School Chooser

Denton Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil84 pupilsNurseryNorthamptonWest Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 7 to 44, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNeeds attention teachingOfsted report card, February 2026
Reached the expected level at 1154%England 63%
Attendance94.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend100%18 Parent View responses
Places60 spare84 pupils, 144 places

Denton Primary School is a council school in Northampton for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 84 pupils and room for 144. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 19 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 13% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in February 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Vicarage Lane, Denton, Northampton, NN7 1DT01604 890330dentonprimary.netMrs Rosie Gibson executive headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 10 February 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
Needs attention
Achievement
Needs attention
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
As expected
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
1 July 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

13 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 1154%
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 score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 50%50%20172018: 50%50%20182019: 79%79%20192023: 59%59%20232024: 85%85%20242025: 54%54%2025
Since 2017: +4%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017West NorthamptonshireEngland
Pupils tested131317191416
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths54%85%59%79%50%50%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%15%24%32%21%6%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0109.0104.0107.0102.0101.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0106.0103.0107.0102.0101.0104.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0107.0102.0108.0104.0104.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard69%92%65%89%64%75%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard77%100%65%95%50%56%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)92%92%71%89%71%75%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.9+0.9-3.5-4.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.8+0.2-4.6-4.1

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.

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 fallen by 17% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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.

What parents say

Would recommend the school100%England 87%
My child is happy here89%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe94%
Positive overall89%
My child is happy at this school
89%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
94%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
95%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
0% yesEngland 18%
My child gets the right support to learn well
89%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
33% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
83%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
100%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
83%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
89%England 82%
I would recommend this school
100%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
89%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 18 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll84Census January 2026
Places14458% full
Pupils from low-income families7%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support7%6 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%3 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.04 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)9%£10,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls41 / 43
White British pupils88%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (3), language and communications needs (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Other difficulty or disability (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1), emotional and mental health (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll849297110116120
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%11%10%11%9%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1%2%0%0%1%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%6%13%10%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%4%2%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.3%4.9%4.8%7.5%2.4%4.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.2%4.0%4.3%7.0%2.1%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%0.9%0.6%0.5%0.2%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.8%8.8%12.4%23.1%2.0%7.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers4.6full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher17.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,748
Teachers who left in the year21%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.32024/25

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£8,294England £7,738. Total £746k
Income per pupil£8,498England £7,697. Total £765k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,677England £3,480
Money in reserve9%A healthy amount put by: £67k, £748 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£18kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,294spent 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 m1612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate41 per 1,000 people56% lower than the England average
Typical house price£300,000West Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop70 mOrchard Lane, 6 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
Yardley Hastings Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles104Outstanding 202396Compare
Cogenhoe Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles191Not inspected73Compare
Little Houghton Church of England PrimaryChurch of England2.3 miles88Good 202464Compare
Grendon Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.8 miles114No overall grade 202480Compare
Hackleton CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.9 miles183Good 202389Compare
Ecton Brook Primary SchoolAcademy3.1 miles567No overall grade 202589Compare
St Andrew's Ceva Primary SchoolChurch of England3.3 miles281Good 201945Compare
Standens Barn Primary SchoolAcademy3.6 miles327Good 202365Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Denton Primary School with the 48 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 48 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 19 is 42 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 60 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Denton 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
Carlton CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England7.3 miles87No overall grade 202449Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 19 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 19% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 7 to 44. 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
+0.01
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 13 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.29
Ofsted report card, 0.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.08
DfE progress measure; 13 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.14
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 83 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 13 pupils
What parents say5%above
+0.03
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 18 responses

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 Denton Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Denton Primary School scores 19 out of 100. That is 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 7 to 44, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Denton Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 February 2026 it rated teaching as needs attention, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as as expected.

How good are Denton Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 54% 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. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Denton Primary School have?

84 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 144 places, so it is 58% full.

Is Denton Primary 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 Denton Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Denton Primary School?

100% of the 18 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 89% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Denton Primary School?

The average class had 21.0 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
Vicarage Lane, Denton, Northampton, NN7 1DT
Telephone
01604 890330
Website
www.dentonprimary.net
Executive Headteacher
Mrs Rosie Gibson
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
West Northamptonshire
Ward
Cogenhoe & The Houghtons
Constituency
South Northamptonshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 1900
URN
121814 · LAESTAB 9412026 · UKPRN 10074820

Where these figures come from