Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School

About Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School

Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School in Lincoln received a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted in its most recent inspection in July 2025, a judgement that covers most areas of the school. The inspection found that the quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all require improvement, though early years provision was rated Good. On the most telling academic metric available, just 26% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year. That figure is well below the Lincolnshire local authority average of 57% and places the school 15th out of 16 primary schools in the Lincoln area, in the bottom 50% nationally. No pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects, and while 60% hit the expected level in reading, only 40% did so in maths and 41% in writing.

The school’s average scaled scores tell a similar story: 102 in reading and 99 in maths, with the maths score falling just short of the national benchmark of 100. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say whether pupils are improving at a faster or slower rate than peers elsewhere. Ofsted’s previous inspection in November 2022 also rated the school as Requires Improvement overall, with the same grade for quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision, though behaviour and attitudes and personal development were both Good at that time. The most recent inspection saw those two areas drop to Requires Improvement, suggesting a widening of concerns. The school ranks 228th out of 280 primary schools in Lincolnshire, and the nearest outstanding-rated alternative is The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School, 1.1 km away.

The school is oversubscribed for Reception places in 2025/26, with 103 applications for 68 places and 62 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.51. It is a large primary with 609 pupils on roll, close to its capacity of 630, and 31.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, above the national average. Facilities include a gymnasium, art studios, a sensory room and a chapel, and the school offers a range of clubs from gardening and choir to coding and film club. SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views from a recent survey period show 61% would recommend the school, though responses on behaviour, SEND support and personal development were notably divided, with around a third of parents disagreeing that concerns are dealt with properly or that the school supports wider personal development. This is a school that may suit families who value its inclusive SEND offer and wide club provision, but who are aware that academic outcomes and Ofsted ratings are currently below local averages.

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