SchoolsGPT

Secondary school offers in Lincolnshire: offer day 2027

National Offer Day Monday 1 March 2027 · 53 secondary schools · first-choice odds, waiting lists and appeals

How likely is a first choice here?

For September 2026 entry, 84.7% of families living in Lincolnshire were offered their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England. 278 families (3.6%) were offered none of the schools they named. Lincolnshire ranks 79 of 150 councils in England, hardest first (see every council).

25 of its 53 secondary schools had more first-choice applications than places.

The most sought-after, by first-choice applications per place offered: The Priory Academy LSST (1.9 per place), Skegness Grammar School (1.8 per place; grammar, 11+ needed), The King's School, Grantham (1.6 per place; grammar, 11+ needed), Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School (1.5 per place; grammar, 11+ needed), Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle (1.4 per place; grammar, 11+ needed).

If you didn't get your first choice

  1. Accept the place you were offered by the date in your offer letter. Accepting it does not affect a waiting list or an appeal, and a place that isn't accepted can be withdrawn.
  2. Get on the waiting lists you want. Every school must keep one until at least 31 December of the year your child starts. It is ranked by the school's admission rules, not by when you joined, so a family moving closer can go above you. Some councils add you automatically for schools you ranked higher than the one offered; your offer letter says which.
  3. Decide whether to appeal. You can appeal for every school that refused your child. You get at least 20 school days from the offer to lodge it, and on-time appeals must be heard within 40 school days of that deadline. The figures below show how often appeals succeed here.
  4. Look at schools that took lower preferences. These are the likeliest to have room now.

Schools that took children who ranked them lower

For September 2026 entry these 27 schools offered more places than they had first-choice applications, so some went to families who put them second or lower. They are the likeliest to have room after offer day; ask Lincolnshire or the school.

Every secondary school: demand for 2026 entry

Sorted by first-choice applications per place, the most contested first.

SchoolPlaces offeredFirst choices per place First choices offered
The Priory Academy LSST
Lincoln
232 1.9 47%
Skegness Grammar School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Skegness
71 1.8 54%
The King's School, Grantham (grammar, 11+ needed)
Grantham
171 1.6 61%
Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Grantham
180 1.5 67%
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Horncastle (grammar, 11+ needed)
Horncastle
118 1.4 68%
Spalding High School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Spalding
149 1.4 70%
Boston High School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Boston
119 1.3 73%
Bourne Grammar School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Bourne
238 1.3 78%
Caistor Grammar School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Market Rasen
113 1.3 80%
Queen Elizabeth's Grammar Alford - A Selective Academy (grammar, 11+ needed)
Alford
68 1.3 71%
The Boston Grammar School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Boston
136 1.2 82%
Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy (grammar, 11+ needed)
Sleaford
124 1.2 80%
The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough (grammar, 11+ needed)
Gainsborough
188 1.2 82%
William Farr CofE Comprehensive School
Lincoln
228 1.2 82%
John Spendluffe Foundation Technology College
Alford
122 1.1 79%
The Priory Ruskin Academy
Grantham
196 1.1 72%
Sir Robert Pattinson Academy
Lincoln
241 1.1 82%
Charles Read Academy
Grantham
49 1.1 76%
King Edward VI Grammar School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Louth
130 1.1 86%
Giles Academy
Boston
170 1.1 79%
Cowley Academy
Spalding
116 1.1 80%
Lincoln Christ's Hospital School
Lincoln
214 1.1 82%
Spalding Grammar School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Spalding
146 1.1 80%
The Banovallum School
Horncastle
118 1.0 88%
Bourne Academy
Bourne
248 1.0 91%
Caistor Yarborough Academy
Market Rasen
141 1.0 100%
The Barnes Wallis Academy
Lincoln
73 1.0 100%
Spalding Academy
Spalding
311 0.9 92%
The Priory City of Lincoln Academy
Lincoln
166 0.9 87%
St Peter and St Paul, Catholic Voluntary Academy
Lincoln
108 0.9 79%
Stamford Welland Academy
Stamford
125 0.9 100%
West Grantham Church of England Secondary Academy
Grantham
123 0.9 84%
University Academy Long Sutton
Spalding
131 0.9 99%
The Priory Pembroke Academy
Lincoln
125 0.9 92%
St George's Academy
Sleaford
343 0.9 100%
Louth Academy
Louth
188 0.9 100%
The Gainsborough Academy
Gainsborough
155 0.9 100%
Sir William Robertson Academy, Welbourn
Lincoln
185 0.9 96%
Carre's Grammar School (grammar, 11+ needed)
Sleaford
113 0.8 88%
University Academy Holbeach
Spalding
232 0.8 100%
The Deepings School
Peterborough
156 0.8 100%
Branston Community Academy
Lincoln
202 0.8 100%
De Aston School
Market Rasen
139 0.8 100%
William Lovell Church of England Academy
Boston
63 0.8 100%
Somercotes Academy
Louth
76 0.7 100%
Haven High Academy
Boston
179 0.7 100%
King Edward VI Academy
Spilsby
87 0.7 100%
The Priory Witham Academy
Lincoln
127 0.7 97%
Thomas Middlecott Academy
Boston
115 0.7 100%
Skegness Academy
Skegness
145 0.6 100%
Lincoln Castle Academy
Lincoln
173 0.6 100%
Walton Academy
Grantham
175 0.5 100%
North Kesteven Academy
Lincoln
140 0.4 100%

Places offered is the number of offers made on national offer day, and first choices offered the share of families who put the school first and got it (Department for Education, September 2026 entry).

Appeals in Lincolnshire

YearAppeals lodgedHeard by a panel UpheldShare of heard appeals upheld
2025/26647 548 267 48.7%
2024/25745 627 242 38.6%
2023/24880 755 269 35.6%

Secondary school appeals across all of Lincolnshire, from the Department for Education. Appeals are not published school by school. Across England in 2025/26, 19.5% of 27,084 secondary appeals heard were upheld. How appeal odds differ between councils.

More for Lincolnshire

Have a specific question about admissions, scores or dates?

Ask SchoolsGPT