Newton Road School

Newton Road School remains a school that requires improvement across all inspected areas, although new leadership is bringing about real and recent change. The principal took up post in May 2024, and with trust support leaders have introduced revised curriculums and a new behaviour approach. Serious misbehaviour and suspensions have fallen, pupils feel safer on the playground, relationships between staff and pupils are warm, and staff are positive about training and workload support. Safeguarding is effective, pupils with SEND are fully included, attendance is improving, and a stronger reading culture is emerging. However, the improvements are too recent to have had the intended impact. Published key stage 2 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics were weak in 2024, and teaching quality remains variable. Staff do not consistently implement the well-thought-out curriculums, do not always explain new content clearly, do not check understanding closely enough, and sometimes fail to correct important misconceptions. Pupils’ engagement in lessons is a significant concern: they lose focus quickly, some make few responses, and staff do not always apply the new behaviour policy consistently. Some early years children are not well supported to sustain concentration. The school also needs to ensure that early reading books match pupils’ known phonics sounds, and that personal development prepares pupils better for life in modern Britain, particularly in understanding equality and diversity. Absence and persistent absence, while falling, remain above national averages. Overall, leaders are working on the right priorities and in the right order, but the impact on pupils’ learning and achievement is not yet secure.

Strengths

• New leadership is acting swiftly and is focused on the right priorities.
• Serious misbehaviour and suspensions have fallen significantly.
• Pupils feel safer on the playground than they did in the past.
• Staff and pupils have warm relationships, and pupils know staff will help them.
• Pupils with SEND are fully included and their needs are identified swiftly.
• A stronger reading culture is developing, with pupils enjoying books and reading badges.
• Attendance is improving, with close work with families to raise it.
• Pupils enjoy a range of activities such as choir, theatre club and sport.
• Staff are positive about the school’s changes, training and support for workload.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• The quality of education requires improvement, and key stage 2 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics were weak in 2024.
• Teaching is variable, and staff do not implement the curriculum consistently well.
• Some staff do not explain new concepts clearly or check pupils’ understanding closely enough.
• Important misconceptions are sometimes not corrected swiftly.
• Pupils do not engage well enough in lessons and lose focus quickly.
• Some staff do not apply the new behaviour policy consistently.
• Some early years children are not well supported to sustain concentration.
• Some pupils are given reading books containing letter sounds they do not know.
• Personal development does not prepare pupils well enough for life in modern Britain, including equality and diversity.
• Absence and persistent absence remain above national averages, although they are falling.

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 Newton Road School attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.3% 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, 2.7% of pupils at Newton Road School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Newton Road School had 16.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.6% 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, 23.5% of pupils at Newton Road School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.7% 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 Newton Road School received £7,738 and spent £6,963 for each of its 221 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £82,000 (£373 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Nene Education Trust, income was £6,877 and spending £6,854 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

Newton Road School is part of Nene Education Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Stanwick Primary School Wellingborough
• Raunds Park Infant School Wellingborough
• Windmill Primary School Wellingborough
• Manor School Wellingborough
• St Peter's Church of England Academy Wellingborough
• Redwell Primary School Wellingborough
• Woodford Church of England Primary School Kettering

What is Newton Road School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Newton Road School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Newton Road School last inspected by Ofsted?

Newton Road School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Newton Road School have?

Newton Road School has 196 pupils on roll.

What age range does Newton Road School cover?

Newton Road School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Newton Road School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 40% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Newton Road School?

Newton Road School is at Newton Road, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 0HH.