Meadowside Primary School, Kettering

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Meadowside Primary School on 7 areas: 7 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Needs attention. "As a result of the inconsistent quality of teaching, pupils do not achieve as well as they could."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Although overall attendance is close to the national average, the attendance of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities has declined."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teachers do not teach the curriculum consistently well."

Early years - Needs attention. "In Reception, teaching is not consistently effective in preparing children fully for Year 1."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders and staff do not have a thorough understanding of the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "In June 2024, leaders formalised the Green Shoots Partnership as a federation of 2 schools."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders have ambitious ideas for the personal development programme."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Governors should establish clarity over the roles and responsibilities of leaders at all levels. Furthermore, governors should ensure they receive sufficient information to understand the school's strengths and weaknesses with greater precision in order to hold leaders accountable for the quality of their work"; "Leaders should ensure staff have a thorough understanding of the needs and most effective methods to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently choose and deploy effective learning activities that meet the needs of all pupils to improve pupils' achievement across the curriculum"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers teach the foundational knowledge of writing and mathematics well enough so that pupils learn what they should"; "Leaders should ensure that staff routinely check what pupils, including children in the early years, know and can do and provide any necessary support when concerns arise"; "Leaders should check with greater precision the quality of the teaching of the curriculum to establish the impact of staff training, including training related to provision for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. When necessary, leaders should ensure teachers make any necessary alterations"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers teach pupils, including children in the early years, the learning behaviours they need to learn without distractions. Leaders should also ensure teachers follow leaders' behaviour policy consistently"; "Leaders should put in place the necessary measures so that pupils with SEND attend school regularly and that all pupils arrive at school on time".

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Meadowside Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 65% 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 68% in reading and 65% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 53 families put Meadowside Primary School as their first choice and 92 named it as one of their preferences, for 53 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Meadowside Primary School are St. Marys CofE Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 56% reading, 66% maths); Isham Church of England Primary School (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 43% reading, 50% maths); Barton Seagrave Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 80% reading, 80% maths); and Hayfield Cross CofE School (1.5 miles, Good, 75% reading, 67% maths).

Meadowside Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

15.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 41 pupils (9.4%) received SEN support and 11 (2.5%) 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 autism.

Meadowside Primary School had 17 teachers in 2026, one for every 24 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Kettering Rail Station, about 2.9 miles away in a straight line.

19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Infants School (outside), 40 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 65 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in North Northamptonshire (141).

In 2024/25, Meadowside Primary School issued 20 suspensions, 4.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.