William Farr CofE Comprehensive School

About William Farr CofE Comprehensive School

William Farr CofE Comprehensive School sits within Lincolnshire’s West Lindsey district, where it ranks second out of seven secondary schools locally on Progress 8, placing it comfortably in the top quarter of schools nationally. The school’s closest peers in the local authority are The King’s School, Grantham, Grantham College, and Bourne Grammar School, each of which posts a higher ranking score, but William Farr holds its own as a strong Church of England comprehensive. With 1,479 pupils on roll and a capacity of 1,496, it is a large school that draws families from across the area. Its headteacher, Grant Edgar, leads a mixed, non-selective state school that has a formal sixth form and a religious character that may appeal to families seeking a values-based education within the state system. The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 511 applications for 234 places, with 227 first-preference offers made from 261 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.18.

Academically, William Farr delivers results that are notably above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.43 is well above the Lincolnshire average of -0.06, and the school’s Progress 8 banding is rated ‘Above average’. Attainment 8 sits at 51.5, with 76.7% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 53.8% achieving a grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 4.16, though only 11.4% of pupils entered the EBacc combination. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, the school was rated Good across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2009, when it was rated Outstanding overall. At key stage 5, the school’s value-added score is -0.05, which is in the ‘Average’ band, and the average points per entry grade is B-, with a best three A-levels grade also at B-.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a theatre, sixth-form centre, ICT suite, gymnasium, library, sports hall, art studios, and a chapel. Sports provision includes basketball, swimming, football, martial arts, dance, rowing, hockey, and tennis, while extracurricular clubs range from gardening and eco club to chess, choir, debate, book club, science club, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND support covers nine areas, including specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulty or disability. With 15.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a broadly mixed catchment. This is a good fit for families who want a large, oversubscribed comprehensive with strong academic progress, a Church of England ethos, and a broad range of enrichment opportunities, particularly those who can secure a place through first preference.

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