Five Northamptonshire schools “among the very best nationally”
Five primary schools in Northamptonshire have recently been recognised by the Department for Education for demonstrating strong attainment for disadvantaged pupils.
Abbey CofE Academy, Briar Hill Primary School, Eastfield Academy, Greenfields Primary School and Malcolm Arnold Preparatory Academy, all part of the David Ross Education Trust (DRET), were all named in a letter from the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, to DRET.
The letter states that the primary schools’ performance place them “among the very best nationally, and this is a significant achievement” with “excellent outcomes” secured for disadvantaged pupils.
Children’s performance at state primary schools are measured by Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) taken in Year 6. DRET saw its strongest SATs results last academic year, with all schools performing above national averages.
Tracey Hudson, Principal at Malcolm Arnold Preparatory School said: “Malcolm Arnold Prep School is proud that our strong pupil premium progress reflects our work as part of the David Ross Education Trust. This success is underpinned by consistently strong relationships between staff, pupils, and parents, built on trust, high expectations, and shared responsibility. We remain relentlessly focused on ensuring every child succeeds, with a clear drive to reduce the attainment gap. This outcome reinforces our commitment to equity, ambition, and inclusive excellence for all our learners.”
Deborah Godfrey, Principal at Abbey Church of England Academy said: “'Our ambition is for every child to be the best they can be. The Abbey is an environment where high expectations, care and opportunity go hand in hand, enabling all children to flourish both academically and personally. By working closely with our families, staff and wider community, we show our children that when we work together, anything is possible,”
Claire Tyrell-Smith, Principal at Greenfields Primary School and Nursery said: “At Greenfields Primary School and Nursery, achieving strong results year after year is about more than SATs scores: it is about opening paths to social mobility, giving children from every background the firm foundations they need to thrive, progress and break the cycle of disadvantage.”
Simon Rose, CEO at DRET, said: “All our primaries are ambitious for every child and it is fantastic that these schools have been recognised by the Department for Education for supporting disadvantaged pupils to achieve strong outcomes at primary school, which will set them up for success at secondary school and beyond.
“Well done to all our staff, pupils and their families for their continued dedication and thank you for working together with us to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed and thrive.”