Sponne School

Sponne School is a large 11–18 academy in the Tove Learning Trust. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2012, when it was judged outstanding. Under current arrangements it did not receive an overall effectiveness grade, but each inspected area was found to be good. Pupils are proud of the school, feel happy and safe, and benefit from a calm and orderly ethos, strong pastoral care, good behaviour and a wide range of extracurricular and musical opportunities. Sixth-form students are well supported, and personal development is a notable strength. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, teachers have strong subject knowledge and check pupils’ understanding, reading is prioritised, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Published Year 11 outcomes in 2024 were strong, especially in science and mathematics, and attendance has improved. Leadership has a clear shared vision, trust support is appropriate, and staff morale is positive. Safeguarding is effective. Two areas need improvement. The school’s work for disadvantaged pupils is not sharp enough, so barriers are not always effectively addressed and some do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects. The school also needs to communicate its high expectations and provision more successfully to some parents, who do not fully understand the reasons for and benefits of those expectations.

Strengths

• Strong pastoral care and welfare support
• Pupils feel happy, safe and respected
• Calm and orderly school ethos
• Good behaviour with bullying rare
• Broad and ambitious curriculum
• Strong subject knowledge and effective checking of understanding
• Prioritised reading with support for struggling readers
• Effective SEND identification and support
• Improved attendance through robust systems
• Personal development is a significant strength
• Very strong careers provision
• Extensive extracurricular opportunities and leadership roles
• High-quality sixth-form provision with knowledgeable staff
• Positive staff morale and professional development
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils are not supported sharply enough, and some underachieve in some subjects
• Some parents do not fully understand the school’s high expectations and provision

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 Sponne School attended 93.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.5% 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, 5.1% of pupils at Sponne School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Sponne School had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.5% 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, 15.9% of pupils at Sponne School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.9% 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 Sponne School received £7,227 and spent £7,022 for each of its 1,422 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,720,000 (£1,210 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Tove Learning Trust, income was £7,790 and spending £7,801 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 Towcester · West Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Sponne School is part of Tove Learning Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Roade Village Academy Roade
• Wootton Primary School Northampton
• Elizabeth Woodville School Milton Keynes
• Stantonbury School Milton Keynes
• Lord Grey Academy Milton Keynes
• Knowles Primary School Milton Keynes
• Water Hall Primary School Milton Keynes
• Whitefriars Primary School Rushden
• Rushden Academy Rushden
• Huxlow Academy Irthlingborough

What is Sponne School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sponne School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Sponne School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sponne School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Sponne School have?

Sponne School has 1,410 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sponne School cover?

Sponne School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Sponne School'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.

Where is Sponne School?

Sponne School is at Brackley Road, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 6DJ.