Lincolnshire / Lincolnshire 11+
Northgate, Sleaford, NG34 7DD
Carre's Grammar School
1
A selective co-educational grammar school in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 799 pupils on roll.
At a glance
At a glance
A selective co-educational grammar school in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 799 pupils on roll. Based in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the school serves boys and girls aged 11-18 and includes sixth-form study as part of the offer. Current published roll and admissions data point to around 799 pupils on roll and 120 Year 7 places.
Admissions are central to understanding whether this school is the right fit and realistic shortlist option. The current route includes GL Assessment, with 120 places available in Year 7 and demand that currently looks moderate by grammar-school standards. Catchment or distance rules still matter at allocation stage, so this is the kind of school where families need to read the admissions policy carefully rather than rely on headline scores alone.
Academically, the published picture is strong and easier to judge than reputation alone. The latest published Ofsted judgement is Good. Recent official performance measures show Progress 8 at -0.01 and Attainment 8 at 57.2. 67% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths in the latest stored GCSE figures. In the sixth form, 19.2% of entries were awarded AAB or better at A level.
Published school information highlights facilities such as Sports hall. The wider offer currently includes Duke of Edinburgh, Sport. For many parents, the presence of a sixth form is part of the attraction, because it gives able pupils the option to stay in a familiar academic setting through to A level. That mix of selective entry, published outcomes, and school life is what will matter most to families deciding whether Carre's Grammar School belongs on a serious shortlist.
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Lincolnshire and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Lincolnshire and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Lincolnshire and England.
Carre?s admits pupils in the top 25% of the ability range. For 2027 entry, qualified applicants are ranked by looked-after status, pupil premium, Community Inclusive Trust sibling priority, then distance.
There is no published catchment area. After the higher priority groups in the admissions policy, qualified applicants are ranked by distance from school.
Qualified looked after and previously looked after children are prioritised first.
The school?s 2027-28 policy applies this after any EHCP placements have been made.
Qualified pupil premium applicants are considered next.
The policy defines this as children who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the previous six years.
Qualified applicants with a sibling in the Community Inclusive Trust secondary schools come next.
Sibling priority applies across the trust?s secondary schools rather than a geographic catchment.
All other qualified applicants are ranked by distance from school.
If two children are tied for the last place, the published tie-break is an independently supervised lottery.
The published 2027 entry page lists separate verbal and non-verbal reasoning test days at Carre?s.
This school uses the shared Lincolnshire consortium route. The consortium page brings together the common test format, key dates and official papers used across that route.
Open Lincolnshire guidePaper 1
VR
Verbal reasoning test
Saturday 12 September 2026.
Paper 2
NVR
Non-verbal reasoning test
Saturday 19 September 2026.
Verbal reasoning and Non-verbal reasoning are included in the published format.
English, Maths, Science and Creative writing are not listed in the current published format.
Verbal reasoning
Saturday 12 September 2026.
Non-verbal reasoning
Saturday 19 September 2026.
English
Maths
Science
Creative writing
Verbal reasoning test
12 September 2026
Non-verbal reasoning test
19 September 2026
Results emailed
9 October 2026
Preference deadline
31 October 2026
National offer day
1 March 2027
School confirmation letter
2 March 2027
Contact Carre?s if you still need to register
The online form is now closed, so late Year 7 testing queries are handled directly by Mrs Lindsay Phoenix, Admissions Officer.
Open admissions pageSit the two 11+ tests at Carre?s
The published 2027 entry page lists verbal reasoning on Saturday 12 September 2026 and non-verbal reasoning on Saturday 19 September 2026.
Open key datesSubmit your local authority application
Sitting the 11+ does not count as a school application, so you still need to name Carre?s on your local authority form by 31 October 2026.
Open Lincolnshire admissionsRecent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 59.9 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 58.6 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 57.2 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 58 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | B+ average (42.5 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | B- average (35.4 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | C+ average (34.4 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | B- average (35.8 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 99% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 100% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 97.8% | 91.4% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 95% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 4% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 6 December 2023
Local rivals first, then nearby alternatives that still fit the same shortlist-building context.
Same Lincolnshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Lincolnshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Lincolnshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Same Lincolnshire area and similar co-ed selective route
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Nearby option with similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Best Grammar Schools in Lincolnshire
Compare the best grammar schools in Lincolnshire for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Lincolnshire sits within the Lincolnshire route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Best Grammar Schools in Lincolnshire
Compare the best grammar schools in Lincolnshire for the 2026 admissions cycle using published GCSE results, Ofsted, admissions routes, and practical local context. Much of Lincolnshire sits within the Lincolnshire route, so shared testing still matters alongside each school's own admissions rules.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county, school type, and Ofsted. Useful for broad searches like top UK grammar schools, grammar school rankings, and 11+ school shortlists.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
Related guides are still being added.
FAQ
Carre's Grammar School currently uses GL Assessment.
1. Contact Carre?s if you still need to register: The online form is now closed, so late Year 7 testing queries are handled directly by Mrs Lindsay Phoenix, Admissions Officer. 2. Sit the two 11+ tests at Carre?s: The published 2027 entry page lists verbal reasoning on Saturday 12 September 2026 and non-verbal reasoning on Saturday 19 September 2026. 3. Submit your local authority application: Sitting the 11+ does not count as a school application, so you still need to name Carre?s on your local authority form by 31 October 2026.
Verbal reasoning test: 12 September 2026. Non-verbal reasoning test: 19 September 2026. Results emailed: 9 October 2026. Preference deadline: 31 October 2026. National offer day: 1 March 2027. School confirmation letter: 2 March 2027
Carre's Grammar School is currently rated Good following the latest published inspection dated 6 December 2023.