School admissions in Gainsborough
How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. 2 of these schools also have a published admissions cutoff distance. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.
Gainsborough in figures
For Reception places in September 2026, families named the 17 schools in Gainsborough first 334 times for 334 places: 1.00 first choices per place. 2 of the 17 had more first choices than places. For 2026 entry, 2 schools here gave their last places on distance, from 0.44 miles (Benjamin Adlard Primary School) to 1.12 miles (Morton Trentside Primary School).
For Year 7 places in September 2026, families named the 3 schools in Gainsborough first 425 times for 417 places: 1.02 first choices per place. One of the 3 had more first choices than places.
Totals for the schools listed on this page. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE; last-offer distances as the council published them.
Reception places, September 2026
17 schools. 2 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places | Cutoff distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Adlard Primary School | 1.11 | 28 | 0.444 miles |
| Morton Trentside Primary School | 1.07 | 30 | 1.117 miles |
| Corringham CofE VC Primary School | 1.00 | 9 | not published |
| Frances Olive Anderson Church of England (Aided) Primary School | 1.00 | 26 | not published |
| Hemswell Cliff Primary School | 1.00 | 6 | not published |
| Kirton Lindsey Primary Academy | 1.00 | 19 | not published |
| Scotter Primary School | 1.00 | 21 | not published |
| The Gainsborough Charles Baines Community Primary School | 1.00 | 14 | not published |
| The Gainsborough Hillcrest Early Years Academy | 1.00 | 38 | not published |
| The Gainsborough Parish Church Primary School | 1.00 | 25 | not published |
| The Marton Academy | 1.00 | 10 | not published |
| Waddingham Primary School | 1.00 | 8 | not published |
| Willoughton Primary School | 1.00 | 7 | not published |
| Castle Wood Academy | 0.98 | 44 | not published |
| St George's Church of England Community Primary School, Gainsborough | 0.95 | 22 | not published |
| Blyton Cum Laughton Church of England School | 0.91 | 11 | not published |
| Mercer's Wood Academy | 0.88 | 16 | not published |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.
Year 7 places, September 2026
3 schools. 1 received more first preferences than they had places.
| School | First preferences per place | Places |
|---|---|---|
| The Queen Elizabeth's High School, Gainsborough | 1.18 | 188 |
| Kirton Academy | 0.89 | 74 |
| The Gainsborough Academy | 0.88 | 155 |
First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.