Kettering Buccleuch Academy

Kettering Buccleuch Academy demonstrates strong performance across various aspects of education, showcasing notable strengths in early years education and post-16 provision. The school has established effective safeguards that ensure a safe learning environment for its pupils. Overall, the school’s leadership is proactive in addressing challenges, notably regarding the progress of disadvantaged pupils, and have implemented strategies to improve outcomes. With a clear understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, leaders are committed to delivering a high-quality education that prepares students well for their future.

Strengths

• Strong standards in early years education with a focus on phonics.
• Effective post-16 provision with ambitious expectations and a coherent curriculum.
• High-quality teaching with a structured approach to classroom learning.
• Good partnerships with parents and carers, leading to productive support for students.
• Strong safeguarding practices ensuring all pupils feel safe.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not perceive effective responses to instances of discriminatory language.
• Need for a deeper understanding of fundamental British values among pupils.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Kettering Buccleuch Academy attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 6.2% of pupils at Kettering Buccleuch Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Kettering Buccleuch Academy had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.3% of pupils at Kettering Buccleuch Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Kettering Buccleuch Academy received £7,649 and spent £7,614 for each of its 1,851 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,654,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Kettering · North Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Kettering Buccleuch Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• Grange Primary Academy Kettering
• Montsaye Academy Kettering
• Northampton Academy Northampton
• Campion School Northampton
• Heath Lane Academy Leicester
• George Eliot Academy Nuneaton
• Nuneaton Academy Nuneaton
• Hartshill Academy Nuneaton
• Hanwell Fields Community School Banbury
• Hill View Primary School Banbury

What is Kettering Buccleuch Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kettering Buccleuch Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Kettering Buccleuch Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Kettering Buccleuch Academy was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Kettering Buccleuch Academy have?

Kettering Buccleuch Academy has 1,808 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kettering Buccleuch Academy cover?

Kettering Buccleuch Academy for pupils aged 4 to 18.

What are Kettering Buccleuch Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 51.4, and 55% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

What are Kettering Buccleuch Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kettering Buccleuch Academy?

Kettering Buccleuch Academy is at Weekley Glebe Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN16 9NS.