The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School
Church Lane, Kirkby-la-Thorpe, Sleaford, NG34 9NU
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- KIRKBY LA THORPE CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY ACADEMY
- Headteacher
- Mrs Clare Early
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lincoln
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- Sleaford and North Hykeham
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 106
- URN
- 140445
- Local authority
- Lincolnshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01529302595
About this school
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Sleaford. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 106 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 14 March 2023, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 21 | 15 | 15 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 67% | 47% | 53% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 10% | 7% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 67% | 80% | 60% |
| Expected standard in maths | 81% | 53% | 80% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 67% | 60% | 60% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 104.0 | 104.0 | 102.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 104.0 | 102.0 | 103.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.70 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +0.50 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.00 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary 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 | 67% | 54% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 47% | 54.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 53% | 56.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 4.9% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 118 |
| 2023/24 | 107 |
| 2024/25 | 110 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School compares
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School ranked 174th of 246 primary schools in Lincolnshire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 26% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 66% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 53% | 4.7% | 15.4% | 106 | — |
| William Alvey School | 71% | 4.8% | 28.2% | 570 | 1.7 miles |
| Church Lane Primary School & Nursery | 72% | 3.6% | 38.9% | 218 | 1.9 miles |
| Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy | 38% | 6.2% | 41.7% | 146 | 2.3 miles |
| St Botolph's C of E Primary School | 63% | 3.9% | 18.6% | 402 | 2.6 miles |
| Heckington St Andrew's Church of England School | 55% | 4.6% | 31.7% | 161 | 2.9 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)
- 15.38%
- English as an additional language
- 3.6%
- Overall absence
- 4.71%
- Persistent absence
- 9.57%
Location
Nearby schools
-
William Alvey School1.7 miles
Primary · Sleaford
-
Church Lane Primary School & Nursery1.9 miles
Primary · Sleaford
-
Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy2.3 miles
Primary · Sleaford
-
St Botolph's C of E Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Sleaford
-
Heckington St Andrew's Church of England School2.9 miles
Primary · Sleaford
Other schools in Sleaford
The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School ranks 12th of the 14 ranked primary schools in Sleaford.
- Billingborough Primary School Primary
- Brown's Church of England Primary School Primary
- Church Lane Primary School & Nursery Primary
- Cranwell Primary School (Foundation) Primary
- Heckington St Andrew's Church of England School Primary
- Helpringham Primary Academy Primary
- Osbournby Primary School Primary
- Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Primary
- Rauceby Church of England Primary School Primary
- Ruskington Chestnut Street Church of England Academy Primary
- St Botolph's C of E Primary School Primary
- The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School teach?
- The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Sleaford.
- Who is the headteacher of The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
- The headteacher of The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School is Mrs Clare Early, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary 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 The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School?
- The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School has 106 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School full?
- The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School has capacity for 105 pupils and 106 on roll (101%), so it is at or above its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Lincoln.
- Does The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School as having nursery classes.
- Is The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School part of an academy trust?
- The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School is part of KIRKBY LA THORPE CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY ACADEMY. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 67% in 2022/23 and 53% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School compare with other schools in Lincolnshire?
- The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School ranked 174th of 246 primary schools in Lincolnshire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 26% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 66% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 4.7% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The Kirkby-la-Thorpe Church of England Primary 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.