The Tydd St Mary Church of England Primary School

About The Tydd St Mary Church of England Primary School

If you are a parent in South Holland considering The Tydd St Mary Church of England Primary School, the numbers suggest it is a school that local families are very keen to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 34 applications for just 13 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.62. Of those, 19 families put it as their first preference, and all 13 first-preference offers were taken up. That level of demand is a strong signal from the community. The school is a small, mixed Church of England primary for children aged 4 to 11, with 104 pupils on roll and a capacity of 105, so it is essentially full. Headteacher Sonya Ely leads a school where just over a quarter of pupils (26.9%) are eligible for free school meals, which is a useful benchmark for context.

Academically, the school is a standout performer in Lincolnshire. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023, it received the highest possible rating of Outstanding across every single category: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a clean sweep of top grades. The school’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 back that up. An impressive 88% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of just 57%. The school also excels at the higher standard, with 19% of pupils reaching that level in reading, writing and maths. Average scores in reading (110) and maths (109) are well above the national benchmark of 100. In the South Holland local authority, it ranks 3rd out of 32 primary schools, placing it in the top 5% regionally and the top 4% nationally.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a library, art studios, music rooms, a sensory room, a gymnasium, playing fields and a chapel. Sports provision covers tennis, athletics, gymnastics, swimming, dance and netball, and there is a good selection of clubs including drama, gardening, chess, choir, coding and a science club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for a wide range of needs, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given the high oversubscription, families living outside the immediate catchment area will need to consider their chances carefully. This is a school that suits parents who value strong academic outcomes in a small, church-affiliated setting with a clear record of consistent excellence.

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