Best Schools in Northampton

How many schools are there in Northampton?

Northampton has 141 open schools: 101 state primary, 19 state secondary or all-through, 2 independent, 11 special and 8 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Northampton are rated Outstanding?

20 schools in Northampton were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: On Track Education Northampton, Simon de Senlis Primary School, Kings Heath Primary Academy, Yardley Hastings Primary School, Woodland View Primary School and 15 more. Counting Good as well, 96% of the 125 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

On Track Education NorthamptonSimon de Senlis Primary SchoolKings Heath Primary AcademyYardley Hastings Primary SchoolWoodland View Primary School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Northampton get the best GCSE results?

Of the 18 schools in Northampton with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Northampton School for Girls, with an Attainment 8 score of 59.2 and 67% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Northampton School for Boys, with an Attainment 8 score of 59 and 74% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Wootton Park School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54.7 and 69% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Northampton School for GirlsNorthampton School for BoysWootton Park School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Northampton have the best SATs results?

4 of the 99 primary schools in Northampton with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths, among them Flore Church of England Primary School, Maidwell Primary School and Pitsford Primary School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Flore Church of England Primary SchoolMaidwell Primary SchoolPitsford Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Northampton?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Northampton selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Northampton have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Northampton have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Northampton?

Apply to your council - West Northamptonshire or North Northamptonshire, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.