Abbey CofE Academy, Daventry
Abbey CofE Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Daventry, part of The David Ross Education Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 12 schools in Daventry with published results, and 9,982nd of 14,452 across England. It was 69% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Capacity
- 69% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Abbey CofE Academy in detail
Abbey CofE Academy in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "David Ross Education Trust schools create a rich and exciting learning environment that inspires students to become their confident, academic best. Abbey CE Academy offers a high quality primary education to children aged 7-11 years with two classes in each year group. Together, anything is possible "Everything is possible for one who believes" Mark 9:23 Welcome to Abbey CE Academy."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include dance, ballet and drama.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at Abbey CofE Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 68% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in West Northamptonshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 69% in reading and 63% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Abbey CofE Academy
Across West Northamptonshire, 95% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in West Northamptonshire lodged 47 appeals against primary school offers; 32 reached a hearing and 7 succeeded (21.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Abbey CofE Academy are St James Infant School (0.4 miles, Good); Falconer's Hill Infant School (0.6 miles, Good); Falconer's Hill Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 71% reading, 68% maths); and E-ACT The Grange School (0.9 miles, 53% reading, 63% maths).
Abbey CofE Academy's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
St James Infant SchoolFalconer's Hill Infant SchoolFalconer's Hill AcademyE-ACT The Grange School
The trust
Abbey CofE Academy is one of 36 schools run by The David Ross Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
34.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (58%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 30 pupils (16.3%) received SEN support and 5 (2.7%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Long Buckby Rail Station, about 4 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Abbey School (outside), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 218 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Northamptonshire (90), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Abbey CofE Academy issued 1 suspension, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Abbey CofE Academy are DSLV E-ACT Academy (0.3 miles) and The Parker E-ACT Academy (0.6 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2015, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils describe Abbey CofE Academy as being safe, friendly and supportive. They say it is a place where they can be themselves.
Pupils benefit from positive, caring relationships with the adults at the school. Staff know the pupils well. They treat them with kindness and respect. Pupils say, 'The staff here always have time for you. Nothing is ever too much for them.'
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced. It is a curriculum for all its pupils. The school ensures that learning is adapted for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know where these pupils have gaps in their learning and how to meet their individual needs. Modified tasks, additional resources and skilful adult support help these pupils to achieve well.
The development of pupils' vocabulary is a consistent feature of all lessons. Staff define new words and model how to use them. In mathematics, for example, this enables pupils to explain themselves succinctly. However, the school's focus on communication and language is not as sharp as it could be. Staff do not always pick up on errors in pupils' spoken and written English well enough which means mistakes are sometimes repeated.
From Ofsted's June 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2015 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
31.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 69% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 63% to 68% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 69% to 62% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.3
Avg class size
26.3
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Abbey CofE Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Abbey CofE Academy.
- Legacy @ DSLV590m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Abbey CofE Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see West Northamptonshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Abbey CofE Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Abbey CofE Academy is in West Northamptonshire; for families living there:
- West Northamptonshire's school travel policy: Free school travel assistance (4-to-16 year olds)
- How to apply: Apply for free school travel assistance (4-to-16 year olds)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Northamptonshire is 7 (the median across 208 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
69%
Available places
166 pupils
240 places
74 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Daventry
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Daventry
Across West Northamptonshire council
Places available
5,708
Applications
4,335
Got 1st preference
94.6%
Got preferred school
99.5%
All primary applications across West Northamptonshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
19.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
184
Total Pupils
97
Boys
87
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
26.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£34,763
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,724
Per pupil
£1083k
Total funding
£70k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
6.2%
Persistent absence
178
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Abbey CofE Academy
Questions parents ask about Abbey CofE Academy
What are SATs results like at Abbey CofE Academy?
Of the pupils at Abbey CofE Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 68% did so in maths.
What is Abbey CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?
Abbey CofE Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Abbey CofE Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Abbey CofE Academy is oversubscribed, West Northamptonshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Abbey CofE Academy?
Abbey CofE Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 69% of its 240 places.
How big are the classes at Abbey CofE Academy?
Classes at Abbey CofE Academy average 26.3 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Abbey CofE Academy?
Abbey CofE Academy has around 184 pupils on roll. 32% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Abbey CofE Academy?
4% of sessions were missed at Abbey CofE Academy in 2024/25. 6.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Abbey CofE Academy?
Apply through West Northamptonshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Abbey CofE Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Abbey CofE Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Abbey CofE Academy: Legacy @ DSLV (590m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Abbey CofE Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Northamptonshire is 7 (the median across 208 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Abbey CofE Academy?
Abbey CofE Academy is at Vicar Lane, Daventry, Northamptonshire, NN11 4GD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)