School Chooser

Denfield Park Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil444 pupilsNurseryRushdenNorth Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
34
Below
similar schools
Likely range 19 to 54, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 17% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2023
Reached the expected level at 1149%England 63%
Attendance94.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families16%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull444 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher23.4School workforce census

Denfield Park Primary School is a council school in Rushden for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 444 pupils, 24 more than it has places for. About 16 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 34 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 17% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Victoria Road, Rushden, NN10 0DA01933 355961denfieldparkprimary.co.ukMrs Alice Hanney headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 7 February 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

57 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1149%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 46%46%20172018: 55%55%20182019: 55%55%20192023: 58%58%20232024: 59%59%20242025: 49%49%2025
Since 2017: +3%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017North NorthamptonshireEngland
Pupils tested575852566061
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths49%59%58%55%55%46%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%3%10%7%0%0%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0106.0104.0103.0103.0101.0104.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0106.0103.0104.0103.0102.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0107.0103.0104.0103.0101.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard72%74%77%57%67%61%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard63%72%63%70%77%70%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)56%66%75%71%65%62%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.3-0.1-0.8-0.1
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.8+0.2+0.8+1.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged16%25%53%40%35%33%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged66%67%60%61%63%53%

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.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
16%66%
Gap 50 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
43%59%
Gap 16 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places395 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
94% full

About 25 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same 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 North 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 roll444Census January 2026
Places420106% full
Pupils from low-income families16%16% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English19%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support12%51 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan8%35 pupils with a plan
Average class size18.52 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils50%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)17%£108,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls217 / 227
White British pupils70%

Specialist SEND provision. SEN unit with 16 pupils, for autism.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in North Northamptonshire with autism provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (24), Moderate learning difficulty (21), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (21), Autistic spectrum disorder (11), emotional and mental health (7), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll444433432440438436
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals16%18%18%20%18%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language19%13%13%12%10%9%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%11%14%18%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%6%4%4%4%

Attendance and behaviour

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

Attendance94.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils5.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.2%5.2%5.3%6.1%3.2%4.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%4.5%4.5%5.3%2.7%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.7%0.9%0.8%0.5%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.7%13.6%13.5%15.1%7.2%7.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate5.33.90.52.51.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01000

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.9full-time equivalent, 21 people
Pupils per teacher23.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants19.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,787
Teachers who left in the year4%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher14.52024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,603England £7,738. Total £2.8m
Income per pupil£6,596England £7,697. Total £2.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,148England £3,480
Money in reserve0%In the red: -£9,797, -£23 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£2,835it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,603spent 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 m63312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate148 per 1,000 people62% higher than the England average
Typical house price£265,000North Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop130 mSCA Packaging, 43 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
Newton Road SchoolAcademy560 m196No overall grade 20252Compare
Alfred Lord Tennyson SchoolCouncil580 m147No overall grade 202415Compare
Higham Ferrers Junior SchoolAcademy0.8 miles322Requires improvement 20231Compare
South End Infant SchoolCouncil0.9 miles195Good 202337Compare
Higham Ferrers Nursery and Infant SchoolAcademy0.9 miles255Good 202065Compare
Whitefriars Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles397Good 202277Compare
South End Junior SchoolCouncil1.0 miles338Good 202371Compare
Rushden Primary AcademyAcademy1.0 miles388Good 202438Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Denfield Park Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats17%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 34 is 33 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 67 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Denfield Park Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Elstow SchoolAcademy13.7 miles413Not inspected78Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 34 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 34% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 19 to 54. 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%in line
-0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 57 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.02
DfE progress measure; 57 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.07
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 346 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.10
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 57 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 Denfield Park Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Denfield Park Primary School scores 34 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 17% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 19 to 54, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Denfield Park Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Denfield Park Primary School good at its last full inspection on 7 February 2023.

How good are Denfield Park Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 49% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Denfield Park Primary School have?

444 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 106% full.

Is Denfield Park Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 25 places were empty in 2024/25 (6% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Denfield Park Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Denfield Park Primary School?

The average class had 18.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 50% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Denfield Park Primary School have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It has sen unit for autism. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

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

Contact and details

Address
Victoria Road, Rushden, NN10 0DA
Telephone
01933 355961
Website
www.denfieldparkprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Alice Hanney
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
North Northamptonshire
Ward
Rushden Lakes
Constituency
Wellingborough and Rushden
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
121942 · LAESTAB 9402206 · UKPRN 10077214
Formerly
Hayway Infant and Nursery School

Where these figures come from