School Chooser

Upton Meadows Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy387 pupilsNorthamptonWest Northamptonshire
School Chooser Score
24
Below
similar schools
Likely range 14 to 41
Out of 100. Better than 39% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, September 2022
Reached the expected level at 1157%England 63%
Attendance93.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families31%A bit more than most schools
Places33 spare387 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher20.8School workforce census

Upton Meadows Primary School is a converter academy in Northampton for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 387 pupils and room for 420. About 31 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 24 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 39% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

The Square, Upton, Northampton, NN5 4EZ01604 683850uptonmeadowsprimary.org.ukMs Clare Searing headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 22 September 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.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1157%
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 score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 43%43%20172018: 61%61%20182019: 53%53%20192023: 51%51%20232024: 58%58%20242025: 57%57%2025
Since 2017: +14%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†West NorthamptonshireEngland
Pupils tested546059595960
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths57%58%51%53%61%43%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths4%2%5%10%7%2%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0103.0102.0103.0105.0101.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0103.0102.0103.0105.099.0104.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0102.0103.0105.0106.0102.0104.9105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard74%68%69%59%69%55%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard65%68%66%71%81%52%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)63%77%78%78%75%68%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.7-0.5+0.0-2.0
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.1-1.0+0.5-4.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged47%50%47%13%41%21%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged62%63%53%66%73%65%

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 Upton Meadows Primary School, the school this one replaced in April 2018. 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. 2 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
47%62%
Gap 15 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
63%50%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
71%57%
Gap 14 ptsEngland 4 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 places379 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
90% full

About 41 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 5% 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.

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 roll387Census January 2026
Places42092% full
Pupils from low-income families31%31% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English37%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%55 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%21 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.511 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)31%£184,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls177 / 210
White British pupils34%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (24), language and communications needs (19), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), Physical disability (4), Vision impairment (4).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll387374373396385389
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals31%33%30%30%27%26%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language37%33%35%31%29%30%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%13%16%15%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils17.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.2%6.2%6.5%6.9%4.1%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%4.3%4.5%5.6%3.3%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.0%1.8%2.0%1.4%0.8%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.3%19.0%18.9%19.3%9.4%5.8%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate17.711.54.64.20.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.6full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher20.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers91%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,236
Teachers who left in the year14%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.72024/25

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£7,005England £7,128. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£7,085England £7,587. Total £2.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,475England £3,405
Money in reserve-2%In the red: -£60k, -£158 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£30kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,005spent 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 m54412 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate113 per 1,000 people25% higher than the England average
Typical house price£300,000West Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop130 mSquare, 12 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
Millway Primary SchoolCouncil670 m343Good 202437Compare
St Luke's Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles391No overall grade 202569Compare
Pineham Barns Primary SchoolFree school0.9 miles413Report card 202697Compare
Lyncrest Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles228Good 202234Compare
Chiltern Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles133Good 202419Compare
Briar Hill Primary School & NurseryAcademy1.1 miles350Outstanding 202294Compare
Hopping Hill Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles423No overall grade 202421Compare
The Duston SchoolAcademy1.1 miles2,064Report card 202676Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Upton Meadows Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats39%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 24 is 13 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 37 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Upton Meadows 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
Kettering Park Junior AcademyAcademy15.2 miles347Good 202445Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 24 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 24% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 14 to 41. 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%below
-0.11
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 54 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.11
DfE progress measure; 54 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
+0.03
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.07
2024/25; 346 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.09
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 54 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 Upton Meadows Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Upton Meadows Primary School scores 24 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 39% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 14 to 41, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Upton Meadows Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Upton Meadows Primary School good at its last full inspection on 22 September 2022.

How good are Upton Meadows Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 57% 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 Upton Meadows Primary School have?

387 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 92% full.

Is Upton Meadows Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 41 places were empty in 2024/25 (10% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Upton Meadows Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Upton Meadows Primary School?

The average class had 27.5 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
The Square, Upton, Northampton, NN5 4EZ
Telephone
01604 683850
Website
www.uptonmeadowsprimary.org.uk
Headteacher
Ms Clare Searing
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Northampton Primary Academy Trust (13 schools)
Local authority
West Northamptonshire
Ward
Upton
Constituency
Northampton South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2018 (academy converter)
URN
145634 · LAESTAB 9413508 · UKPRN 10067245
Formerly
Upton Meadows Primary School

Where these figures come from