Alfred Lord Tennyson School, Rushden
Alfred Lord Tennyson School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Rushden. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 6 schools in Rushden with published results, and 11,173rd of 14,452 across England. It was 70% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to North Northamptonshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Alfred Lord Tennyson School in detail
Alfred Lord Tennyson School in its own words
Coming up: an admissions event on Monday 25 January 2027 and an admissions event on Thursday 25 February 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in North Northamptonshire
Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils at Alfred Lord Tennyson School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 73% in North Northamptonshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 58% in reading and 54% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Alfred Lord Tennyson School
For September 2026 entry, 15 families put Alfred Lord Tennyson School as their first choice and 36 named it as one of their preferences, for 17 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Alfred Lord Tennyson School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Alfred Lord Tennyson School are Denfield Park Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 72% reading, 63% maths); Newton Road School (0.4 miles, Requires improvement, 43% reading, 63% maths); South End Infant School (0.6 miles, Good); and Whitefriars Primary School (0.6 miles).
Alfred Lord Tennyson School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
Denfield Park Primary SchoolNewton Road SchoolSouth End Infant SchoolWhitefriars Primary School
What parents say
31 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Alfred Lord Tennyson School (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 69% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (69%).
Who goes there
42.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (47%), Asian (20%) and Black (10%).
In 2026, 32 pupils (21.8%) received SEN support and 9 (6.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Alfred Lord Tennyson School.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alfred Street Junior School (after), 10 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 273 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 North Northamptonshire (141), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Alfred Lord Tennyson School issued 7 suspensions, 4.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Alfred Lord Tennyson School are Rushden Academy (0.6 miles) and The Ferrers School (1 mile).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from December 2019, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The school's 'RESPECT' values run consistently through this newly amalgamated school. Across both sites, pupils are expected to show resilience, empathy, self-awareness, passion, excellence, communication and teamwork. Pupils do their utmost to do this, both in classrooms and around the school.
Pupils are well looked after. They are kept safe. The well-tailored support that adults provide enables pupils to behave well and work hard. Pupils know how the 'calm zones', 'pit stops' and 'regulation stations' help them to control their emotions. They recognise that things do not always go smoothly. As one pupil said: 'Everyone can have a bad day, but it's important that you deal with it.' The 'discovery base' provides expert support for those pupils who, occasionally, might find social times tricky.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Much progress has been made since the two predecessor schools amalgamated in September 2023. The school is now one, cohesive community. There have been many significant improvements. These include improvements: to the curriculum; teaching; behaviour; phonics; the provision for pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND); and the rate of suspensions, to mention but a few. The school is on an upward trajectory. It is driven by a clear vision and, at all levels, ambitious and determined leadership. The school has good capacity for continued improvement.
Pupils who are at the early stages of learning to read do well. The school's phonics programme is systematic and well organised. Staff training, along with continued support and challenge, has resulted in the programme being taught consistently well. Pupils remember the sounds that they have learned and use these to decode new and increasingly complex words. Any pupils who begin to fall behind are quickly identified and helped to keep up.
From Ofsted's October 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 Requires Improvement at its December 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
29.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
31 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 58% to 65% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 54% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 65% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
21.0
Avg class size
21.0
Infant (KS1)
21.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Alfred Lord Tennyson School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Alfred Lord Tennyson School.
- Pacesetter Sports & Wellbeing Ltd580m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Alfred Lord Tennyson School is a community school, so its term dates are set by North Northamptonshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Alfred Lord Tennyson School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Alfred Lord Tennyson School is in North Northamptonshire; for families living there:
- North Northamptonshire's school travel policy: Home to school transport policies and codes of conduct
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 39
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 9
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 34 slight.
9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 North Northamptonshire is 9 (the median across 154 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
Your chances of a place at Alfred Lord Tennyson School
Will you get a place at Alfred Lord Tennyson School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Alfred Lord Tennyson School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Alfred Lord Tennyson School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Alfred Lord Tennyson School.
- North Northamptonshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Alfred Lord Tennyson School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Alfred Lord Tennyson School for 2024 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in North Northamptonshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
70%
Available places
148 pupils
210 places
62 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Rushden
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Rushden
Across North Northamptonshire council
Places available
4,565
Applications
3,751
Got 1st preference
93.9%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across North Northamptonshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(12)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
32
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
27.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
147
Total Pupils
77
Boys
70
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
16.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,590
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,315
Per pupil
£984k
Total funding
£59k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.3%
Overall absence
15.7%
Persistent absence
140
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
Alfred Lord Tennyson School
Questions parents ask about Alfred Lord Tennyson School
What are SATs results like at Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
Of the pupils at Alfred Lord Tennyson School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% reached the expected standard in reading and 70% did so in maths.
What is Alfred Lord Tennyson School's Ofsted rating?
Alfred Lord Tennyson School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2019, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
No fixed boundary. When Alfred Lord Tennyson School is oversubscribed, North Northamptonshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
Alfred Lord Tennyson School was not full in 2025: it ran at 70% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
Classes at Alfred Lord Tennyson School average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
Alfred Lord Tennyson School has around 147 pupils on roll. 29% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
5.3% of sessions were missed at Alfred Lord Tennyson School in 2024/25. 15.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
Apply through North Northamptonshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Alfred Lord Tennyson School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Alfred Lord Tennyson School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Alfred Lord Tennyson School: Pacesetter Sports & Wellbeing Ltd (580m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Alfred Lord Tennyson School's term dates?
Alfred Lord Tennyson School is a community school, so its term dates are set by North Northamptonshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Wednesday 21 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 39 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 34 slight. 9 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 North Northamptonshire is 9 (the median across 154 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Alfred Lord Tennyson School?
Alfred Lord Tennyson School is at Alfred Street, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 9YS.
Sources: North Northamptonshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)