Malcolm Arnold Academy, Northampton

In 2026, pupils at Malcolm Arnold Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.3 in West Northamptonshire and 47 across England.

45% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in West Northamptonshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 41.4 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.04: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 30.6, against 49 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 18.4 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 166 families put Malcolm Arnold Academy as their first choice and 472 named it as one of their preferences, for 235 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Malcolm Arnold Academy are Northampton International Academy (0.7 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 38.9); Northampton School for Girls (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 59.2); Kingsthorpe College (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.5); and Northampton School for Boys (1.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 59).

Malcolm Arnold Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Malcolm Arnold Academy is one of 36 schools run by The David Ross Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.5 in 2024/25.

Of the 222 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 56% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 79 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 63% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 19% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

35.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Black (16%) and Asian (9%).

In 2026, 181 pupils (14.2%) received SEN support and 19 (1.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

Malcolm Arnold Academy has a resourced provision for hearing impairment: 15 places, 2 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Northampton Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Golf Club (opposite), 160 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 562 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Northamptonshire (90), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Malcolm Arnold Academy issued 745 suspensions, 57 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Malcolm Arnold Academy are Malcolm Arnold Preparatory School (under 0.1 miles), Kingsthorpe Grove Primary School (0.4 miles), The Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles) and Kingsley Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.