Walgrave Primary School

Walgrave Primary School is a good school across all inspected areas. Pupils are happy, well behaved and achieve well, with reading placed at the heart of the curriculum and an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum in place. Staff support pupils with SEND effectively, and pupils benefit from strong personal development, extra-curricular opportunities and a clear focus on wellbeing and responsibility. The school is going through significant leadership change, including the recent departure of the executive headteacher and the appointment of an acting headteacher. Leaders and governors have an accurate view of strengths and priorities and are supported through the federation, while staff feel well supported and value development opportunities. Safeguarding is effective. The main areas for improvement are the clarity of intended learning for Reception-age children within mixed-age classes, teaching that sometimes does not deepen pupils’ knowledge securely enough, and communication with parents about changes. Some parents have concerns about continuity and how changes have been communicated.

Strengths

• Reading is central to the curriculum and pupils become confident, fluent readers.
• Phonics teaching is strong, with well-matched books and good support for less confident pupils.
• The curriculum is ambitious, engaging and logically sequenced to build knowledge over time.
• Teaching adapts effectively for pupils with SEND so they can access an ambitious curriculum.
• Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes towards their work.
• Personal development is well considered, with strong citizenship and responsibility opportunities.
• Pupils’ mental health and wellbeing are prioritised.
• Extra-curricular clubs and competitions help pupils develop their talents.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and priorities.
• Staff feel well supported and their wellbeing is prioritised.

Areas for Improvement

• Intended learning for Reception-age children in mixed-age classes is not always clearly defined.
• Staff sometimes do not focus on the right vocabulary or provide activities that support Reception-age children’s intended learning.
• Teaching sometimes does not provide activities or ask questions that deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding.
• Pupils sometimes forget what they have been taught because challenge is not consistently deep enough.
• Communication with parents about significant leadership and organisational changes needs to improve.
• Some parents are uncertain about continuity and how changes may affect their child’s education.

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 Walgrave Primary School attended 93.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.9% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Walgrave Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were 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 Walgrave Primary School had 20.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.5% 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, 20.8% of pupils at Walgrave Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 Walgrave Primary School received £6,698 and spent £6,575 for each of its 149 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £44,000 (-£296 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 Northampton · West Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

What is Walgrave Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Walgrave Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Walgrave Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Walgrave Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Walgrave Primary School have?

Walgrave Primary School has 149 pupils on roll.

What age range does Walgrave Primary School cover?

Walgrave Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Walgrave Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Walgrave Primary School?

Walgrave Primary School is at Kettering Road, Walgrave, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN6 9PH.