A council (local authority) in Yorkshire and the Humber
Council
146 schools and nurseries
23,542 pupils
4 towns and villages
In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, fewer than across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Attendance is close to the England figure.
Schools and nurseries14662 primary · 14 secondary · 55 nurseries
Primaries Good or better90%England 96%
Met the standard at 1162%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths46%Attainment 8 44.1, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary28%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school18%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in North Lincolnshire
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About North Lincolnshire
North Lincolnshire is a unitary authority in Yorkshire and the Humber with 62 mainstream primary schools and 14 mainstream secondary schools. Towns with the most schools include Scunthorpe, Barton-upon-Humber and Brigg. Most families get the secondary school they want: 96.2% got their first choice, against 83.6% across England. Pupil numbers have fallen 3% since 2018.
Key dates each year
31 October
Secondary school applications close
15 January
Primary school applications close
1 March
Secondary school offers
16 April
Primary school offers
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
96.7%got their first-choice primary school in North Lincolnshire in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 14 of 151 councils. 99.3% got one of their top three.1.7% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
96.2%got their first-choice secondary school in North Lincolnshire in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 6 of 151 councils. 98.8% got one of their top three.4.0% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
2 of 13 primary appeals heard in North Lincolnshire succeeded in 2025. 4 of 18 secondary appeals heard in North Lincolnshire succeeded in 2025.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up North Lincolnshire
North LincolnshireEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 50 primaries with one.
90%
England 96%
Below England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
11 of the 12 with a grade.
92%
England 93%
Close to England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
62%
England 62%
Close to England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
46%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
18%
England 18%
Close to England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
28%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 71 schools that have one.
90%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding4
Good60
Requires improvement6
Inadequate1
How it has changed
North Lincolnshire in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1162% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths46% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school18% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
North Lincolnshire
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
90%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
62%
62%
Attainment 8
44.1
46.2
Persistent absence
18%
18%
Pupils per teacher
18.5:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£7,847
£8,120
In education or work after 16
91%
91%
Went on to higher education
41%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
20%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
15%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
30%
27%
DfE local authority code 813, ONS code E06000013.
Living here
What it's like for families
North Lincolnshire has 146 schools and nurseries across 4 towns and villages, the biggest being Scunthorpe, Barton-upon-Humber, Brigg and Winterton.
There are 3% fewer pupils than in 2018.
28% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in North Lincolnshire's state schools each January.
24.3k2018
24.7k2019
24.7k2021
24.8k2022
24.6k2023
24.4k2024
24.1k2025
23.5k2026
Down 3% since 2018.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
North Lincolnshire28%
Keep up with schools in North Lincolnshire
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
North Lincolnshire has 146 schools, including 68 primary schools, 25 secondary schools, 55 nurseries, 10 independent schools, 12 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in North Lincolnshire?+
The highest-ranked schools in North Lincolnshire on Eduscope are Holme Valley Primary School, Bowmandale Primary School, Winteringham Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in North Lincolnshire are rated Good or Outstanding?+
90% of inspected schools in North Lincolnshire hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 4 schools rated Outstanding and 60 rated Good.
How do primary schools in North Lincolnshire perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in North Lincolnshire, 62% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in North Lincolnshire?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in North Lincolnshire is 18.5:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in North Lincolnshire schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in North Lincolnshire is 18.0%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in North Lincolnshire?+
There are 23,542 pupils enrolled across schools in North Lincolnshire, with 13,176 in primary and 10,308 in secondary. 30.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in North Lincolnshire?+
There are 10 independent schools in North Lincolnshire, all special schools for children with special educational needs, where councils usually pay the fees. You can compare them on Eduscope, including inspection reports where available.
How do I choose the right school in North Lincolnshire?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 146 schools in North Lincolnshire by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
