Kettering Science Academy

Kettering Science Academy has made significant improvements since its last inspection and is now performing well in all areas, earning a overall effectiveness rating of good. The leadership team, along with support from the Brooke Weston Multi-Academy Trust, has transformed the school into a place where high expectations and a broad, ambitious curriculum are emphasized. Both pupils and staff report a positive school climate with effective strategies in place for behaviour management and student support, particularly for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The sixth form is particularly successful, with students expressing strong satisfaction with their educational experience.

Strengths

• Pupils are well-behaved and have respect for staff and peers.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious, and knowledge-rich.
• Teachers have expert subject knowledge and employ effective teaching methods.
• Strong support systems are in place for pupils with SEND.
• The school provides a calm and orderly learning environment.
• Students in the sixth form have high rates of attendance and positive experiences.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment methods are not used consistently to aid pupil improvement.
• Some learning activities do not match well with intended learning outcomes.
• Limited engagement with a minority of parents regarding school achievements.

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 Science Academy attended 88.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 33.0% 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, 18.8% of pupils at Kettering Science Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 15 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 Science Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% 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, 19.8% of pupils at Kettering Science Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.8% 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 Science Academy received £7,975 and spent £7,831 for each of its 1,454 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £564,000 (-£388 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Brooke Weston Trust, income was £8,182 and spending £8,461 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 Science Academy is part of The Brooke Weston Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Compass Primary Academy Kettering
• Brooke Weston Academy Great Oakley
• Oakley Vale Primary School Corby
• Beanfield Primary School Corby
• Corby Technical School Corby
• Thrapston Primary School Kettering
• Corby Business Academy Corby
• Gretton Primary Academy Corby
• The Wisbech Academy Wisbech
• Thomas Clarkson Academy Wisbech

What is Kettering Science Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kettering Science Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Kettering Science Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Kettering Science Academy was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Kettering Science Academy have?

Kettering Science Academy has 1,477 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kettering Science Academy cover?

Kettering Science Academy for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Kettering Science Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 35.3, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Kettering Science Academy?

Kettering Science Academy is at Deeble Road, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN15 7AA.