Bridgewater Primary School

Bridgewater Primary School is a strong and inclusive primary school where children get an excellent start in the early years and pupils are happy, safe and highly motivated. Inspectors found exemplary behaviour, exceptional personal development and a curriculum that is ambitious and well supported by high-quality staff training. Pupils, including those with SEND, are well cared for, attend very regularly and benefit from strong community partnerships, effective reading and phonics provision, and thoughtful mental health support. Safeguarding is effective, and governors and staff are well supported. The main area for improvement is the curriculum in a few subjects, where the key knowledge pupils need is not always identified clearly enough. As a result, some pupils do not gain the depth of understanding they could across all subjects. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the previous inspection grade was good. Under the current framework, no overall effectiveness grade was given.

Strengths

• Outstanding early years provision gives children a strong and independent start.
• Pupils are motivated learners, including those with SEND, and achievement is improving.
• Behaviour is exemplary and pupils show pride in their school community.
• Personal development is exceptional and central to the school's work.
• The curriculum is ambitious, research-informed and reflects the local context.
• Staff receive high-quality professional development and work as research groups.
• Reading and phonics are taught effectively, with well-matched books and good catch-up support.
• Pupils with SEND are identified swiftly, supported sensitively and achieve well.
• Attendance is extremely regular, supported by valuable family help such as the community breakfast club.
• Strong community partnerships enrich pupils' experiences and understanding of diversity.
• The PSHE curriculum is well designed and mental health support is extensive.
• Governors are knowledgeable and provide effective support and oversight.
• Staff feel well led and appreciate leaders' consideration of work-life balance.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, the curriculum does not identify clearly enough the knowledge pupils need to gain depth of understanding.
• A few subjects are at an earlier stage of curriculum development, and some pupils do not acquire the depth of knowledge they could.

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 Bridgewater Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.9% 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, 0.8% of pupils at Bridgewater 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 Bridgewater Primary School had 23.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.8% 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, 13.1% of pupils at Bridgewater Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 Bridgewater Primary School received £6,787 and spent £6,519 for each of its 650 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £711,000 (£1,094 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).

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All schools in Northampton · West Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

What is Bridgewater Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Bridgewater Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bridgewater Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Bridgewater Primary School have?

Bridgewater Primary School has 650 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bridgewater Primary School cover?

Bridgewater Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Bridgewater Primary School?

Bridgewater Primary School is at Bridgewater Drive, Bridgewater Primary School, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN3 3AF.