Wilbarston Church of England Primary School

About Wilbarston Church of England Primary School

Wilbarston Church of England Primary School is a small village school that clearly inspires strong local loyalty. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 18 applications for just 10 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.8, meaning nearly twice as many families wanted a place as were available. Eight of those applications were first-preference choices, and the school made eight first-preference offers, suggesting that for those who put it top of their list, the chances were good. Parent satisfaction data isn't published here, but the demand alone tells a story: this is a school that local families actively seek out. With just 56 pupils on roll against a capacity of 140, the school is running well below its potential size, which makes the oversubscription even more notable — it suggests a tight-knit, community-focused environment rather than a school struggling to fill places.

Academically, the picture is mixed and worth examining closely. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 25% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — well below the North Northamptonshire local authority average of 61%. That places the school 89th out of 90 primary schools in the LA, and in the bottom 50 nationally by this measure. However, individual subject scores tell a more nuanced story. Reading was a real strength: 88% of pupils met the expected standard, with 38% reaching the higher standard, and the average reading score was 110. Maths was weaker, with 75% at expected and an average score of 105. Writing was the biggest challenge, with only 25% reaching the expected standard and 13% at the higher level. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024, the school was rated Good overall, with an Outstanding rating for early years provision — a significant improvement from the previous Good inspection in 2015, where early years was only graded as Requires Improvement.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a library, playing fields, gymnasium, ICT suite, sports hall and chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, football, dance, cricket and swimming, and there are clubs including art, gardening, choir, drama, science and book club. The school has identified SEND support for moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs — useful for families whose children may need that extra layer of support. With a Church of England character and a headteacher in Maria Hawkes, Wilbarston feels like a classic village primary where relationships are close and the community rallies around. It will particularly suit families who value a small, faith-based setting and are comfortable with the academic trade-offs, especially around writing outcomes, and who are prepared to be proactive about securing a place given the oversubscription.

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