School Chooser

The Abbey Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy330 pupilsNurseryNorthamptonWest Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
50
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 30 to 68
Out of 100. Better than 51% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1172%England 63%
Attendance94.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Places90 spare330 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher21.8School workforce census

The Abbey Primary School is a converter academy in Northampton for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 330 pupils and room for 420. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 50 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 51% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Winchester Road, Delapre, Northampton, NN4 8AZ01604 660100abbeyprimary.co.ukHeadteacher Liam Cox headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 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”
Outstanding
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1172%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score107.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 50%50%20172018: 40%40%20182019: 51%51%20192023: 58%58%20232024: 57%57%20242025: 72%72%2025
Since 2017: +22%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†West NorthamptonshireEngland
Pupils tested605860576058
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths72%57%58%51%40%50%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%5%2%4%2%5%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score107.0103.0103.0101.0100.0101.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0103.0104.0101.0100.0102.0104.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0104.0102.0101.0101.0103.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard90%66%70%61%55%52%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard87%74%73%61%53%67%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)75%71%65%74%73%71%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.5-3.0-3.3-2.4
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.5-3.4-3.2-0.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged70%38%50%20%40%25%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged73%64%63%57%40%63%

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.

† These results are for The Abbey Primary School, the school this one replaced in February 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

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. 3 of the 4 gaps are 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
70%73%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
69%74%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
78%72%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%3%
Gap 3 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.

Plenty of spare places325 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
77% full

95 places were empty (23% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. 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 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 roll330Census January 2026
Places42079% full
Pupils from low-income families20%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English35%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support13%43 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%12 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.412 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)22%£103,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls165 / 165
White British pupils49%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 21.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.1 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (22), emotional and mental health (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), Hearing impairment (4), Other difficulty or disability (4), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll330345338348329354
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals20%25%22%24%26%22%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language35%31%34%33%31%32%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%14%13%13%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%1%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school18.1%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.22024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.4%6.0%6.7%6.0%3.7%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.1%4.1%4.9%4.7%2.8%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.9%1.8%1.3%0.9%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence18.1%20.4%21.1%17.6%11.0%9.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.22.10.32.10.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

† These attendance figures are for The Abbey Primary School, the school this one replaced in February 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers15.1full-time equivalent, 16 people
Pupils per teacher21.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£44,216
Teachers who left in the year28%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.82024/25

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£6,160England £7,128. Total £2.1m
Income per pupil£7,055England £7,587. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,067England £3,405
Money in reserve16%A healthy amount put by: £376k, £1,096 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£307kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,160spent 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 m23112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate86 per 1,000 people6% lower than the England average
Typical house price£300,000West Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop220 mFire Station, 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
Wootton Park SchoolFree school380 m1,670Not inspected84Compare
Overstone Gate Primary SchoolFree school380 m30Not inspectedCompare
Simon de Senlis Primary SchoolAcademy690 m434Outstanding 202493Compare
Queen Eleanor Primary AcademyAcademy800 m223Good 202355Compare
Delapre Primary SchoolCouncil0.6 miles539Good 202333Compare
East Hunsbury Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles453Good 202257Compare
Hunsbury Park Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles354Good 2022Compare
Hardingstone AcademyAcademy0.9 miles230Good 202349Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Abbey 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.

Beats51%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 50 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 49 · highest 97100

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 The Abbey 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
Malcolm Arnold Preparatory SchoolFree school2.7 miles401Good 202368Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 50 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 50% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 30 to 68. 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; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.01
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.10
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 315 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 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 The Abbey Primary School a good school?

It is about average. The Abbey Primary School scores 50 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 51% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 30 to 68, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is The Abbey Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Abbey Primary School good at its last full inspection on 28 March 2023.

How good are The Abbey Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 72% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does The Abbey Primary School have?

330 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 79% full.

Is The Abbey Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 95 places were empty in 2024/25 (23% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Abbey Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.6% 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 The Abbey Primary School?

The average class had 23.4 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
Winchester Road, Delapre, Northampton, NN4 8AZ
Telephone
01604 660100
Website
www.abbeyprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Headteacher Liam Cox
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
InMAT (13 schools)
Local authority
West Northamptonshire
Ward
Far Cotton, Delapre & Briar Hill
Constituency
Northampton South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 February 2019 (academy converter)
URN
144173 · LAESTAB 9412169 · UKPRN 10065502
Formerly
The Abbey Primary School

Where these figures come from