Whitehills Primary School, Northampton
Whitehills Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Northampton. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 56th-highest of the 99 schools in Northampton with published results, and 7,842nd of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to West Northamptonshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Whitehills Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at Whitehills Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in West Northamptonshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 83% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Whitehills Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 49 families put Whitehills Primary School as their first choice and 111 named it as one of their preferences, for 54 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 Whitehills Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Whitehills Primary School are Buckton Fields Primary School (0.3 miles, Good); Sunnyside Primary Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 74% reading, 72% maths); Kingsthorpe Village Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 77% reading, 73% maths); and Boughton Primary School (1 mile, Good, 86% reading, 89% maths).
Whitehills Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Buckton Fields Primary SchoolSunnyside Primary AcademyKingsthorpe Village Primary SchoolBoughton Primary School
What parents say
105 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Whitehills Primary School (as of September 2025): 58% would recommend the school, 76% say their child is happy there and 46% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (79%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (46%).
Who goes there
11.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 46 pupils (11.1%) received SEN support and 10 (2.4%) 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 Northampton Rail Station, about 2.6 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Link Road (opp 93), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Whitehills Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 164 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. 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, Whitehills Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 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
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 April 2015, 11 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 Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Whitehills has excellent phonics teaching that gets children reading with confidence from an early age, and pupils genuinely enjoy coming to school because they feel safe and well cared for. The school provides a rich curriculum with plenty of enrichment activities including visits to local places of worship, museums and the theatre, helping children develop understanding and respect for different cultures. Most pupils behave well and teachers have high academic expectations, though the school needs to ensure these expectations are met equally for all learners.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching from Reception onwards with regular progress checks and additional support for struggling readers
- Well-planned personal, social and health education with many opportunities for cultural awareness and community involvement
- Good behaviour and high attendance rates, with pupils feeling safe and well cared for by staff
- Ambitious and refined curriculum with regular opportunities for pupils to revisit important themes and skills
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent support for pupils with SEND - staff lack clear information about how to support them effectively, and some receive unchallenging activities
- Assessment systems in some foundation subjects are not fully developed, making it difficult for teachers to check what pupils know and remember
- Lack of oversight systems to ensure quality of education for the increasing numbers of pupils with SEND
- SEND targets in EHC plans are not consistently broken down into manageable steps
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a safe environment where pupils trust staff to deal with any incidents.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, playground buddies, food bank fundraising, hospice visits, local place of worship visits, theatre outings, farm visits, museum visits, musical instrument lessons (clarinet), sporting clubs and events, residential trips (Year 4 and Year 6)
Whitehills Primary School is a community primary school in Northampton where pupils are keen to attend and behaviour is good. However, the quality of education requires improvement, particularly in provision for pupils with special educational needs.
At a Glance
11.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
105 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 83% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 85% to 80% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 81% to 70% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
29.5
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
12
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 Whitehills Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Whitehills Primary School.
- Jack in the box 2022At the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Whitehills Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by West 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: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Monday 24 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 Whitehills Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Whitehills Primary School 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
- 10
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
0 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
Your chances of a place at Whitehills Primary School
Will you get a place at Whitehills Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Whitehills Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Whitehills Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Whitehills Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from West Northamptonshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Whitehills Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in West 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
99%
Near capacity
418 pupils
420 places
2 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Northampton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Northampton
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.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
46
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
13.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
415
Total Pupils
199
Boys
216
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
21.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,746
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,294
Per pupil
£2402k
Total funding
£68k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
7.3%
Persistent absence
369
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
Whitehills Primary School
Questions parents ask about Whitehills Primary School
What are SATs results like at Whitehills Primary School?
Of the pupils at Whitehills Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 80% did so in maths.
What is Whitehills Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Whitehills Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2015, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Whitehills Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Whitehills Primary School 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 Whitehills Primary School?
Whitehills Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Whitehills Primary School?
Classes at Whitehills Primary School average 29.5 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 Whitehills Primary School?
Whitehills Primary School has around 415 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Whitehills Primary School?
5.1% of sessions were missed at Whitehills Primary School in 2024/25. 7.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Whitehills Primary School?
Apply through West Northamptonshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Whitehills Primary 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 Whitehills Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Jack in the box 2022 (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Whitehills Primary School's term dates?
Whitehills Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by West 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: Thursday 2 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 7 April 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Monday 24 April to Friday 21 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Whitehills Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 0 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 Whitehills Primary School?
Whitehills Primary School is at Acre Lane, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN2 8DF.
Sources: West Northamptonshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)