School Chooser

Long Buckby Infant School

Primary · ages 4-7MixedCouncil119 pupilsNorthamptonWest Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
74
Above
similar schools
Likely range 47 to 89, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 64% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2023
Attendance96.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Places43 spare119 pupils, 162 places
Pupils per teacher16.8School workforce census
Pupils on roll119Census January 2026

Long Buckby Infant School is a council school in Northampton for boys and girls aged 4 to 7. It has 119 pupils and room for 162. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 74 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 64% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

High Street, Long Buckby, Northampton, NN6 7RE01327 842637longbuckbyinfantschool.org.ukMrs Sarah Dugdale headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 21 March 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

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places142 pupils for 162 places, 2024/25
88% full

About 20 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have grown by 12% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

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 roll119Census January 2026
Places16273% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support3%3 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.85 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)8%£13,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls46 / 73
White British pupils90%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (3), Severe learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1), Other difficulty or disability (1), emotional and mental health (1), Vision impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll119140137132127127
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%10%7%12%13%9%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%2%2%2%2%4%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support4%3%9%2%0%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%2%0%0%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.12024/25, 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 absence3.2%3.7%4.7%4.7%2.2%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.4%2.9%4.1%4.0%1.7%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%0.8%0.6%0.7%0.6%0.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.7%3.3%13.8%13.0%3.4%10.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.10.00.80.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.1full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher16.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,398
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.82024/25

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£6,371England £7,738. Total £892k
Income per pupil£6,396England £7,697. Total £895k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,272England £3,480
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £52k, £371 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£3,493it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,371spent 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 m12112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate48 per 1,000 people47% lower than the England average
Typical house price£300,000West Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop90 m8 Market Place, 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
Long Buckby Junior SchoolCouncil480 m181Good 202369Compare
East Haddon Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.4 miles81No overall grade 202585Compare
West Haddon Endowed Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England2.6 miles239Not inspected97Compare
Brington Primary SchoolCouncil3.0 miles50Good 202330Compare
Welton Church of England AcademyAcademy3.1 miles129Outstanding 202292Compare
Monksmoor Park Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.5 miles234Good 2023Compare
Crick Primary SchoolCouncil3.9 miles194Report card 202630Compare
Ashby Fields Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles397No overall grade 202551Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Long Buckby 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.

Beats64%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 74 is 9 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 65 · highest 93100

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 Long Buckby Infant 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
Helmdon Primary SchoolCouncil15.2 miles126Good 202487Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 74 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 74% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 47 to 89. 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 inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
0.00
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.28
2024/25; 105 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 Long Buckby Infant School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Long Buckby Infant School scores 74 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 64% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 47 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Long Buckby Infant School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Long Buckby Infant School good at its last full inspection on 21 March 2023.

How many pupils does Long Buckby Infant School have?

119 pupils aged 4 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 162 places, so it is 73% full.

Is Long Buckby Infant School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 20 places were empty in 2024/25 (12% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Long Buckby Infant School?

Pupils were in school 96.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Long Buckby Infant School?

The average class had 23.8 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
High Street, Long Buckby, Northampton, NN6 7RE
Telephone
01327 842637
Website
www.longbuckbyinfantschool.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Sarah Dugdale
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-7
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
West Northamptonshire
Ward
Long Buckby
Constituency
Daventry
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
121844 · LAESTAB 9412068 · UKPRN 10072821

Where these figures come from