Oundle Church of England Primary School

About Oundle Church of England Primary School

Oundle Church of England Primary School sits within the North Northamptonshire local authority, a large area with 111 primary schools where only two hold an Outstanding rating from Ofsted. The school itself ranks 39th out of 90 primaries in the LA on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it in the top half of local schools. Among its closest peers in the rankings are Gretton Primary Academy, Stanion Church of England (Aided) Primary School, and Broughton Primary School, which occupy the top three spots. Oundle is a state-funded, mixed-gender Church of England primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It has 361 pupils against a capacity of 435, and 17.5 per cent of them are eligible for free school meals. The headteacher is Joanne Griffin, who leads a school that was rated Good overall in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a step down from the Outstanding it received in 2011.

Academically, Oundle performs solidly against local averages. In the 2023/24 key stage 2 tests, 63 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, just above the North Northamptonshire average of 61 per cent. The school’s ranking score of 63 on this metric places it in the top 50 per cent nationally. Individual subject scores are stronger: 73 per cent met the expected standard in reading and 75 per cent in writing, while maths saw 77 per cent at that level. Higher attainment is more modest — 8 per cent achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, with 35 per cent reaching it in reading and 23 per cent in maths. Ofsted’s breakdown from the 2023 inspection shows personal development was rated Outstanding, while quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and early years provision all received Good. The previous inspection in 2011 had awarded Outstanding across the board, so the current Good rating reflects a shift in the school’s overall effectiveness.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a sensory room, forest school area, chapel, library, gymnasium, sports hall, and playing fields. Sports on offer include cricket, football, swimming, tennis, and dance, while clubs cover drama, choir, chess, film club, and coding. SEND provision is well developed, with support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 68 applications were received for 56 places, with 54 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.21. This suggests a popular choice for local families, particularly those seeking a Church of England primary with strong pastoral care and a Good Ofsted rating. It would suit parents who value a school with a clear moral framework, good academic outcomes relative to the LA, and a wide array of extracurricular activities.

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