St Lawrence Church of England Primary School

St Lawrence Church of England Primary School is a small, mixed-age primary in the Chellington Church of England Federation, with a nursery on site. Overall, it is performing well: safeguarding is met, pupils feel safe and cared for, and they behave positively in lessons and around school. Personal development is a standout strength; a carefully planned PSHE curriculum, wide enrichment and strong pastoral care help pupils become confident, resilient and independent. Most pupils achieve in line with national averages by the end of Year 6, with mathematics outcomes above national in recent years. Current pupils, including those with SEND, learn well, and the early years provide a strong start, particularly in reading and phonics. Leadership and governance are effective, with leaders having a clear view of the school's strengths and areas for development, and staff feel well supported. Inclusion is also effective: pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils receive well-targeted support, although disadvantaged pupils' reading outcomes remain below national and gaps to their peers are wide. The main priorities for improvement are writing and attendance. Some younger pupils struggle with handwriting, letter formation and fluency, and the teaching of writing—grammar, spelling and composition—needs to be more consistent across the curriculum. Although attendance has improved for many pupils, persistent absence is still above national averages and a small number of pupils continue to miss too much school. Leaders are already addressing both areas through focused support and rigorous attendance follow-up.

Strengths

• Personal development is a standout strength, with pupils well prepared for the next stages of their lives.
• The PSHE curriculum helps pupils understand health, online safety and age-appropriate risks.
• Wide enrichment and residential trips build independence, resilience and cultural appreciation.
• Pupils behave well, work hard and get along harmoniously in the playground.
• Bullying is rare and staff deal with incidents consistently and kindly.
• Pupils with SEND make strong progress because their needs are identified and met effectively.
• Disadvantaged pupils receive high-quality support and wider opportunities through the pupil premium.
• Early years provides a clear, coherent curriculum and a strong start, especially in reading and phonics.
• Leaders have a clear, accurate view of the school and have driven marked improvement over time.
• Governors provide effective support and challenge, and staff are proud to work at the school.
• Safeguarding is met, with an open culture where concerns are identified and acted upon.
• Pupils leave as well-rounded, articulate young people who understand risks and peer pressure.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching of writing, including grammar, spelling and composition, is not yet consistent across the curriculum.
• Some younger pupils find writing difficult because of insecure pencil grip or uncertain letter formation.
• Some pupils are still developing fluency in writing.
• Persistent absence remains above the national average, and some pupils still do not attend well enough.
• Overall absence is above the national average.
• Disadvantaged pupils' reading outcomes are below the national average, and gaps to non-disadvantaged peers remain wide.
• Not enough pupils reach the expected and higher standards by the end of Year 6, and leaders are working to strengthen outcomes further.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Lawrence Church of England Primary School attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.2% of pupils at St Lawrence Church of England Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Lawrence Church of England Primary School had 19.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 37.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 7.3% of pupils at St Lawrence Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Lawrence Church of England Primary School received £8,065 and spent £7,911 for each of its 123 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £60,000 (£491 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Rushden · Bedford local authority: places and applications

What is St Lawrence Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Lawrence Church of England Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was St Lawrence Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Lawrence Church of England Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does St Lawrence Church of England Primary School have?

St Lawrence Church of England Primary School has 123 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Lawrence Church of England Primary School cover?

St Lawrence Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Lawrence Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Lawrence Church of England Primary School?

St Lawrence Church of England Primary School is at Manor Lane, Wymington, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 9LL.