Brambleside Primary School

Brambleside Primary School is a larger-than-average primary school within a single-academy trust. Following its June 2026 inspection, inspectors found a strong and inclusive school where leaders and staff have very high expectations, pupils achieve well, and safeguarding standards are met. Published outcomes are positive in almost all areas, and pupils make strong progress across the curriculum, including in early reading and wider subjects. Attendance is significantly above national averages, and behaviour is extremely positive, with calm and purposeful classrooms. The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, teaching is consistently strong, early years provision is vibrant and effective, and inclusion is a notable strength, with well-focused support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. Leadership and governance are strong, staff feel valued and supported, and pupils benefit from a wide personal development and enrichment offer. The main development points are to continue refining the curriculum and wider school offer to secure transformational impact for all pupils. There was a dip in phonics screening outcomes in 2025, which leaders addressed swiftly, and disadvantaged pupils' attainment remains below national non-disadvantaged peers in some measures, particularly writing. Overall, however, this is a very positive inspection with no graded areas below strong standard.

Strengths

• Leaders and staff have very high expectations and ambition for all pupils, including those facing barriers to learning.
• Pupils achieve well across the wider curriculum and make strong progress.
• Published outcomes are highly positive in almost all areas.
• Attendance has been significantly above national averages over time.
• Behaviour across the school is extremely positive, with calm, orderly and purposeful classrooms.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and taught with consistently strong subject knowledge.
• Early reading and phonics are taught with precision, enabling pupils to read effectively.
• Early years provision is vibrant, inclusive and prepares children very well for Year 1.
• Inclusion is a strength, with effective support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Leadership and governance are strong, with astute priorities and diligent governor oversight.
• Staff feel valued and supported, and professional development has a positive impact on practice.
• Pupils develop strong personal, social and health knowledge, including British values and healthy relationships.
• Pupils benefit from a wide enrichment offer, including clubs, trips, residentials and sporting opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment remains below national non-disadvantaged peers in some measures, particularly writing.
• Phonics screening outcomes in 2025 were not strong, although leaders acted quickly with a new approach.
• Leaders should continue to refine and strengthen the curriculum and wider school offer to achieve transformational impact for all pupils.

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 Brambleside Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.2% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Brambleside 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 Brambleside Primary School had 24.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.6% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Brambleside Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.4% 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 Brambleside Primary School received £5,573 and spent £5,442 for each of its 419 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £547,000 (£1,305 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.

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

What is Brambleside Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brambleside Primary School is Strong standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Brambleside Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brambleside Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Brambleside Primary School have?

Brambleside Primary School has 416 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brambleside Primary School cover?

Brambleside Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Brambleside Primary School?

Brambleside Primary School is at Cleveland Avenue, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN16 9NZ.