Rockingham Primary School

Rockingham Primary School is judged to be at the expected standard overall in this full section 5 inspection. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school remains part of the David Ross Education Trust. Leaders have made effective changes to routines, behaviour and teaching, so classrooms are calm and purposeful, pupils typically achieve in line with national averages at the end of key stage 2, and children in early years get a positive start and are well prepared for Year 1. Phonics is taught consistently, writing has been prioritised, and inclusion work has strengthened support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. Governance and trust support are strong, and staff feel well supported through training and workload consideration. However, the school is not yet securing consistently high challenge across the curriculum. Some activities do not start or progress quickly enough, and the proportion of pupils achieving a higher standard is not as high as it could be. Reading outcomes have been below national averages, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and gaps remain. Some younger pupils do not attend regularly when they start key stage 1, persistent absence has been above average in recent years, and some pupils lack secure knowledge of different cultures, religions and lifestyles. Not all parents have a positive view of the school. The next steps focus on sharper curriculum choices, improving attendance, deepening cultural and religious understanding, and building stronger parent relationships.

Strengths

• Effective routines support calm, purposeful classrooms and positive behaviour
• Pupils typically achieve in line with national averages at the end of key stage 2
• Consistent phonics teaching helps pupils read accurately and confidently
• Writing is prioritised from early years, with most pupils presenting work clearly
• Children in early years get a positive start and are well prepared for Year 1
• Inclusion is strengthened through timely identification and tailored SEND support
• Disadvantaged pupils benefit from careful use of additional funding and wider opportunities
• Leaders, governors and trustees share high ambition and provide effective support and challenge
• Staff receive effective training and feel well supported by leaders
• Personal development programme is coherent and helps prepare pupils for life beyond school
• Structured social times and pastoral support improve behaviour and wellbeing
• Attendance systems and work with families have improved attendance for many pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils are not consistently challenged, so too few achieve a higher standard
• Some learning activities do not start or progress quickly enough
• Some pupils do not use effective pencil grips, limiting writing speed and length
• Reading outcomes are below national averages, particularly for disadvantaged pupils
• Disadvantaged pupils' performance gaps remain in reading and other areas
• Too many pupils regularly miss school when they begin key stage 1
• Persistent absence remains an issue, though improving
• Some younger pupils lack secure knowledge of world religions, lifestyles and cultures
• Not all parents have a positive view of school life
• Some pupils need more precise support and higher levels of challenge

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 Rockingham Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.0% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Rockingham 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 Rockingham Primary School had 22.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% 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, 12.3% of pupils at Rockingham Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 2024–25 Rockingham Primary School received £6,493 and spent £5,868 for each of its 376 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £406,000 (£1,081 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of The David Ross Education Trust, income was £8,189 and spending £8,020 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Corby · North Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Rockingham Primary School is part of The David Ross Education Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Lodge Park Academy Corby
• Bringhurst Primary School Market Harborough
• Greenfields Primary School and Nursery Kettering
• The Arbours Primary Academy Northampton
• Eastfield Academy Northampton
• Cedar Road Primary School Northampton
• Malcolm Arnold Academy Northampton
• Malcolm Arnold Preparatory School Northampton
• Kings Heath Primary Academy Northampton
• Briar Hill Primary School & Nursery Northampton

What is Rockingham Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rockingham Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Rockingham Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rockingham Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Rockingham Primary School have?

Rockingham Primary School has 367 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rockingham Primary School cover?

Rockingham Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rockingham Primary School?

Rockingham Primary School is at Rockingham Road, Corby, Northamptonshire, NN17 1AJ.