Epworth Primary Academy Review 2026: High-performing primary with an ambitious curriculum and strong early years provision

A primary school with a clear academic edge, Epworth Primary Academy combines strong Key Stage 2 outcomes with a curriculum that is intentionally sequenced and revisited, so pupils retain learning over time. In 2024, 84.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%.

Leadership sits within a wider trust structure, with the academy part of Isle Education Trust. The Principal is Sean Woolley, appointed as Principal from 01 September 2019.

The latest Ofsted inspection took place on 05 and 06 June 2024; the school remained Good, and the evidence gathered indicated it could be graded Outstanding at its next full inspection.

Epworth Primary Academy’s identity is anchored in a clear set of expectations around behaviour, learning habits and kindness. The latest inspection describes pupils as proud of their school, feeling safe, and meeting ambitious expectations for behaviour and progress.

That culture is not presented as abstract “values talk”. It shows up in practical routines, including pupils settling quickly to learning activities, and purposeful attitudes in lessons. The school also highlights pupil leadership routes, including an Academy Council with elected representatives from Year 2 upwards, which gives pupils a structured voice in day-to-day school life.

Early years provision is a real feature here rather than an add-on. Nursery is a 26-place setting for children aged 3 to 4, with indoor and outdoor areas designed for free-flow play, including a mud kitchen, a digging pit, and a rope bridge. Nursery sessions are offered as mornings (9am to 12pm), afternoons (12pm to 3pm) or full days (9am to 3pm), with packed lunches for longer sessions.

A weekly Forest School session takes place in a small woodland area at the edge of the field, with activities such as den building, scavenger hunts and campfire cooking. For children who learn best through movement, talk, and hands-on exploration, that weekly rhythm can make the transition into Reception far smoother.

A quick note on heritage, because it helps explain the school’s place in the community. The school states that there has been a primary school in the village since 1711, and that the current site opened in 1982 as Epworth County Primary School. The school academised in 2012 and joined Isle Education Trust in 2013.

Epworth’s published Key Stage 2 outcomes paint a consistently strong picture, especially when set against England averages. In 2024:

• 84.67% met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, versus an England average of 62%.

• At the higher standard, 30.33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and maths, versus an England average of 8%.

• Reading and maths scaled scores were 107 and 107, and grammar, punctuation and spelling was 109.

These results suggest pupils are not just meeting the baseline but also pushing well beyond it in meaningful numbers, which matters for families who want secondary transition to begin from a position of confidence.

Rankings reinforce that profile. Epworth Primary Academy is ranked 2,282nd in England and 9th in Doncaster for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This places it above England average, within the top quarter of schools in England overall (around the 15th percentile).

The school’s curriculum model is designed around retention and independence. The latest inspection describes a “gradual release” approach, with pupils moving into independent work when they are ready, and additional support built in before they fall behind.

A practical feature here is frequent structured recap. The inspection refers to “know more, remember more” tasks appearing in every lesson, and it gives a concrete example of cross-curricular linking, with Year 6 connecting learning about tourism in Greece to prior learning about ancient Greece and the Peloponnesian War.

Reading is positioned as a core driver from the earliest years, with early reading supported by expert adults and quick identification of pupils who need extra help. The inspection highlights an ambitious reading list that broadens pupils’ horizons, and links texts to themes such as disability awareness.

In early years, the report describes a language-rich approach, with children learning and using precise vocabulary, for example understanding terms such as rhythm and tempo in expressive arts. That detail matters, because vocabulary growth in Nursery and Reception is one of the strongest predictors of later comprehension and confidence across the curriculum.

As a primary school, the main transition point is Year 6 into secondary education. Families in Epworth and the surrounding area typically consider a blend of local comprehensive secondaries and, for some children, selective routes where relevant. The school’s curriculum model, with frequent revisiting and an emphasis on independent learning when ready, should translate well into the subject-by-subject demands of Key Stage 3.

The school also places emphasis on broader experiences that build confidence beyond tests. In practice, that can help Year 6 pupils handle the social and organisational step-up to secondary school, where independence and self-management become far more prominent.

Reception admissions sit within North Lincolnshire’s co-ordinated process. Epworth Primary Academy’s published admission number (PAN) for Reception is 45 for the 2026 to 2027 intake year.

For September 2026 entry, North Lincolnshire’s primary co-ordinated scheme confirms:

• Closing date for on-time applications: Thursday 15 January 2026

• National offer day: Thursday 16 April 2026

• Deadline for parents to accept the place offered: Friday 24 April 2026

• Late applications received after 15 January 2026 and up to Friday 06 February 2026 are still intended to be included in national offer day allocations, as far as practicable.

The school is also operating in a context of demand. In the most recent admissions dataset provided, the school had 40 applications for 22 offers on the relevant entry route, indicating an oversubscribed picture with around 1.82 applications per place. That is not extreme by large-city standards, but it is enough to make criteria and timing matter.

For families shortlisting, this is where FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful; it helps you sanity-check likely proximity advantage when distance is a factor, and avoids relying on assumptions based on estate agents’ claims or anecdotal advice.

Nursery admissions are handled directly with the school, with children eligible to attend from the term after their third birthday. Nursery offers 15 and 30 hours funded places for eligible families, and also offers paid top-up hours for children eligible for 15 hours funding. For nursery fee details, check the school’s published information directly.

The school’s wellbeing model is visible in several specific features rather than broad statements. The latest inspection describes dedicated pupil wellbeing ambassadors on duty at lunchtimes to support peers.

Safeguarding is treated as a non-negotiable foundation. The inspection explicitly confirms safeguarding arrangements as effective, which provides reassurance for families who want a clear external line of sight on safety culture.

SEND support is also positioned as integrated. The inspection describes pupils with SEND benefiting from the quality of education and having needs met by skilled adults, while the school’s leadership structure includes a Head of School who is also SENDCo.

The strongest schools use enrichment to reinforce curriculum, build cultural capital, and widen children’s sense of what is possible. Epworth’s approach looks deliberately structured. The inspection describes an extensive programme of trips and visits, with leaders ensuring that pupils, including those with SEND, can access them.

From the school’s own published enrichment overview, examples include:

• Young Voices

• Taekwondo (alongside other sports clubs and competitions)

• Trips such as Lincolnshire Showground Farm to Fork and an English Institute of Sport visit

• Residential experiences, and a London trip linked to WE Day

• Visitors ranging from an Arctic explorer Robert Swan to a GB Canoe coach and an Olympic and Commonwealth athlete

The inspection also highlights a careers dimension threaded into wider experiences, including meeting mechanics at a motorsport event, plus a careers fair accessed by all pupils. It references an “Epworth Offer” that maps experiences pupils will have by the time they leave, including an activity described as sleeping under the stars, intended to build resilience and empathy.

For families, the implication is straightforward: extracurricular life is not just optional fun for the confident few. It is being used as a planned part of pupil development, with deliberate inclusion of pupils who might otherwise miss out.

The academy day runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm, with lunch 12.00pm to 1.00pm.

Wraparound information is partly published. A Breakfast Club runs from 7.35am and is available for Reception to Year 6, with a charge of £4 per session per child.

The school also references before and after school clubs more broadly, but detailed arrangements and pricing for any after-school childcare are not clearly set out in the public pages we reviewed; families who need consistent after-school coverage should ask directly about current days, times and availability.

For travel, this is a local community school in a small-town setting. Most families typically rely on walking, cycling or short car journeys; it is sensible to ask the school about current drop-off expectations and any traffic management arrangements during peak times.

• Competition for Reception places. The latest demand data indicates oversubscription on the entry route, so deadlines and criteria matter, especially if you are not very close or do not have a sibling link.

• Mixed-age class considerations. The inspection highlights careful planning for mixed-age classes, which can work extremely well when teaching is sequenced and pupils are supported into independence; it can also be a point some families want to discuss, particularly for children who prefer tightly uniform pacing.

• After-school wraparound clarity. Breakfast Club is clearly described and costed, but if you need after-school childcare as a fixed part of your weekly plan, you should check what is currently offered, and whether it is run directly by the school or via external providers.

• High expectations suit many, but not all. The school’s culture is built around ambitious expectations for progress and behaviour. For most pupils this creates security and momentum; for a small minority, it may feel pressurised without the right home-school partnership and reassurance.

Epworth Primary Academy stands out as a high-performing primary with a curriculum model designed for retention and independence, backed by strong Key Stage 2 outcomes and a well-developed enrichment offer. Early years provision is a genuine strength, with an outdoor-rich Nursery environment and a weekly Forest School pattern that supports children’s confidence and language development.

Best suited to families who want clear expectations, strong academic foundations, and a primary experience that treats wider opportunities as part of the core offer, not an optional extra. Entry is the obstacle rather than what follows, so families should take admissions timelines seriously and use tools like FindMySchool’s comparison features to sense-check local alternatives alongside this one.