Northgate School Academy Trust

Northgate School Academy Trust is a special school where pupils feel safe, supported and valued, and where staff have high expectations and create a calm, respectful environment. The school is judged good across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, while sixth-form provision at ‘The Bee Hive’ is outstanding. Pupils achieve well in many subjects, benefit from clear routines and targeted reading support, and access a personal development programme that covers health, safety, relationships, careers and enrichment. The sixth form is a particular strength, preparing students exceptionally well for independence, work and adult life. The school has a positive and inclusive culture, with smooth transitions and strong support for pupils’ complex needs. However, the quality of curriculum design and delivery varies in some areas: sequencing is sometimes unclear or unambitious, assessment is not always used effectively, and targets from education, health and care plans are not consistently broken down into specific, measurable steps. Leaders’ monitoring and evaluation are not sufficiently robust to show which actions are working, and safeguarding records sometimes lack rigour, although safeguarding arrangements are effective overall. This was the school’s first inspection under section 5, and it is part of a single academy trust; all pupils have EHC plans.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, supported and valued in a calm, respectful environment.
• Staff have high expectations and many pupils achieve well, especially in English and mathematics.
• Clear routines and consistent behaviour strategies help pupils manage emotions and stay focused.
• Targeted phonics and daily reading sessions build confidence and fluency.
• The personal development curriculum is well designed for pupils’ needs and lived experiences.
• Careers education includes meaningful work experience and relevant accreditations.
• Enrichment opportunities, including theatre and live performances, are developing again.
• Sixth-form provision at ‘The Bee Hive’ is exceptional and prepares students well for adulthood.
• Transitions into and out of school are smooth and carefully managed.
• Staff feel supported and value the school’s emphasis on well-being and training.
• Governors know the school well and share leaders’ commitment to improvement.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective and there is a positive safeguarding culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum design and delivery vary, with some areas lacking coherent sequencing or ambition.
• Assessment is not always used effectively to check pupils’ learning and progress.
• EHC plan targets are not consistently translated into specific, measurable small steps for teaching.
• Some learning activities are not well matched to pupils’ individual needs and intended outcomes.
• Leaders’ monitoring and evaluation are not robust enough to identify impact and target resources well.
• Safeguarding records sometimes lack rigour, making it harder to track actions and impact over time.

In 2024–25 pupils at Northgate School Academy Trust attended 90.3% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 29.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

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, 3.3% of pupils at Northgate School Academy Trust were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). One pupil was 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 Northgate School Academy Trust had 9.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

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 Northgate School Academy Trust had 289 pupils, 99.3% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: specific learning difficulty; moderate learning difficulty; severe learning difficulty; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; physical disability; autistic spectrum disorder.

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 special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Northgate School Academy Trust received £24,686 and spent £24,996 for each of its 274 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,361,000 (£4,967 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

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What is Northgate School Academy Trust's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Northgate School Academy Trust is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Northgate School Academy Trust last inspected by Ofsted?

Northgate School Academy Trust was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Northgate School Academy Trust have?

Northgate School Academy Trust has 289 pupils on roll.

What age range does Northgate School Academy Trust cover?

Northgate School Academy Trust for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Northgate School Academy Trust's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 7.5, and 0% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Northgate School Academy Trust?

Northgate School Academy Trust is at Queen's Park Parade, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN2 6LR.