William Farr CofE Comprehensive School
Lincoln Road, Welton, Lincoln, LN2 3JB
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- WILLIAM FARR CHURCH OF ENGLAND COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL
- Headteacher
- Mr Grant Edgar
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
- Constituency
- Gainsborough
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,496
- Pupils on roll
- 1,488
- URN
- 136415
- Local authority
- Lincolnshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01673866900
About this school
William Farr CofE Comprehensive School is a Church of England secondary academy in Lincoln. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 1,488 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected William Farr CofE Comprehensive School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 236 | 236 | 240 |
| Attainment 8 score | 53.8 | 51.5 | 50.8 |
| Progress 8 score | +0.52 +0.34 to +0.70 | +0.43 +0.25 to +0.61 | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 63% | 53.8% | 52.9% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 85% | 76.7% | 76.3% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 14% | 11.4% | 8.3% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How William Farr CofE Comprehensive School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Lincolnshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 53.8 | 42.9 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 51.5 | 41.1 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 50.8 | 39.8 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.1% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 1,428 |
| 2023/24 | 1,444 |
| 2024/25 | 1,479 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How William Farr CofE Comprehensive School compares
William Farr CofE Comprehensive School ranked 17th of 54 secondary schools in Lincolnshire for Attainment 8 in 2024/25. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 78% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 24% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 50.8 | 7.1% | 16.5% | 1,488 | — |
| The Priory Pembroke Academy | 41 | 9.3% | 25.4% | 590 | 3.9 miles |
| Lincoln Castle Academy | 40.8 | 12% | 43.9% | 744 | 4.5 miles |
| Lincoln Christ's Hospital School | 38.3 | 9.6% | 34.7% | 1,275 | 4.6 miles |
| Lincoln UTC | 46.1 | 4.3% | 26.5% | 389 | 5.2 miles |
| The Priory Academy LSST | 53.9 | 6.9% | 17% | 1,749 | 7.0 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 16.45%
- English as an additional language
- 4.8%
- Overall absence
- 7.05%
- Persistent absence
- 17.6%
Location
Nearby schools
-
The Priory Pembroke Academy3.9 miles
Secondary · Lincoln
-
Lincoln Castle Academy4.5 miles
Secondary · Lincoln
-
Lincoln Christ's Hospital School4.6 miles
Secondary · Lincoln
-
Lincoln UTC5.2 miles
Secondary · Lincoln
-
The Priory Academy LSST7.0 miles
Secondary · Lincoln
Other schools in Lincoln
William Farr CofE Comprehensive School ranks 2nd of the 14 ranked secondary schools in Lincoln.
- Branston Community Academy Secondary
- Lincoln Castle Academy Secondary
- Lincoln Christ's Hospital School Secondary
- Lincoln UTC Secondary
- North Kesteven Academy Secondary
- Sir Robert Pattinson Academy Secondary
- Sir William Robertson Academy, Welbourn Secondary
- St Peter and St Paul, Catholic Voluntary Academy Secondary
- The Barnes Wallis Academy Secondary
- The Priory Academy LSST Secondary
- The Priory City of Lincoln Academy Secondary
- The Priory Pembroke Academy Secondary
Common questions
- What ages does William Farr CofE Comprehensive School teach?
- William Farr CofE Comprehensive School teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Lincoln.
- Who is the headteacher of William Farr CofE Comprehensive School?
- The headteacher of William Farr CofE Comprehensive School is Mr Grant Edgar, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has William Farr CofE Comprehensive School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected William Farr CofE Comprehensive School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at William Farr CofE Comprehensive School?
- William Farr CofE Comprehensive School has 1,488 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
- Is William Farr CofE Comprehensive School full?
- William Farr CofE Comprehensive School has capacity for 1,496 pupils and 1,488 on roll (99%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is William Farr CofE Comprehensive School a faith school?
- Yes. William Farr CofE Comprehensive School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Lincoln.
- Is William Farr CofE Comprehensive School a selective school?
- No. William Farr CofE Comprehensive School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is William Farr CofE Comprehensive School part of an academy trust?
- William Farr CofE Comprehensive School is part of WILLIAM FARR CHURCH OF ENGLAND COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have William Farr CofE Comprehensive School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 53.8 in 2022/23 and 50.8 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does William Farr CofE Comprehensive School compare with other schools in Lincolnshire?
- William Farr CofE Comprehensive School ranked 17th of 54 secondary schools in Lincolnshire for Attainment 8. Its Attainment 8 score was higher than 78% of England secondary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 24% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is William Farr CofE Comprehensive School's absence rate?
- William Farr CofE Comprehensive School's overall absence rate is 7.1% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are William Farr CofE Comprehensive School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, William Farr CofE Comprehensive School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 1 July 2026.