Castle Academy, Northampton
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
Castle Academy excels at creating a calm, respectful learning environment where pupils are enthusiastic and focused on their work. The school places strong emphasis on pupils' wellbeing and wider development, with excellent attendance rates and virtually no bullying. Parents will appreciate the extensive personal development programme that teaches children about British values, diversity, safety and responsible citizenship.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional attendance rates - consistently lower than the national average, especially for pupils with persistent absence
- Calm, respectful behaviour throughout the school with excellent self-control and virtually no bullying
- Outstanding personal development programme helping pupils understand British values, democracy and diversity
- Strong mathematics achievement with improvements in curriculum and teaching
- Warm, nurturing early years provision with rapid progress in phonics
Areas for Improvement
- Reading progress needs further strengthening beyond phonics foundations
- Some adaptations to curriculum and teaching for pupils with barriers to learning lack precision
- Staff do not consistently provide high-quality interactions to extend children's learning in early years
- Monitoring of support strategies for disadvantaged pupils lacks rigour to identify when approaches are not working
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits and visitors, musical activities, drama, sports events, activity clubs, pupil parliament, eco-committee, anti-bullying ambassadors
Castle Academy is a well-led school serving a diverse community in Northampton. Despite significant challenges in its context, the school achieves in line with national averages and provides strong support for pupil wellbeing and personal development.
At a Glance
20.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, SLCN - Speech, language and Communication
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 78%. Maths has improved from 78% to 93%. Writing has improved from 76% to 81%.
Class Sizes
26.8
Avg class size
25.4
Infant (KS1)
28.3
KS2
13
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
108%
Over capacity
455 pupils
420 capacity
35 places over capacity
Area Demand Pressure - Northampton
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Northampton
Admissions Demand - West Northamptonshire
Places available
5,771
Applications
4,413
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
99.0%
Primary admissions across West Northamptonshire (2025/26)
Inspection History(3)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.51696%
Overall absence
10.02571%
Persistent absence
389
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Reviews
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Castle Academy
New Horizons Academy
Northampton International Academy
Hampton Bridge School
Bosworth Independent School
The CE Academy
Malcolm Arnold Academy
Northgate School Academy Trust
Cambian Northampton School
Hospital and Outreach Education
Northampton School for Boys
Nearby Schools
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