Sponne School, Towcester
Sponne School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Towcester, part of Tove Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 6th-highest of the 22 schools in West Northamptonshire with published results, and 801st of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 105% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to West Northamptonshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sponne School in detail
Sponne School in its own words
In its own words: "(The above weekend charges relate to 4 hour blocks. Booking of 4-8hrs duration = charge x 2)"
Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 7 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in West Northamptonshire
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Sponne School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.3 in West Northamptonshire and 47 across England.
55% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in West Northamptonshire and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 52.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.27: pupils made above 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 40.4, against 53 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Business Studies.
Getting a place at Sponne School
For September 2026 entry, 214 families put Sponne School as their first choice and 328 named it as one of their preferences, for 220 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Sponne School are Silverstone UTC (4.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 36.2); and Roade Village Academy (4.2 miles).
The trust
Sponne School is one of 16 schools run by Tove Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.3 in 2024/25.
What parents say
373 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sponne School (as of September 2025): 85% would recommend the school, 86% say their child is happy there and 66% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (86%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (66%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 232 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 88% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 35% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.
Of the 127 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 58% went on to university or other higher education, 4% to apprenticeships and 29% into work. 14% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
11.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 3.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 224 pupils (15.9%) received SEN support and 27 (1.9%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Sponne School.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Technology College (outside), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Sponne School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 58 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in West Northamptonshire (90).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Sponne School issued 164 suspensions, 11.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Sponne School are Towcester Church of England Primary School (0.4 miles), Nicholas Hawksmoor Primary School (0.4 miles), Marie Weller Primary School (1 mile) and Greens Norton Church of England Primary School (1.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Towcester Church of England Primary SchoolNicholas Hawksmoor Primary SchoolMarie Weller Primary SchoolGreens Norton Church of England Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 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 January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Sponne School is a welcoming, caring place where your child will be happy and safe. The school excels at helping young people develop not just academically but as well-rounded individuals through its exceptional music provision, extensive extra-curricular activities, and strong focus on personal development including careers guidance. Teachers know their subjects well and check carefully that your child is learning and making progress.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional music provision and a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities including sports, performance activities, trips and overseas visits
- Strong pastoral care and personal development, with pupils feeling safe and supported
- Good teaching with strong subject knowledge, particularly in English, art, and science - Year 11 results in 2024 were very positive
- Well-structured personal, social and health education with excellent careers guidance and work-related learning
- Effective support for pupils with special educational needs, with teachers adapting teaching so these pupils can access the full curriculum
Areas for Improvement
- Focus on disadvantaged pupils is not sharp enough - some face unaddressed barriers and do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects
- School's high expectations have not been clearly communicated to all parents, so some do not understand the reasons behind school policies and provision
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Sporting activities, performance activities, music, trips, overseas residential visits, leadership roles
Sponne School is a secondary comprehensive academy with 1,423 pupils that provides good quality education across all key areas. The school has a strong, inclusive culture where pupils are happy, safe, and achieve well.
About
Sponne School in Towcester, Northamptonshire, England, is the oldest secondary school in Northamptonshire, and one of the oldest in the country. Part of the school was originally Towcester Grammar School, until grammar schools were abolished in Northamptonshire.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
11.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
373 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around 0.27 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 54.3 to 51.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 68% to 55% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 51.4 | 54.5% |
| Disadvantaged(29) | - | 40.4 | 34.5% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(202) | - | 53.0 | 57.4% |
| Boys(118) | - | 50.3 | 51.7% |
| Girls(113) | - | 52.7 | 57.5% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(7) | - | 54.9 | 42.9% |
| Non mobile(216) | - | 52.1 | 55.1% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 8 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 232 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
2
Permanent exclusions
0.14%
Exclusion rate
164
Suspensions
11.53%
Suspension rate
73 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,422 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Sponne School
Term dates
Sponne School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see West Northamptonshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sponne School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sponne School 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
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
1 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
Your chances of a place at Sponne School
Will you get a place at Sponne School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sponne School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sponne School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sponne School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from West Northamptonshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sponne School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in West Northamptonshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
105%
Over capacity
1,418 pupils
1,353 places
65 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Towcester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Towcester
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
224
SEN Support
27
EHC Plans
17.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,410
Total Pupils
702
Boys
708
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
91
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,520
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,465
Per pupil
£7787k
Total funding
£140k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.6%
Overall absence
16.5%
Persistent absence
1,186
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
Questions parents ask about Sponne School
What are GCSE results like at Sponne School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Sponne School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 51.4. 55% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Sponne School's Ofsted rating?
Sponne School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Sponne School?
No fixed boundary. When Sponne School is oversubscribed, West Northamptonshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sponne School?
Sponne School was full in 2025, at 105% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Sponne School?
Classes at Sponne School average 21.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sponne School?
Sponne School has around 1410 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sponne School?
6.6% of sessions were missed at Sponne School in 2024/25. 16.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sponne School?
Apply through West Northamptonshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Sponne School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Sponne School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 11 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 1 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 Sponne School?
Sponne School is at Brackley Road, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 6DJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)