South End Infant School

About South End Infant School

South End Infant School serves children from age 4 to 7, and while it doesn't publish Key Stage 2 results (its pupils leave before that assessment), the local authority average for primary schools sits at 61. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall, with every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — all marked Good. That's a solid, consistent picture, though it's worth noting the school's previous inspection in 2009 gave it an Outstanding rating across the board. The shift from Outstanding to Good isn't unusual nationally, but it does mean South End Infant School is now performing in line with the majority of schools in North Northamptonshire, where only two out of 111 primary schools currently hold an Outstanding grade.

Academically, the school's focus is on the early years and Key Stage 1, so there are no published SATs or Progress 8 scores to compare against the LA average. What the Ofsted report does tell us is that the quality of education is Good, and the early years provision — a critical phase for this age group — is also Good. The school has 231 pupils against a capacity of 270, so it's not at full stretch, but it is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 124 applications for 53 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.34. All 50 first-preference applicants were offered places, which suggests that for families who put it first, the school is accessible, but competition is real. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 18.2%, slightly above the national average, indicating a mixed catchment.

Facilities include a library, art studios, playing fields, a gymnasium, a sensory room, and even a chapel — unusual for a school with no religious character. Sports on offer range from athletics and gymnastics to netball and rounders, and clubs include Book Club, Choir, Eco Club and Film Club. The school has identified SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, and speech language and communication needs. For families seeking a well-resourced infant school with strong demand and a clear Good rating, South End Infant School is a practical choice, especially for those living close enough to secure a first-preference place.

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