Primary schools in Spalding

[SQF]

Hi I'm new to Spalding and will soon be applying for a space for my child, who starts school in Sep 2023. I'm just looking for helpful local knowledge about which schools are well thought of. I have looked at OFSTED etc but there seem to be quite a few 'Good' schools and some local insight would be really helpful. Many thanks!

Where roughly are you? Spalding is gridlocked at school times made worse by the frequent freight trains- so worth thinking about if you want to get to work (or home!) after drop off. I looked around the primary schools 3 years ago now so this info might be outdated! It's definitely best to look around them and get a feel of which one suits you best.
Spalding Primary, Monkshouse, Wygate Academy and St. John's I've heard only positive things about.
Ascoughee has a brilliant reputation but is fee paying , and usually have 100% pass rate to the grammar schools.
St. Norberts is a catholic primary and is quite heavy on the catholic part (understandably!) but a good school regardless of your background from what I've been told
The Parish school and St. Paul's I've not heard much about recently.
Secondary- Spalding Academy (if you don't take or pass the 11+) has a good reputation and then there's a boys (grammar school) and a girls grammar (high school).

Thanks very much! We bought a lovely house right by the river that needs some TLC. I believe the nearest schools are st pauls and spalding parish but we're also in the catchment for the catholic school. I am looking at all the ones you say you hear good things about and am hoping that we'll have a bit more choice in Spalding than we would have had in our previous town.
I'm not sure yet where I'm going to be working/might be from home but I take your point about the traffic - thank you. I'd like to be able to walk if that fits around work and am quite happy with a half hr each way jaunt - most of the schools seem to be within that. Appreciate your help 🙂

The parish school has had loads of money spent on it recently, it has been expanded and upgraded considerably, St Paul's is less flash! Both have had tricky OFSTED reports recently but are worth a look, Parish also has a snazzy purple uniform! St Johns is, reputation wise, the most sought after but all are decent schools. St Norberts is very catholic!

Just come across this thread. We are in the same situation as OP with the only difference that our child would start school in 2024. Even so, we al already looking around.

Many of you say that St Norbert is very Catholic. I am Catholic, my DH is CofE, we are not very religious but can put up with that part if otherwise the school has good results academically, especially when it comes to the 11+ results.

Spalding Primary Academy would be our 3rd option, but we can't choose between St Norbert and St John.

St Norbert is somewhat closer to our home, and the last Ofsted rating was Outstanding. However, previous exam results were not so good, and since the Ofsted report the head-teacher has left. In St Norbert there are many Eastern European children, mainly Polish and Lithuanian, we don't mind this, as these kids often work harder than many English students.

St John has a recurring Good Ofsted rating. It is the opposite of St Norbert in the sense that it has the highest percentage of English children among the free primary schools in Spalding. Exam results are in line with the national average but nothing exceptional. I wonder if they are any easier on religion than St Norbert?

St Norbert has had good exam results lately, but there seems to be a high fluctuation in different years. St John seems to be a steady option, nothing exceptional but a reliable and relatively good workhorse.

So that's our dilemma: St John or St Norbert should be or first preference?

I would go look round both and get a feel. I haven't been in St Norberts for a couple of years but, under the previous Head was definitely very catholic but lovely for it. It hasn't done quite so well recently and it's fair to say its reputation has suffered a little under the recent head ( it was previously exceptional) and it lost a couple of strong members of staff at the same time. But it is still very much a sought after school. St Johns has had a similar journey, it was always considered the go to school in Spalding under the previous head and has maintained some of that reputation but again, not quite at the same level. It certainly isn't as " Christian" as St Norberts but you will find most Cof E schools aren't. It does have a different feel to St Norberts, you will need to decide which suits you and your child best! Most schools will have open days around now for next years entrants, you can always tag along!