Northgate School Academy Trust, Northampton
Northgate School Academy Trust is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Northampton. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2013)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Northgate School Academy Trust in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Northgate School Academy Trust are Cambian Northampton School (0.1 miles, Good); Hampton Bridge School (0.6 miles); Fairfields School (0.6 miles, Outstanding); and Purple Oaks Academy (0.8 miles, Good).
Cambian Northampton SchoolHampton Bridge SchoolFairfields SchoolPurple Oaks Academy
What parents say
47 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Northgate School Academy Trust (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (70%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 36 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 33% to a further education college.
Who goes there
39.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 12.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (73%) and Mixed (10%).
Almost every pupil at Northgate School Academy Trust has an education, health and care plan (287 of 289 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
Northgate School Academy Trust has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 200 places, 290 pupils on roll.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Northampton Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Aldi (adjacent), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 462 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in West Northamptonshire (90), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Northgate School Academy Trust issued 17 suspensions, 6.2 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from January 2013, 13 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Northgate School creates a safe, supportive environment where pupils are treated with respect and feel valued. Teachers have high expectations and pupils achieve well, particularly in English and mathematics. The sixth-form provision is exceptional, providing outstanding preparation for independence and adult life through real-world experiences in a café, shop and horticulture.
Key Strengths
- Sixth-form provision is outstanding, blending practical vocational learning with life skills through a café, shop and horticulture areas
- High-quality curriculum in many subjects with thoughtful sequencing that helps pupils build knowledge and skills over time
- Staff establish clear routines and high expectations with timely encouragement and well-organised learning environments
- Personal development curriculum designed to reflect pupils' lived experiences with strong focus on careers education and work experience
- School creates a positive, inclusive culture where pupils feel safe, supported and valued
Areas for Improvement
- Curriculum quality varies across the school - some areas lack clear sequencing or have low expectations and ineffective assessment
- Individual education, health and care (EHC) plan targets are not consistently broken down into specific, measurable steps to guide teaching
- Leaders' oversight of improvement actions is not sufficiently robust, making it difficult to identify what is working or use resources effectively
- Safeguarding records lack rigour and do not adequately track the school's actions to support pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school keeps pupils safe with regular training and a positive safeguarding culture, though details of actions and decisions are not always recorded thoroughly enough.
Extracurricular Activities
Local theatre involvement, annual pantomime, live performances, visits to local fun park, breakfast and after-school club
Northgate School Academy Trust is a special school for pupils with autism, severe learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties and social, emotional and mental health needs. The school provides a positive, inclusive environment where most pupils engage well and achieve success, with an exceptional sixth-form provision at 'The Bee Hive'.
At a Glance
39.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SpLD, Vision, Other +7
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
47 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Northgate School Academy Trust
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Northgate School Academy Trust from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Northgate School Academy Trust is in West Northamptonshire; for families living there:
- West Northamptonshire's school travel policy: Free school travel assistance (4-to-16 year olds)
- How to apply: Apply for free school travel assistance (4-to-16 year olds)
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 55
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 13
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 55 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 42 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in West Northamptonshire is 7 (the median across 208 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
222%
Over capacity
289 pupils
130 places
159 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Northampton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Northampton
Across West Northamptonshire council
Places available
5,019
Applications
4,602
Got 1st preference
75.8%
Got preferred school
95.7%
All secondary applications across West Northamptonshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
2
SEN Support
287
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Northgate School Academy Trust has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 200 places, 290 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
289
Total Pupils
179
Boys
110
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
34
Teachers
8.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,329
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.7%
Overall absence
29.7%
Persistent absence
195
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Northgate School Academy Trust
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Northgate School Academy Trust
What are GCSE results like at Northgate School Academy Trust?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Northgate School Academy Trust achieved an Attainment 8 score of 7.5. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Northgate School Academy Trust's Ofsted rating?
Northgate School Academy Trust's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2013, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Northgate School Academy Trust?
No fixed boundary. When Northgate School Academy Trust is oversubscribed, West Northamptonshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Northgate School Academy Trust?
Northgate School Academy Trust has around 289 pupils on roll. 39% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Northgate School Academy Trust have specialist SEN provision?
Northgate School Academy Trust has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, visual impairment, other difficulties or disabilities, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulties and severe learning difficulties: 200 places, 290 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Northgate School Academy Trust?
9.7% of sessions were missed at Northgate School Academy Trust in 2024/25. 29.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Northgate School Academy Trust?
Apply through West Northamptonshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Northgate School Academy Trust on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Northgate School Academy Trust?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 55 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 13 serious and 42 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 3 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 12 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in West Northamptonshire is 7 (the median across 208 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Northgate School Academy Trust?
Northgate School Academy Trust is at Queen's Park Parade, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN2 6LR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)