 7. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.75
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.51
2024/25; 31 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 North Cotes Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. The North Cotes Church of England Primary School scores 3 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 17% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 7, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is The North Cotes Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The North Cotes Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 2 November 2023.

How many pupils does The North Cotes Church of England Primary School have?

29 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 77 places, so it is 38% full.

Is The North Cotes Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 42 places were empty in 2024/25 (55% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The North Cotes Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 87.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 32% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The North Cotes Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 14.5 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
Sea Lane, North Cotes, DN36 5UZ
Telephone
01472 388379
Website
www.northcotes.lincs.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Jonathan Grant
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
Tetney
Constituency
Louth and Horncastle
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
120579 · LAESTAB 9253133 · UKPRN 10079269

Where these figures come from