Northamptonshire is home to a wide range of Secondary Schools and Academies located across the county, many of which are performing well above the national average*
*The Attainment 8 score is the national platform used to mark how pupils at secondary schools have performed across 8 subjects. The national average Attainment 8 score is 48.5.
With a strong mix of academies, same sex, independent, state, faith and grammar schools, Northamptonshire caters for all parents and aspiring students’ needs when choosing secondary school education.
Did you know…
Carry on reading to find out more information about some of the Schools and Academies that exist across Northamptonshire...
Northampton High School is an independent day school for girls located in Hardingstone, approximately 1 mile south of Northampton.
Northampton High School prides itself in providing outstanding facilities for art, drama, music, science and technology, as well as a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports. The school is officially the best performing school in the county with a 2016 attainment 8 score of 68.6 (well above the 48.5 national average) and with 94% of students achieving a grade C and above in English and Maths GCSE’s.
Notable alumnae of Northampton High School include both Commonwealth Games and World Athletic Championships gold medallists but perhaps most impressively Baroness Manningham-Buller - the former General Director of MI5!
Click here to learn more about Northampton High School.
Quinton House School is a mixed, independent school for children aged 2 to 18 years located in Upton, Northampton. (From September 2018 we will change to be a school for 3-16 years).
Quinton House School is another Northamptonshire school whose students perform well above the national average achieving a 2016 attainment 8 score of 60.1 and boasting in 2017 that the new top grade 9 for Maths was awarded to more than twice the national average.
Quinton House School prides itself in building a child’s foundations for an adult life of confidence, curiosity and opportunity.
Click here to find out more about what Quinton House School has to offer…
Bishop Stopford School in Kettering is the highest performing academy school in Northampton achieving a high 2016 ‘attainment 8’ score of 59.3 and had 86% of its pupils achieve a Grade 4 (equivalent to a Grade C) and above in English and Maths at GCSE level in 2017.
Bishop Stopford School prides itself on having a strong commitment to help each and every one of their students develop to their full potential.
Click here to find out more about Bishop Stopford School.
Northampton School for Boys is an 11-18 state funded single sex boys’ school where girls are admitted to the Sixth Form.
The School boasts a high 2016 ‘attainment 8’ score of 59.2 and had 89% of its students gain an A*-C equivalent (new grade 4 and above) in both English and Maths GCSEs with the Maths grade 4 and above at 95%.
Not content with such high academic standards the school was crowned the number one state school in England for sport in 2015. The school operates 78 different sports clubs, meaning there is a sport for every student no matter what interest or ability. The school regularly reaches national finals in a variety of sports and several pupils have gone on to represent England in Rugby Union such as Steve Thompson and Courtney Lawes.
Notable alumni away from the sports field include the 11th Doctor Who and talented actor Matt Smith!
Click here to access Northampton School for Boy’s website.
Sponne School is a mixed gender Secondary School and Sixth Form College in Towcester and is the oldest secondary school in Northamptonshire, and one of the oldest in the country!
A specialist Science and Music Academy, Sponne School prides itself on providing a vibrant learning environment where all students are encouraged to actively engage in everything they offer, which includes many extra-curricular activities.
Academically, Sponne School consistently performs well and, results wise, is often within the top 10% of schools in the country.
Notable alumni of the school include the England cricketer Graeme Swann, the Great Britain cyclist Hannah Barnes and International orchestral and opera conductor, Martyn Brabbins.
Click here to find out more about Sponne School.
Brooke Weston Academy is an Academy located in Corby which schools pupils from ages 11 to 18.
Brooke Weston Academy is another school in Northamptonshire that has consistently placed very highly in GCSE league tables and has an above average value added score at Key Stage 4. In its Mission Statement, the schools states how it is proud to provide its students with the skills, knowledge, attitudes and resilience necessary to succeed as individuals and as responsible and valued members of society.
The annual Track and Field Sports day held at Corby Triangle (near Rockingham) is a popular highlight of the year which includes an inter-tutor Tug of War competition.
Click here to learn more about Brooke Weston Academy.
Magdalen College School is a mixed Academy located in Brackley which schools pupils from ages 11 to 18.
The school is one of three "ancient" Magdalen College Schools, the others being its sister colleges in Oxford and Wainfleet, Lincolnshire (now known as Skegness Grammar School).
As well as producing academically good results, as demonstrated by 74% of their students gaining grades A*- C in 2016, Magdalen College School provides an all-round education to its pupils running a range of enrichment activities, extra-curricular trips and foreign visits which give opportunities for students to develop personally as well as academically. Notable alumnae include an Olympic 100m sprinter (Meyrick Chapman), an Evolutionary Psychologist (Robin Dunbar) and a British Diplomat (Sir John Coles).
Click here to access Magdalen College School’s website.
Sir Christopher Hatton School is a co-educational secondary school with academy status located in Wellingborough.
Officially awarded the “Outstanding” rating by Ofsted in January 2015, Sir Christopher Hatton Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 53.08 in 2016 which is well above the national average of 48.5.
As a high performing Academy, Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is at the leading edge of Government policy, achieving approval from the Department for Education (DfE) to be a Sponsor of other Academies, who require strategic support to develop the best possible education for the young people of Wellingborough.
Thomas Christopher John Pursglove is a British Conservative Party politician and former student of Sir Christopher Hatton School who, until 9 June 2017, was the youngest Conservative MP.
Click here for more information about the Sir Christopher Hatton Academy in Wellingborough.