Best Schools in Northamptonshire

How many schools are there in Northamptonshire?

Northamptonshire has 313 open schools: 230 state primary, 46 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent, 21 special and 12 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Northamptonshire are rated Outstanding?

37 schools in Northamptonshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Creating Tomorrow College, On Track Education Northampton, Wren Spinney School, Simon de Senlis Primary School, Kings Heath Primary Academy and 32 more. Counting Good as well, 95% of the 279 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.

Creating Tomorrow CollegeOn Track Education NorthamptonWren Spinney SchoolSimon de Senlis Primary SchoolKings Heath Primary Academy

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Northamptonshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 44 schools in Northamptonshire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Bishop Stopford School, with an Attainment 8 score of 62.9 and 73% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Northampton School for Girls, with an Attainment 8 score of 59.2 and 67% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Northampton School for Boys, with an Attainment 8 score of 59 and 74% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Bishop Stopford SchoolNorthampton School for GirlsNorthampton School for Boys

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Northamptonshire have the best SATs results?

5 of the 205 primary schools in Northamptonshire 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, Helmdon Primary School and Maidwell 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 SchoolHelmdon Primary SchoolMaidwell Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Northamptonshire?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Northamptonshire?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. North Northamptonshire published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Brambleside Primary School, 0.952 miles for 2026 entry; Brigstock Latham's Church of England Primary School, 4.862 miles for 2026 entry; Corby Business Academy, 4.115 miles for 2026 entry; Corby Old Village Primary School, 0.723 miles for 2026 entry; Denfield Park Primary School, 0.436 miles for 2026 entry. We hold figures for 21 schools in Northamptonshire; each school's page has its own history. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Brambleside Primary SchoolBrigstock Latham's Church of England Primary SchoolCorby Business AcademyCorby Old Village Primary SchoolDenfield Park Primary School

Source: North Northamptonshire admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Northamptonshire?

Apply to your council - West Northamptonshire, North Northamptonshire or Bedford, 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.