School Chooser

Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School

Primary · ages 3-7MixedAcademy286 pupilsNurseryWellingboroughNorth Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
53
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 26 to 78, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 53% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, July 2023
Attendance95.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families18%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull286 pupils, 270 places
Pupils per teacher22.9School workforce census
Pupils on roll286Census January 2026

Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School is a converter academy in Wellingborough for boys and girls aged 3 to 7. It has 286 pupils, 16 more than it has places for. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 53 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 53% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Scarborough Street, Irthlingborough, Wellingborough, NN9 5TT01933 654900irthlingborough-inf.northants.sch.ukMrs Jan Marshall headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 13 July 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places241 pupils for 360 places, 2024/25
67% full

119 places were empty (33% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% 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 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 roll286Census January 2026
Places270106% full
Pupils from low-income families16%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English12%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%40 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%20 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.210 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)18%£65,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls142 / 144
White British pupils77%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (29), Moderate learning difficulty (14), emotional and mental health (13), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Hearing impairment (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll286297316325320329
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals16%19%20%18%16%15%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language12%9%11%10%9%9%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%13%16%18%16%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%2%0%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.6%4.5%5.6%5.4%2.9%3.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.5%3.5%4.5%4.5%2.2%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.2%1.0%1.1%0.9%0.7%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.3%9.0%19.0%9.9%5.9%5.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.12.52.81.90.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers11.8full-time equivalent, 14 people
Pupils per teacher22.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,236
Teachers who left in the year12%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.32024/25

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£6,896England £7,128. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£7,387England £7,587. Total £2.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,079England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £309k, £1,107 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£137kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,896spent 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 m31612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate74 per 1,000 people18% lower than the England average
Typical house price£265,000North Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop20 mScarborough Street, 11 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
Irthlingborough Junior SchoolAcademy80 m357Good 202036Compare
Henry Chichele Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles341Report card 20258Compare
Higham Ferrers Nursery and Infant SchoolAcademy1.6 miles255Good 202065Compare
Higham Ferrers Junior SchoolAcademy1.6 miles322Requires improvement 20231Compare
Finedon Mulso Church of England Junior SchoolAcademy1.7 miles201Good 202337Compare
Finedon Nursery and Infant SchoolAcademy1.8 miles176Good 202354Compare
Stanton Cross Primary SchoolFree school2.3 miles200No overall grade 202532Compare
Stanwick Primary SchoolAcademy2.3 miles209Not inspected66Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant 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.

Beats53%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 53 is 5 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 48 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 53 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 53% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 26 to 78. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.10
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.11
2024/25; 173 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School a good school?

It is about average. Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School scores 53 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 53% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 26 to 78, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School good at its last full inspection on 13 July 2023.

How many pupils does Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School have?

286 pupils aged 3 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 270 places, so it is 106% full.

Is Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 119 places were empty in 2024/25 (33% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School?

Pupils were in school 95.4% 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 Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School?

The average class had 24.2 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
Scarborough Street, Irthlingborough, Wellingborough, NN9 5TT
Telephone
01933 654900
Website
www.irthlingborough-inf.northants.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jan Marshall
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-7, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Learning for Life Education Trust (6 schools)
Local authority
North Northamptonshire
Ward
Irthlingborough
Constituency
Wellingborough and Rushden
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2015 (academy converter)
URN
141909 · LAESTAB 9402054 · UKPRN 10049327
Formerly
Irthlingborough Infant School and Nursery

Where these figures come from