Rushden Primary Academy

Rushden Primary Academy is performing well, maintaining its status as a good school since its last inspection. The happy and safe environment promotes high standards across the curriculum, benefiting all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school has a committed staff who engage in ongoing training, contributing to a supportive atmosphere for both students and parents. However, there are areas where improvements are needed, particularly in enhancing staff subject knowledge to deepen pupil understanding further.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and feel safe.
• High expectations for behaviour lead to courteous and polite pupils.
• Effective curriculum that helps pupils achieve well.
• Strong emphasis on reading with high-quality texts and extensive library access.
• Good pastoral support for families.
• Opportunities for leadership and civic engagement among pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff lack secure subject knowledge, impacting pupil understanding.

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 Rushden Primary Academy attended 95.0% 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, 3.4% of pupils at Rushden Primary Academy 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 Rushden Primary Academy had 22.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% 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, 10.1% of pupils at Rushden Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 Rushden Primary Academy received £6,347 and spent £6,390 for each of its 382 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £21,000 (-£56 per pupil).

Across all 37 schools of Greenwood Academies Trust, income was £8,670 and spending £8,578 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 Rushden · North Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Rushden Primary Academy is part of Greenwood Academies Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• Woodvale Primary Academy Northampton
• Weston Favell Academy Northampton
• Sunnyside Primary Academy Northampton
• Green Oaks Primary Academy Northampton
• Purple Oaks Academy Northampton
• Corby Primary Academy Corby
• Danesholme Infant Academy Corby
• Danesholme Junior Academy Corby
• Kingswood Primary Academy Corby
• Hazel Leys Academy Corby

What is Rushden Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rushden Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Rushden Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rushden Primary Academy was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Rushden Primary Academy have?

Rushden Primary Academy has 388 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rushden Primary Academy cover?

Rushden Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Rushden Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rushden Primary Academy?

Rushden Primary Academy is at Goulsbra Road, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 0YX.