The Isaac Newton Primary School

The Isaac Newton Primary School has improved substantially since its previous inspection, with inspectors praising a calm, caring and ambitious climate in which pupils behave and achieve well. The school is part of Community Inclusive Trust, and the trust’s swift action, together with leadership changes since 2023, has helped bring about significant improvement. Pupils are described as keen, respectful and proud of their school, and safeguarding is effective. Strengths are wide-ranging: pupils with SEND receive expert support, reading is a whole-school priority, attendance is exceptionally high, and personal development is strong. The early years provision has improved and gives children a good start, while governance and staff support are also effective. Pupils benefit from a well-planned PHSE curriculum, sport, trips and leadership roles. The main areas for improvement are small inconsistencies in curriculum delivery. Some staff do not consistently check pupils’ understanding or identify learning gaps, and some subjects are not as carefully planned and taught as others. Not all subject leaders are equally effective, which creates variation in the quality of education pupils receive across subjects.

Strengths

• A wonderful climate of ambition, kindness and care supports strong behaviour and achievement.
• Pupils are respectful, committed to their school and keen to learn.
• Highly effective safeguarding arrangements keep pupils’ welfare at the centre.
• Pupils with SEND receive expert support and achieve well.
• Reading is a whole-school priority, with strong early reading and catch-up support.
• Pupils attend exceptionally well and late arrivals have reduced.
• The PHSE curriculum is well planned, effective and responsive to local needs.
• Pupils develop a strong understanding of respect, equality and tolerance.
• Governance is strong, with diligent local governors providing challenge and support.
• Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school.
• The early years provision has improved and prepares children well for their next steps.
• Pupils enjoy sport, trips and leadership roles such as school council and mini police.

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff do not consistently check pupils’ understanding or identify learning gaps.
• The curriculum is not taught consistently across all subjects.
• Some parts of the curriculum are not as carefully planned and taught as others.
• Not all subject leaders have the skills and knowledge to carry out their role as effectively as others.

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 The Isaac Newton Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.6% 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, 1.8% of pupils at The Isaac Newton 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 The Isaac Newton Primary School had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.3% 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, 16.7% of pupils at The Isaac Newton Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 The Isaac Newton Primary School received £6,605 and spent £7,971 for each of its 386 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £291,000 (£754 per pupil).

Across all 18 schools of Community Inclusive Trust, income was £11,652 and spending £11,935 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 Grantham · Lincolnshire local authority: places and applications

The Isaac Newton Primary School is part of Community Inclusive Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Poplar Farm School Grantham
• Newton Bridge Academy Grantham
• Greenfields Academy Grantham
• Caythorpe Primary School Grantham
• Osbournby Primary School Sleaford
• Kesteven and Sleaford High School Selective Academy Sleaford
• Newark Orchard School Newark
• Carre's Grammar School Sleaford
• Bingham Primary School Bingham
• Billingborough Primary School Sleaford

What is The Isaac Newton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Isaac Newton Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was The Isaac Newton Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Isaac Newton Primary School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does The Isaac Newton Primary School have?

The Isaac Newton Primary School has 365 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Isaac Newton Primary School cover?

The Isaac Newton Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are The Isaac Newton Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Isaac Newton Primary School?

The Isaac Newton Primary School is at Dysart Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, NG31 7DG.