Northgate Primary School

Northgate Primary is a caring, inclusive school where pupils are happy, safe and behave well. Safeguarding standards are met. Leaders have improved attendance substantially and persistent absence has fallen, though attendance remains above national figures. Inclusion is a notable strength: pupils with SEND, including deaf pupils in the school's resourced provision, access learning confidently, and personal development and enrichment are broad and inclusive. The main concern is achievement. By the end of Year 6, outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics remain significantly below national figures, and disadvantaged pupils have a wide attainment gap. Teaching does not consistently build strong foundational knowledge, gaps in key stage 1 are not always identified or addressed, and curriculum sequencing and assessment are not precise enough to ensure progression for all pupils. Leaders recognise this and are prioritising teaching quality, but the impact is not yet seen in national assessments. The school is larger than average, has above-average EHC plans and deprivation, and includes specialist provision for deaf pupils. Leadership and governance, attendance and behaviour, early years, inclusion, and personal development and wellbeing are at the expected standard; achievement and curriculum and teaching need attention. Next steps focus on strengthening foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics and continuing to improve attendance.

Strengths

• Safeguarding has an open and positive culture, with statutory requirements met.
• Attendance work is strategic and successful, with overall attendance close to national and persistent absence reduced substantially.
• Pupils behave well, are polite and respectful, and feel safe from bullying and discrimination.
• Early years provides a caring, nurturing start with effective inclusive practice.
• Pupils with SEND, including deaf pupils in The Orchard, access learning confidently and successfully.
• Leaders and governors are dedicated, ambitious and effective, with strong parent engagement.
• Personal development is broad and inclusive, with strong enrichment and pupil leadership opportunities.
• Pastoral support helps pupils manage emotions and supports families effectively.
• Staff wellbeing, workload and early career support are positive.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement by the end of Year 6 is significantly below national figures in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Teaching does not consistently secure strong foundational knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Gaps that emerge in key stage 1 are not consistently identified or addressed.
• Curriculum sequencing and assessment are not precise enough to secure progression for all pupils.
• Teaching quality varies across subjects, and tasks are sometimes poorly matched to pupils' needs.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes remain well below national, with a large disadvantage gap.
• Overall absence and persistent absence remain above national averages, so attendance improvement must continue.
• Early years teaching of foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics needs sharpening.

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 Northgate Primary School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.5% 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 Northgate Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Northgate Primary School had 20.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.0% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Northgate Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 13 pupils.

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 Northgate Primary School received £7,451 and spent £7,557 for each of its 649 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £67,000 (£104 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 Crawley · West Sussex local authority: places and applications

What is Northgate Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Northgate Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Northgate Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Northgate Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Northgate Primary School have?

Northgate Primary School has 649 pupils on roll.

What age range does Northgate Primary School cover?

Northgate Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Northgate Primary School?

Northgate Primary School is at Green Lane, Northgate, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 8DX.