Digby Church of England School

About Digby Church of England School

Digby Church of England School is a small primary in North Kesteven that clearly inspires strong feelings among its families. In the most recent Parent View survey, 84% of the 19 respondents said they would recommend the school to other parents, and the responses reveal a community that is largely very positive but not without its critics. For example, 79% of parents strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and the same proportion strongly agreed that their child feels safe. However, when it comes to how concerns are dealt with, the picture is more mixed: 32% strongly agreed they are handled properly, but 21% disagreed, and a further 32% said the question was not applicable. The school is clearly popular locally — it was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 15 applications for 9 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.67. All 9 first-preference applicants were offered a place, so while getting in is competitive, it is not impossible for those who live nearby.

Academically, Digby has undergone a remarkable turnaround. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2025, the school was awarded Outstanding across every category judged — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a significant leap from its previous inspection in June 2022, when it was rated Requires Improvement overall, with quality of education and leadership both scored at 3. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 50% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Lincolnshire local authority average of 57%. However, the school’s average scores in reading (112) and maths (109) are both above the national benchmark of 100, and a high proportion of pupils reached the higher standard in reading (70%) and maths (30%). Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom half for the combined expected standard, but its progress scores are not available in the data, making it hard to assess value-added.

The school is a Church of England primary with a strong sense of place, set in a rural area with a small roll of just 56 pupils against a capacity of 105. Facilities include playing fields, a forest school, an ICT suite, art studios and a chapel, and the school offers a decent range of clubs from drama and choir to science club and gardening. Sports provision covers cross country, football, swimming, cricket and athletics. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and autistic spectrum disorder — though the Parent View data on SEND support had no responses, so it is difficult to gauge how families experience this provision. With 28.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average deprivation for a primary. This is a school that suits families who value a small, rural, faith-based setting and are comfortable with a school that has recently transformed its Ofsted rating, but whose SATs results sit below the local average on the headline measure.

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