Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites, Wellingborough
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites is a special school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Wellingborough. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites in detail
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites in its own words
In its own words: "Rowan Gate is a four site school with sites at Finedon Road in Wellingborough, Hayway in Rushden, Tennyson Road site, Highfield Road in Rushden and Church Lane in Wilby. Wilby being the latest to open in November 2024. Having four sites allows pupils to attend a school close to or within the area in which they live."
From the headteacher's welcome: "The site has been developed with an aim to offer you access to all the information you might need to find out about our school, which is a school for pupils with a range of complex learning needs. We had an ungraded Ofsted Inspection on 25/26 February 2025."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites are Friars Academy (0.9 miles, Outstanding); Creating Tomorrow College (4 miles, Outstanding); and Chelveston Road School (4.2 miles, Good).
Friars AcademyCreating Tomorrow CollegeChelveston Road School
What parents say
12 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites (as of September 2025): 92% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (75%).
Who goes there
38.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 13.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites has an education, health and care plan (309 of 309 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites provides for pupils with visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wellingborough Rail Station, about 750 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Eastfield Road (after), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 368 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. 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, Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites issued 1 suspension, 0.3 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from March 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Rowan Gate excels at understanding and supporting each child as an individual. Staff know your child incredibly well and provide precise support tailored to their specific needs. The school offers a broad range of enriching experiences - from therapeutic activities to community trips - that help your child develop confidence, communication skills, and independence while preparing them for their next steps.
Key Strengths
- Pupils are exceptionally well cared for with staff demonstrating detailed knowledge of each child's individual needs and abilities
- Ambitious, well-structured curriculum tailored to different pathways with careful progress monitoring against individual targets
- Excellent personal development opportunities including trips, community engagement, and therapeutic activities that prepare pupils well for their next steps
- Strong focus on communication and resilience-building, helping all pupils including nonverbal pupils to express themselves and manage emotions
- Consistent 'Rowan Gate way' approach across all five sites ensuring familiar and supportive experience for every pupil
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Lunchtime clubs, trips to local museums and places of worship, charitable activities, therapeutic activities
Rowan Gate Primary School is a welcoming special school across multiple sites that provides high-quality education and exceptional care for pupils with autism, severe learning needs, and speech, language and communication needs. The school has maintained the outstanding standards from its previous inspection.
At a Glance
38.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Vision, Other, Hearing +6
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
12 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)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites 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
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 15 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
2 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
133%
Over capacity
309 pupils
232 places
77 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Wellingborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Wellingborough
Across North Northamptonshire council
Places available
4,402
Applications
4,186
Got 1st preference
85.2%
Got preferred school
96.4%
All secondary applications across North Northamptonshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
309
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites provides for pupils with visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
309
Total Pupils
225
Boys
84
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
7.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,870
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.7%
Overall absence
36.4%
Persistent absence
269
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites
Questions parents ask about Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites
What are SATs results like at Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites?
Of the pupils at Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites's Ofsted rating?
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites?
No fixed boundary. When Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites is oversubscribed, North Northamptonshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites?
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites has around 309 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites have specialist SEN provision?
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites provides for pupils with visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites?
10.7% of sessions were missed at Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites in 2024/25. 36.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites?
Apply through North Northamptonshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites 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 Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 15 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 2 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 Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites?
Rowan Gate Primary School - Four Sites is at Rowan Gate Primary School, Finedon Road, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 4NS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)