Find the best primary schools in West Lindsey. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
West Lindsey has 46 primary schools, all in Lincolnshire council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 46, 19 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any West Lindsey primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| The Gainsborough Hillcrest Early Years Academy | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| The Hackthorn Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.4 / 5 |
| Ellison Boulters Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Welton St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| The Marton Academy | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Osgodby Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| The Nettleham Infant and Nursery School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Newton-on-Trent CofE Primary School |
There are 46 primary schools in West Lindsey.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in West Lindsey, that council is Lincolnshire. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 46 primary schools in West Lindsey, 19 have a religious character: 17 Church of England and 2 Church of England/Methodist. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are The Gainsborough Hillcrest Early Years Academy (4.7), The Hackthorn Church of England Primary School (4.4), Ellison Boulters Church of England Primary School (4.3), Welton St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy (4.3) and The Marton Academy (4.2). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 46 schools here, 45 have enough published data for a rating.
| Church of England |
| 4.1 / 5 |
| Morton Trentside Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Keelby Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Grasby All Saints Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Ingham Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Legsby Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Normanby Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| The Market Rasen Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| Dunholme St Chad's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Scampton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Reepham Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Bardney Church of England and Methodist Primary School | Church of England/Methodist | 3.7 / 5 |
| Willoughton Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Cherry Willingham Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Caistor CofE and Methodist Primary School | Church of England/Methodist | 3.7 / 5 |
| Nettleton Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Kelsey Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Saxilby Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Benjamin Adlard Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Fiskerton Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Blyton Cum Laughton Church of England School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Corringham CofE VC Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Frances Olive Anderson Church of England (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| The Nettleham Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| The Gainsborough Charles Baines Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| The Middle Rasen Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Tealby School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Castle Wood Academy | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| St George's Church of England Community Primary School, Gainsborough | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Faldingworth Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Scotter Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| The Gainsborough Parish Church Primary School | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Sturton by Stow Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Waddingham Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Hemswell Cliff Primary School | Mixed | 2.7 / 5 |
| Mercer's Wood Academy | Mixed | 2.6 / 5 |
| White's Wood Academy | Mixed | 2.5 / 5 |
| Pollyplatt Primary School | Mixed | 2.2 / 5 |
| Pollyplatt Primary Academy | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.