School Chooser

Byfield School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademy108 pupilsNurseryDaventryWest Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
12
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 4 to 40, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2020
Reached the expected level at 1167%England 63%
Attendance95.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families22%A bit fewer than most schools
PlacesFull108 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher24.0School workforce census

Byfield School is a converter academy in Daventry for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 108 pupils, 3 more than it has places for. About 22 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 12 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2020.

Bell Lane, Byfield, Byfield Primary School, Bell Lane, Byfield, Daventry, NN11 6US01327 260349byfieldschool.comMr David Hibbert headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 14 January 2020, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A later, shorter visit on 17 December 2024 said: “Standards maintained”.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 6 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
17 December 2024UngradedStandards maintained

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

9 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1167%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level11%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 86%86%20172019: 71%71%20192023: 42%42%20232024: 38%38%20242025: 67%67%2025
Since 2017: -19%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017†West NorthamptonshireEngland
Pupils tested913121457
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%38%42%71%86%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths11%0%0%7%14%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0102.099.0106.0110.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0101.098.0107.0105.0104.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0101.0100.0106.0105.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard78%62%42%79%100%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard67%54%58%93%86%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)78%69%58%93%86%
Reading progressReading progress score-4.8+0.8+5.2
Maths progressMaths progress score-5.4+1.9+0.4
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged86%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Byfield School, the school this one replaced in April 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places88 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
84% full

17 places were empty (16% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 14% since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to West Northamptonshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll108Census January 2026
Places105103% full
Pupils from low-income families22%22% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%21 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan8%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.65 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)27%£37,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls62 / 46
White British pupils84%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 17.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (12), Moderate learning difficulty (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), emotional and mental health (4), Specific learning difficulty (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1089797102103104
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals22%20%17%16%11%15%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%0%0%3%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%20%19%10%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%4%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.0%5.5%5.1%4.7%3.4%2.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%4.4%3.9%3.9%2.8%2.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%1.1%1.2%0.9%0.6%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.5%4.4%12.7%13.3%6.7%1.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.01.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers4.5full-time equivalent, 6 people
Pupils per teacher24.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£54,001
Teachers who left in the year57%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher13.22024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,639England £7,128. Total £838k
Income per pupil£8,330England £7,587. Total £808k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,804England £3,405
Money in reserve-1%In the red: -£7,868, -£81 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£30kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£8,639spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m3112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate44 per 1,000 people51% lower than the England average
Typical house price£300,000West Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop120 mGarage, 8 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Aston-le-WallsRoman Catholic1.8 miles81Good 202315Compare
Woodford Halse Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy1.9 miles207Good 201926Compare
Boddington Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy2.1 miles52Good 202182Compare
Chipping Warden Primary AcademyAcademy2.6 miles93Good 202318Compare
The Priors SchoolFree school3.2 miles102Not inspected73Compare
Culworth Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy4.1 miles109No overall grade 20257Compare
Badby SchoolAcademy4.6 miles192Good 202334Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Byfield School with the 45 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats13%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 12 is 27 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 40 · highest 89100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 12 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 12% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 4 to 40. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.19
2024 and 2023 results; 13 pupils
Ofsted inspection11% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 6.7 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.17
DfE progress measure; 13 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.08
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 74 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.21
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 13 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Byfield School a good school?

The figures are weak. Byfield School scores 12 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 4 to 40, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Byfield School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Byfield School good at its last full inspection on 14 January 2020. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Byfield School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 67% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 11% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Byfield School have?

108 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 103% full.

Is Byfield School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 17 places were empty in 2024/25 (16% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Byfield School?

Pupils were in school 95.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Byfield School?

The average class had 21.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Bell Lane, Byfield, Byfield Primary School, Bell Lane, Byfield, Daventry, NN11 6US
Telephone
01327 260349
Website
www.byfieldschool.com
Headteacher
Mr David Hibbert
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Stowe Valley Multi Academy Trust (14 schools)
Local authority
West Northamptonshire
Ward
Woodford & Weedon
Constituency
Daventry
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2017 (academy converter)
URN
143468 · LAESTAB 9412011 · UKPRN 10062318
Formerly
Byfield School

Where these figures come from