Stanton Cross Primary School

Stanton Cross Primary School is a growing primary school that opened in 2022 and is part of the Northampton Primary Academy Trust. This was its first routine inspection, with pupils currently on roll from Reception to Year 2 and a new senior leadership team in place since September 2024. Inspectors found the school performing well across all areas, with an ambitious curriculum, typically strong pupil achievement, and a happy, safe and calm environment. Pupils respond well to clear behavioural expectations, relationships are warm and nurturing, and the school provides a rich wider programme of clubs, workshops, leadership roles and community engagement. The school's early reading provision is a considerable strength, with effective phonics support helping pupils, including those who struggle most, to read with improving fluency and accuracy. Mathematics is also structured well from the early years, and pupils with SEND are identified and supported appropriately. Early years classrooms and outdoor spaces are well organised and stimulating, and staff are caring and attentive to children's needs. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and staff value the high-quality training and support they receive. Two areas require further development. In a few subjects, pupils do not always securely remember important knowledge or vocabulary taught earlier, so the school needs to strengthen how it helps pupils embed essential content over time. Attendance is also uneven: most pupils attend regularly and arrive on time, but the school's work to remove barriers for some families has not had a consistent impact, and some pupils are not supported to attend as well as they could be.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum that is carefully sequenced to build knowledge coherently
• Pupils typically achieve well and enjoy learning
• Pupils feel happy and safe and respond well to clear behavioural expectations
• Warm, nurturing relationships between staff and pupils
• Strong early reading provision with effective phonics support and intervention
• Structured mathematics programme beginning with firm foundations in the early years
• Rich wider opportunities including clubs, workshops, leadership roles and fundraising
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Stimulating early years provision that nurtures curiosity and exploration
• Pupils learn about fundamental British values, respect and safety
• Harmonious and calm school ethos with consistent daily routines
• High-quality staff training and development, with greater staffing stability
• Trustees and the local executive board fulfil their legal duties and know the school well
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, pupils do not securely remember important knowledge or vocabulary from previously taught content
• The school does not consistently provide effective ways to help pupils embed understanding over time in some subjects
• Attendance support has had varied impact, and some pupils' barriers to regular attendance are not addressed consistently
• Some pupils are not supported to attend as well as they could be

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 Stanton Cross Primary School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 25.0% 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, 7.8% of pupils at Stanton Cross 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 Stanton Cross Primary School had 33.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 6.5% of pupils at Stanton Cross Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.5% 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 Stanton Cross Primary School received £9,818 and spent £10,061 for each of its 115 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £32,000 (-£275 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Northampton Primary Academy Trust, income was £7,879 and spending £7,861 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 Wellingborough · North Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Stanton Cross Primary School is part of Northampton Primary Academy Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Park Junior School, Wellingborough Wellingborough
• Rectory Farm Primary School Northampton
• Ecton Brook Primary School Northampton
• Blackthorn Primary School Northampton
• Lings Primary School Northampton
• Thorplands Primary School Northampton
• Headlands Primary School Northampton
• Abington Vale Primary School Northampton
• Simon de Senlis Primary School Northampton
• East Hunsbury Primary School Northampton

What is Stanton Cross Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Stanton Cross Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Stanton Cross Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Stanton Cross Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Stanton Cross Primary School have?

Stanton Cross Primary School has 200 pupils on roll.

What age range does Stanton Cross Primary School cover?

Stanton Cross Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Stanton Cross Primary School?

Stanton Cross Primary School is at Waverley Drive, Stanton Cross, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 1GN.