Yelvertoft Primary School

Yelvertoft Primary School

Address: School Lane, Yelvertoft, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN6 6LH Unique reference number (URN): 121877

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders place a high priority on helping pupils attend regularly and arrive on time. They build strong relationships with families and work closely with those who face barriers to attendance. Leaders identify concerns quickly and provide support that meets individual needs. As a result, attendance remains strong for many pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are known or previously known to social care. Leaders monitor attendance carefully, take timely action when concerns arise and celebrate good attendance positively. This work helps pupils attend regularly and benefit fully from school life.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils generally behave well and show positive attitudes to learning. They follow routines confidently, listen to adults and treat others with respect. Classrooms are mostly calm and purposeful, which allows pupils to focus on their learning. At playtimes and lunchtimes, pupils play cooperatively and enjoy positive relationships with their peers and staff. Staff make appropriate adjustments for some pupils. Pupils say they feel safe, and staff deal with any incidents of bullying or unkind behaviour quickly. Pupils and staff speak positively about behaviour and the school's supportive culture. As a result, pupils feel valued, included and ready to learn.

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Early years Expected standard

In the Reception Year, children learn in a caring and stimulating environment. Adults establish clear routines and build warm, positive relationships with children. As a result, children feel safe, happy and confident.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of children’s starting points and use assessment information well. They adapt the curriculum to meet children’s needs to help every child succeed. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There is a clear focus on communication and language, phonics, early reading, handwriting and writing. Children explore, investigate and learn through purposeful play.

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Early years Expected standard

Teaching is effective. Adults use secure subject knowledge, clear explanations and skilled questioning to deepen learning. They model language for children well and encourage children to use new vocabulary. Children apply their phonics, language and writing skills in meaningful activities across the provision. Adults encourage children to think independently, solve problems and persevere when tasks become challenging. As a result, children develop resilience, confidence and positive attitudes to learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Children make good progress from their starting points. They show increasing confidence in writing. Their work demonstrates growing independence and secure learning over time. Children are well prepared for their next stage.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Inclusion is a strength of the school. Leaders work closely with parents and outside agencies to identify pupils' needs early and provide the right support. Staff use assessment information, pupil views and parental feedback to help remove barriers to learning and wellbeing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school supports disadvantaged pupils effectively. Leaders use pupil premium funding to provide practical help and wider opportunities. This includes financial support for trips, visits and enrichment activities. As a result, many pupils take part fully in school life.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. They make sensible adaptations to help pupils access learning and school experiences. For example, pupils benefit from targeted phonics support, word banks, scribes and additional support during visits and performances. However, teachers do not always check carefully enough how well these adaptations improve pupils’ achievement over time. Parents value the personalised care their children receive, including tailored transition arrangements and support during challenging times.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school also provides effective support for pupils who are known, or previously known, to social care, as well as other pupils who face barriers to learning or wellbeing. Leaders work closely with external agencies. Staff respond quickly to any guidance and support they receive.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders place personal development and wellbeing at the heart of the school’s work. They want pupils to become confident, responsible and active members of society.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development curriculum supports pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Through lessons and wider experiences, pupils learn about relationships, health and wellbeing, equality, respect and safety. The school uses a range of published resources to support this work. Pupils learn how to stay safe when both online and offline. Consequently, they know the risks they may face and understand when and how to seek help from a trusted adult.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils develop an understanding of fundamental British values, including democracy, individual liberty, mutual respect and the rule of law. Many pupils explain how these values relate to their own lives and experiences. Pupils also learn about consent, equality and diversity. As a result, they develop respect for others and an appreciation of difference.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school meets the wellbeing needs of all pupils through an inclusive approach. Staff provide effective pastoral support and respond sensitively to individual needs and local circumstances. Staff offer additional help when needed, including bereavement support and guidance. This support helps pupils feel safe, valued and ready for the next stage of their education.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom. These include clubs, music tuition, sports competitions, performances, residential visits and cultural

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Needs attention

activities. Leaders actively remove barriers so that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities can take part. These experiences help pupils develop confidence, interests and talents.

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Needs attention

Leaders know individual pupils well. However, they do not evaluate participation and impact in enough detail across different groups. As a result, they cannot assure themselves fully that all pupils benefit equally from the school’s wider personal development offer over time.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils learn the knowledge set out in the school’s curriculum and many engage well with a wide range of subjects. Children in the early years make a positive start from their different starting points. They develop confidence, independence and early reading and writing skills. In reading, across classes, many pupils show secure understanding of texts and explain their ideas.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils achieve highly. However, achievement is not consistent across the school and across different subjects. Pupils’ achievement in national tests at the end of key stage 2 is below national averages in some areas, including mathematics.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils do not always build knowledge and skills securely over time. Some pupils complete tasks successfully but do not show enough independent understanding of their learning. Weaknesses in writing also affect achievement. Some pupils continue to make errors in handwriting, spelling, punctuation and sentence construction across different subjects. Leaders do not check carefully enough whether activity choices help pupils to make the strongest possible progress from their starting points. This includes the highest attaining pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have introduced a broad curriculum that covers all national curriculum subjects. Teachers help pupils learn new knowledge and often revisit previous learning to strengthen understanding. Children in the early years benefit from purposeful activities that develop language, reading and early writing skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There are examples of effective practice across the school. Some teachers use questioning, adult support and practical adaptations to help pupils access learning. Leaders also adapt provision in the early years to meet children's starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

However, teaching and curriculum delivery are not consistent across the school. Pupils do not always receive the same quality of learning experience in different classes. Teachers do not use assessment information consistently to identify gaps in learning, address misconceptions or deepen understanding. In some lessons, activities do not build knowledge and skills in a clear enough sequence. Some support strategies help pupils complete tasks but do not always develop independence or deeper thinking. Feedback does not always give pupils clear guidance about how to improve their work.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The teaching of writing needs further development. Staff do not teach handwriting, spelling, punctuation and sentence construction consistently across subjects and year groups. As a result, some pupils repeat the same errors over time.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders and governors know pupils and families well and work hard to meet individual needs. Parents, staff and pupils value the welcoming atmosphere and the positive relationships across the school. Leaders have improved areas such as inclusion, pupil wellbeing and the sequencing of the curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff speak positively about the support they receive from leaders. They appreciate the open and approachable leadership team, flexible working arrangements and consideration for workload and wellbeing. Leaders prioritise professional development and provide a range of training opportunities to help staff develop their knowledge and skills.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors meet their statutory duties and take safeguarding seriously. They complete relevant training and bring valuable expertise to their roles, including knowledge of special educational needs and/or disabilities. Governors understand the school’s main priorities and support leaders in driving improvement.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

However, leaders and governors do not evaluate the impact of improvement work precisely enough. Leaders can explain the changes they have introduced, but they do not measure consistently how these actions improve pupils’ learning and achievement. This limits their ability to identify what works best and where further improvements are needed.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors recognise that curriculum development remains a priority. However, they do not challenge leaders strongly enough about the impact of curriculum changes on pupils’ progress and achievement. As a result, governors do not have a detailed enough understanding of how effectively the curriculum supports learning across all subjects.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and caring school. They build positive relationships with adults, who know them well. Pupils say they feel safe and trust staff to listen to any worries or concerns. Pupils understand how to stay safe online and know where to go for help. Children in Reception settle quickly into routines and grow in confidence and independence.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Classrooms are calm and purposeful, and pupils focus on their learning. At breaktimes, pupils play cooperatively and show care for one another. Older pupils look out for younger children. Staff supervise pupils well and respond quickly when behaviour falls below expectations. Pupils, staff and most parents agree that the school provides a caring environment. Some parents express concerns about behaviour and bullying. However, pupils say adults listen and help them when problems arise. Attendance is positive for many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils access a broad curriculum and enjoy a range of learning experiences. They develop knowledge across subjects, including history, science and reading. In reading, many pupils discuss texts thoughtfully and explain their ideas using evidence. Children in Reception show curiosity, imagination and resilience during learning activities. Pupils with additional needs take part fully in school life because staff adapt support and remove barriers where possible.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from opportunities beyond the classroom. They take part in musical opportunities, performances, sports competitions, clubs and residential visits. These experiences help pupils develop confidence and wider interests. Pupils learn about equality, respect and British values. While many pupils remember important curriculum knowledge, some do not develop secure handwriting, spelling and punctuation skills quickly enough. This sometimes limits the quality of their written work and the depth with which they can show what they know.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that pupils are sufficiently challenged, so that more pupils reach higher standards, particularly in reading and writing. Leaders should improve the consistency of teaching across classes so that the strongest practices become typical.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Chris Bolton.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 7 July 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (final) 58% 62% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 69% 74% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 69% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 67% 72% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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gap

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.2% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.6% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.4% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 12.3% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 13.3% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 12.7% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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