Queen Eleanor Primary Academy Review 2026: A Welcoming Community School Rooted in Far Cotton's Heritage

Queen Eleanor Primary Academy has served the community of Far Cotton since 1952 , making it one of Northampton's longest-established schools. Situated on the edge of the local recreation ground, just a short walk from Delapre Abbey , the school occupies a distinctive location that anchors it within a historic neighbourhood and provides natural access to the region's cultural landmarks. The latest Ofsted inspection took place in March 2023, with the report confirming that the school continues to be rated Good.

At Queen Eleanor Academy, the mission is to nurture curious, resilient, and compassionate learners rooted in equity, ambition, and opportunity, with a curriculum designed to help every child find their voice and thrive both in and beyond school life . As a state primary academy for ages 3–11 with nursery provision, the school serves approximately 220 pupils, including 73% from ethnic minority backgrounds, a reflection of the diverse Far Cotton community it serves. The school ranks in the national-typical within England (FindMySchool data).

Queen Eleanor is a welcoming and ambitious school serving the thriving community of Far Cotton and beyond, where diversity is valued and high aspirations are set for all pupils.

The school converted to an academy in September 2013, sponsored by Creative Education Trust.

Mr Magnus Wallace has been headteacher since December 2023 , bringing fresh momentum to the leadership. Under his stewardship and that of the Creative Education Trust, the school emphasises creativity across all aspects of learning and pastoral care. The school's ethos is built on equity (ensuring that disadvantage or background never limits a child's potential) and genuine ambition to prepare pupils for secondary education and beyond.

Pupils behave well, are considerate towards adults and each other, and work happily and cooperatively together.

Pupils are happy at this inclusive school, saying that everyone is welcome and quickly becomes part of the school family, and they respect their caring teachers, who frequently go above and beyond to help them.

Pupils in key stage 2 relish different responsibilities, such as being anti-bullying ambassadors, and aim to be 'ready, respectful and safe', behave well, and are proud to receive awards for demonstrating the school's values . The school's location near Delapre Abbey and the recreation ground lends itself to an outward-facing, community-connected ethos.

Key Stage 2 Results

The latest Ofsted inspection confirmed the school as Good, with inspectors noting "Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils to achieve and be equipped for their future" . At Key Stage 2, the school's attainment reflects solid, above-average progress in some areas alongside typical national performance in others. 68% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared to the England average of 62%, a solid 6%age point margin above national typical (FindMySchool data). In mathematics alone, 72% met the expected standard; in GPS (grammar, punctuation and spelling), 72%; and in science, also 72%. The average scaled score in reading was 104, in mathematics 104, and in GPS 105, all at or slightly above the benchmark of 100 that indicates the expected standard.

At higher levels, 25% of pupils achieved the higher standard across reading, writing and mathematics combined, demonstrating that the school has genuine strength in supporting some pupils towards greater depth. Pupils' progress in reading is not as rapid as it is in writing and mathematics , a focus area identified by Ofsted. This honest acknowledgement, coupled with active intervention strategies, reflects the school's commitment to continuous improvement. These figures rank the school at position 8,970 in England (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the national-typical, a fair reflection of a school that serves a disadvantaged, ethnically diverse catchment and achieves results broadly in line with, and in some cases above, schools in similar contexts.

Teachers plan interesting learning activities matched to pupils' needs, using skilled questioning to check understanding, pupils benefit from a broad and interesting curriculum, and standards are rising across the school.

Phonics and early reading are taught using the Read Write Inc. scheme to build reading fluency.

Staff work well together, feel valued, and are well supported; teaching assistants provide high-quality support for pupils and play an important role in accelerating progress; and the headteacher checks the quality of teaching and learning meticulously, leading to improvements.

Pupils with special educational needs have their needs catered for through additional resources such as concrete materials, visual prompts, models and scaffolding; the academy's Special Educational Needs Co-Ordinator is Mrs Sarah McMahon; support staff lead interventions for pupils needing additional support including those with SEND, with staff trained to deliver such interventions effectively; and resources such as writing slopes, wobble cushions, wedges and pencil grips are available to support pupils with physical and sensory needs.

The vast majority of pupils provided with support to catch up achieve their best, and most pupils with SEND make good progress, though procedures to measure which actions best help them catch up are not yet thorough enough.

Queen Eleanor's enrichment and personal development offer stands as one of the school's defining strengths, reflecting the Creative Education Trust's emphasis on creativity and cultural capital. The school operates far beyond the traditional academic curriculum, viewing the whole child and their opportunities for discovery as central to its mission.

Sports, Clubs & Activities

The school offers a range of clubs including GLK football academy (Mondays 3:15–4:30pm), Hotshots basketball (Mondays 4:45–5:45pm), Style Stars dance club (Tuesdays 3:15–4:30pm), Royal & Derngate drama club (Thursdays 3:15–4:30pm), and GLK gymnastics club (Fridays 8:00–8:55am) . These named, timetabled offerings provide structure and accessibility for families. A wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs are supported by staff and external partners, and after-school sport provision is delivered through a partnership with Premier Sports; the school also operates an innovative 'Golden Time' programme every Friday afternoon for creative, leadership and sporting exploration.

The school operates a Breakfast Club (children arriving from 7:45am) and After School Club (childcare provision until 5:45pm).

Enrichment, Cultural Capital & Outdoor Learning

Through its Personal Development Framework, the school develops learners who are confident, creative, reflective, and socially responsible by building character and emotional growth (empathy, self-awareness, self-regulation), oracy and communication (empowering pupils to articulate ideas clearly and listen actively), leadership and agency (giving students the tools to shape their own school experience), cultural capital and enrichment (broadening students' horizons through events, trips, and experiences), and careers ambition (helping students connect learning to real-world opportunities and future goals).

Pupils participate in young enterprise, poetry competitions, music recording sessions, museum visits, and residential trips.

The school delivers outdoor learning through its Forest School curriculum, which helps pupils build resilience, collaboration, independence, and wellbeing in natural settings.

Each term, the school hosts Drop Down Days, providing immersive experiences that connect curriculum themes with real-world learning and strengthen links with the wider community . Pupils benefit from visits to museums and local landmarks and enjoy experiences that challenge them personally, such as zip-wiring.

Leadership & Student Voice

The school empowers students to take on meaningful responsibilities such as Junior Sports Leaders (leading games and sporting activities), Peer Mentors (supporting the wellbeing of others through guidance and care), House Captains (strengthening teamwork, leadership and school identity), and Student Council (pupil representatives shaping school improvement) . This leadership structure places pupil agency at the heart of school improvement and community cohesion.

Community & Cultural Celebration

The school's location adjacent to Delapre Abbey, combined with its diverse pupil population, has enabled it to develop rich cultural programming. The school holds a wide-ranging and purposeful assembly programme including themed assemblies focused on values, current affairs, and global issues, music assemblies that celebrate culture, performance, and creativity, and celebration assemblies recognising achievement, effort, and community contribution . Recent initiatives have included Culture Week, in which families, staff, and pupils celebrated heritage and identity through storytelling, dance, art, and shared meals from different cultures, culminating in a cultural cookbook created with families and a partner school in India.

As a primary school, Queen Eleanor feeds students into secondary settings across North and West Northampton. The school's comprehensive approach to personal development and academic progress aims to ensure pupils are well-equipped for the transition to secondary education. The school emphasises oracy, independence, and leadership, qualities identified in research as essential for secondary success. Strong relationships with local secondary schools, including those within the Creative Education Trust family, support continuity and transition planning.

Queen Eleanor is heavily oversubscribed. In the most recent admissions cycle, the school received 69 applications for 23 reception-year places, a ratio of 3:1. All 23 offers went to first-choice applicants, indicating that distance, not sibling or looked-after child status, determined admission. The school operates a fair admissions process following West Northamptonshire's oversubscription criteria: children with an EHC plan (where the school is named), looked-after children, siblings already at the school, and then distance from home address. Once the school is full within distance criterion, priority is given to those living furthest from the nearest alternative school.

The popularity reflects the school's Good Ofsted rating, strong community reputation, and location in the Far Cotton area, which has limited alternative primary provision. Families should be aware that entry is competitive and that living within the catchment area does not guarantee a place. The school is non-selective and admits on the basis of residence and other statutory criteria; no entrance exam or interview takes place. West Northamptonshire Council administers admissions centrally.

State School, No Tuition Fees

This is a state-funded school, so there are no tuition fees. However, parents should budget for other associated costs: uniform, school meals (or packed lunch), school trips (including residential experiences), music lessons (if taken as an option), and voluntary contributions toward classroom activities and resources. The school's Breakfast Club and After School Club incur separate charges but are available for working families needing flexible childcare.

Nursery & Early Years

The Queen Eleanor Primary Academy provides a stimulating and enriching nursery setting for children starting from their third birthday; parents should contact the academy directly to enquire about a place in the nursery . The nursery, open to all families regardless of whether they have a sibling at the school, operates as part of the main academy and supports continuity of care and learning.

Staffing & Pupil-Teacher Ratio

The school has 10.96 full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers, 9.05 FTE teaching assistants, and 12.75 non-teaching staff, with a pupil-to-teacher ratio of approximately 20:1 . Teaching assistants play a vital role, particularly in small-group interventions and support for pupils with special educational needs.

The progressive Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum enables pupils to develop essential skills in speaking, listening, reading, writing, maths and knowledge of the world through a combination of expert teaching and challenging practical activities; planned structured play activities help them develop their knowledge and understanding of the world about them; and a combination of creative and physical activities stimulates their desire to learn.

All activities are monitored to ensure SEND and pupil premium students are fully included, with barriers removed through targeted support . The school recognises that 23% of pupils are eligible for free school meals (a figure slightly above the England average) and operates targeted support programmes to ensure disadvantage does not translate into lower achievement. Pupil wellbeing is threaded throughout school life, with peer mentors, a structured PSHE curriculum, and a caring approach to behaviour management.

Oversubscription and catchment sensitivity: This is a popular school in high demand. If your home address is not within the very tight catchment area, entry is unlikely. Families moving to Northampton or those in fringe postcodes should investigate distance from Queen Eleanor carefully before assuming entry is possible.

Reading progress: Ofsted identified that reading progress, whilst still above national averages in some areas, is not as rapid as in writing and mathematics. If your child is a reluctant or struggling reader, it is worth discussing reading support strategies with the school during open days or visits.

Diverse, multilingual cohort: The school serves a community in which 56% of pupils speak English as an additional language, and 74% are from ethnic minority backgrounds. This diversity is a genuine strength (it builds cultural capital and promotes belonging) but if your child has English language needs, the school is well-equipped to support them with specialist interventions.

Curriculum breadth: Whilst Ofsted noted that the curriculum is broad and interesting, it also observed that leaders do not yet check pupils' progress thoroughly enough in subjects other than English and mathematics. The school is aware of this and is strengthening assessment across the full curriculum.

Queen Eleanor Primary Academy is a good, inclusive community school with genuine strengths in pastoral care, enrichment, and cultural diversity. It continues to be rated Good by Ofsted following its March 2023 inspection . The school's academic results are solid (above England average in combined reading, writing and mathematics, and particularly strong in higher-standard achievement (25%)) and its approach to teaching is improving year on year. The leadership under Mr Wallace is ambitious and committed to continuous development, and the Creative Education Trust's emphasis on creativity and character development permeates the school's ethos.

What truly sets Queen Eleanor apart is its whole-child focus: the named clubs (GLK football, Hotshots basketball, Style Stars dance, Royal & Derngate drama, GLK gymnastics), the innovative Golden Time enrichment programme, the Forest School outdoor learning, the culture-celebrating assemblies, and the meaningful student leadership roles all ensure that every child leaves primary education with more than test-score fluency. The school's location in Far Cotton, its heritage as a community anchor since 1952, and its deep commitment to serving a diverse, multilingual, economically mixed neighbourhood make it far more than a conveniently situated option, it is woven into the fabric of its community.

However, admission is highly competitive, and families should not assume entry unless they live within the tight catchment. For those fortunate enough to gain a place, Queen Eleanor offers a warm, ambitious, creative education grounded in real diversity and opportunity, the kind of school where a child can thrive academically and discover their voice as a future leader.