School Chooser

Loatlands Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy446 pupilsNurseryKetteringNorth Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
19
Below
similar schools
Likely range 10 to 34
Out of 100. Better than 15% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, March 2022
Reached the expected level at 1155%England 63%
Attendance93.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
PlacesFull446 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher23.8School workforce census

Loatlands Primary School is a converter academy in Kettering for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 446 pupils, 26 more than it has places for. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 19 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 15% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Harrington Road, Desborough, Kettering, NN14 2NJ01536 903713loatlandsprimary.netMrs Alison Willis headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 17 March 2022 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.

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1155%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level4%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
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: 79%79%20172018: 69%69%20182019: 60%60%20192023: 64%64%20232024: 61%61%20242025: 55%55%2025
Since 2017: -24%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017North NorthamptonshireEngland
Pupils tested534459302929
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths55%61%64%60%69%79%61%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%2%0%3%14%3%6%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0104.0106.0103.0105.0103.0104.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0104.0105.0106.0107.0106.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0104.0105.0104.0107.0105.0104.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard68%68%76%63%79%83%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard66%70%86%80%90%90%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%70%69%70%83%93%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.7-1.6-0.3-0.9
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.8+1.8+1.7+2.5
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged20%58%27%50%60%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged63%63%77%76%89%

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
20%63%
Gap 43 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%62%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%4%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 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 places390 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
93% full

About 30 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 roll446Census January 2026
Places420106% full
Pupils from low-income families18%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%66 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%28 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.114 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils7%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)21%£127,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls212 / 234
White British pupils87%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.6 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.4 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (35), Moderate learning difficulty (33), language and communications needs (16), Specific learning difficulty (5), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Multi-sensory impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll446439431444448439
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%18%18%18%14%14%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%3%4%4%2%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%16%13%10%5%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%3%3%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.4%6.6%6.9%7.9%6.3%4.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.9%4.6%5.1%6.3%4.9%2.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%2.0%1.9%1.7%1.4%1.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.8%19.7%20.7%24.6%20.8%12.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.43.70.50.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.9full-time equivalent, 20 people
Pupils per teacher23.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants21.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,814
Teachers who left in the year8%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.12024/25

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£5,693England £7,128. Total £2.4m
Income per pupil£6,229England £7,587. Total £2.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,868England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £402k, £949 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£227kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,693spent 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 m24712 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate73 per 1,000 people20% lower than the England average
Typical house price£265,000North Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop160 m9 Whitehill Road, 9 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
Havelock Infant SchoolAcademy840 m175Outstanding 202498Compare
Havelock Junior SchoolAcademy870 m306Good 202349Compare
Rothwell Junior SchoolAcademy1.8 miles315No overall grade 2024Compare
Rothwell Victoria Infant SchoolAcademy1.8 miles263Not inspectedCompare
Rushton Primary SchoolAcademy2.9 miles93Good 202435Compare
Wilbarston Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.1 miles62Good 202455Compare
Loddington CofE (VA) Primary SchoolAcademy3.3 miles95Good 202355Compare
Meadowdale Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles389Good 202449Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Loatlands Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats15%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 19 is 24 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 43 · highest 97100

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: 10 to 34. 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
-0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 53 pupils
Ofsted inspection16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.17
DfE progress measure; 53 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.05
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.07
2024/25; 343 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 53 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 Loatlands Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Loatlands Primary School scores 19 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 15% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 10 to 34, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Loatlands Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Loatlands Primary School good at its last full inspection on 17 March 2022. 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 Loatlands Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 55% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Loatlands Primary School have?

446 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 106% full.

Is Loatlands Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 30 places were empty in 2024/25 (7% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Loatlands Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Loatlands Primary School?

The average class had 28.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 7% of classes 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
Harrington Road, Desborough, Kettering, NN14 2NJ
Telephone
01536 903713
Website
www.loatlandsprimary.net
Headteacher
Mrs Alison Willis
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Symphony Learning Trust (20 schools)
Local authority
North Northamptonshire
Ward
Desborough
Constituency
Kettering
Setting
Urban: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2013 (academy converter)
URN
140059 · LAESTAB 9402156 · UKPRN 10043043
Formerly
Loatlands Primary School

Where these figures come from