Abbots Farm Junior School

Abbots Farm Junior School is a welcoming junior school where pupils are keen to learn, behave well and feel safe. Inspectors found marked improvements in behaviour, attendance and wider development, and pupils benefit from a broad range of clubs, leadership roles and a strong focus on wellbeing. Reading is a particular strength, with rich texts thoughtfully linked to the wider curriculum, and staff feel well supported. The main area of concern is the quality of education. Published outcomes in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 are low, and not all pupils, including those with SEND, achieve as well as they should. Assessment checks do not consistently pick up gaps or misunderstandings, so some mistakes persist; pupils with SEND do not always get precise targeted support; and gaps in writing, including handwriting, limit how well some pupils can communicate their learning. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2015. It was previously judged outstanding and, under current arrangements, does not receive an overall effectiveness grade. Safeguarding is effective, and leaders, governors and families are working collaboratively on the identified priorities.

Strengths

• Pupils are keen to learn and behave well, with most saying they can learn without disruption.
• Pupils feel safe because of positive and trusting relationships with staff.
• A wide range of clubs and activities ensures there is something for everyone.
• Pupils take on leadership responsibilities, including play leaders supporting younger pupils.
• The school has a strong focus on pupils’ health and wellbeing, including caring for school animals.
• Behaviour and attendance have improved markedly, with fewer persistently absent pupils.
• The curriculum in history, geography and science is well sequenced and helps pupils build knowledge.
• Many pupils read well and enthusiastically, with rich and varied texts linked to the wider curriculum.
• Personal development is a strength: pupils are confident, resilient and respectful.
• Staff feel well supported with their wellbeing and workload.
• Governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and improvement priorities.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• The quality of education requires improvement, with low published outcomes in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.
• Not all pupils, including pupils with SEND, achieve as well as they should.
• Checks on pupils’ learning do not consistently identify gaps or misunderstandings, so mistakes are repeated.
• Some pupils with SEND do not receive precise and targeted support because their barriers to learning are not clearly identified.
• Gaps in pupils’ writing, including handwriting, limit their ability to communicate learning fluently and accurately.
• Teachers do not regularly assess how well pupils have learned lesson intentions in core subjects, leading to repeated mistakes.

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 Abbots Farm Junior School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Abbots Farm Junior 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 Abbots Farm Junior School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 21.1% of pupils at Abbots Farm Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.7% 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 Abbots Farm Junior School received £6,932 and spent £6,420 for each of its 261 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £315,000 (£1,206 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 Rugby · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

What is Abbots Farm Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Abbots Farm Junior School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Abbots Farm Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Abbots Farm Junior School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Abbots Farm Junior School have?

Abbots Farm Junior School has 261 pupils on roll.

What age range does Abbots Farm Junior School cover?

Abbots Farm Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Abbots Farm Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Abbots Farm Junior School?

Abbots Farm Junior School is at Abbotts Way, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 4AP.