Irthlingborough Junior School, Wellingborough
Irthlingborough Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Wellingborough, part of Learning for Life Education Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 21 schools in Wellingborough with published results, and 8,950th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Capacity
- 99% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Irthlingborough Junior School in detail
Irthlingborough Junior School in its own words
In its own words: "It is our mission to build deep and meaningful connections with all our pupils so that we may instill within them an eagerness to listen and learn and a readiness to face the world beyond our school."
The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care.
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils at Irthlingborough Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 73% in North Northamptonshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 86% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Irthlingborough Junior School
Across North Northamptonshire, 94% 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 North Northamptonshire lodged 62 appeals against primary school offers; 46 reached a hearing and 2 succeeded (4.3% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Irthlingborough Junior School are Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Henry Chichele Primary School (1.2 miles, Requires improvement, 85% reading, 77% maths); Higham Ferrers Nursery and Infant School (1.6 miles); and Higham Ferrers Junior School (1.6 miles).
Irthlingborough Nursery and Infant SchoolHenry Chichele Primary SchoolHigham Ferrers Nursery and Infant SchoolHigham Ferrers Junior School
The trust
Irthlingborough Junior School is one of 6 schools run by Learning for Life Education Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
101 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Irthlingborough Junior School (as of September 2025): 81% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 66% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (87%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (66%).
Who goes there
10.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (81%) and Mixed (6%).
In 2026, 90 pupils (25.2%) received SEN support and 29 (8.1%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wellingborough Rail Station, about 3 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Scarborough Street (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 55 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Northamptonshire (141).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Irthlingborough Junior School issued 32 suspensions, 8.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2020, 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
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Irthlingborough Junior School excels at creating a warm, welcoming environment where children thrive. The school combines a strong academic curriculum with excellent personal development opportunities - from seaside trips in Year 3 to team-building activities and West End theatre visits in Year 6. Your child will develop a love of learning whilst gaining confidence and life skills through a wide range of clubs and responsibilities.
Key Strengths
- Well-established reading programme that quickly identifies and supports pupils who need extra help
- Ambitious curriculum with clearly sequenced knowledge across all subjects
- Strong focus on pupils' personal development with trips, clubs and leadership opportunities
- Above-average attendance rates and effective behaviour management
- Good support for pupils with special educational needs
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers do not check understanding and identify misconceptions systematically enough, leading to gaps in learning
- Some pupils are given complex writing tasks before they have the foundational skills needed
- Writing curriculum needs further adaptation to help struggling writers catch up with their peers
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Crocheting, ballroom and Latin dancing, football, school council, digital leaders, well-being ambassadors, guided meditation (Mindfulness Monday), philosophy debates (Philosophy Friday), seaside trips, bicycle safety training, team-building activities, West End theatre trips
Irthlingborough Junior School is a friendly and caring place where pupils feel well supported and enjoy their learning. The school has maintained good standards since its previous inspection in 2020.
At a Glance
24.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
101 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 declined from 86% to 71% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 67% to 63% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.6
Avg class size
29.6
KS2
8
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 Irthlingborough Junior School
Term dates
Irthlingborough Junior School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see North Northamptonshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Irthlingborough Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Irthlingborough Junior 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
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 14 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
356 pupils
360 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Wellingborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wellingborough
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.
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
90
SEN Support
29
EHC Plans
33.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
357
Total Pupils
170
Boys
187
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
17.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,058
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,106
Per pupil
£2046k
Total funding
£123k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
10.7%
Persistent absence
366
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
Irthlingborough Junior School
Questions parents ask about Irthlingborough Junior School
What are SATs results like at Irthlingborough Junior School?
Of the pupils at Irthlingborough Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 71% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Irthlingborough Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Irthlingborough Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Irthlingborough Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Irthlingborough Junior 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 Irthlingborough Junior School?
Irthlingborough Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Irthlingborough Junior School?
Classes at Irthlingborough Junior School average 29.6 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 Irthlingborough Junior School?
Irthlingborough Junior School has around 357 pupils on roll. 24% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Irthlingborough Junior School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Irthlingborough Junior School in 2024/25. 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Irthlingborough Junior School?
Apply through North Northamptonshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Irthlingborough Junior School 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.
How many road collisions happen near Irthlingborough Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 14 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 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 Irthlingborough Junior School?
Irthlingborough Junior School is at College Street, Irthlingborough, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN9 5TX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)