Kingsley Special Academy

Kingsley Special Academy is performing exceptionally well, maintaining its 'Outstanding' status across all inspected domains. The school is known for its warm and inclusive environment, where highly dedicated staff support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in achieving their potential. The leadership team has set high expectations, ensuring that students not only feel safe and happy but also thrive academically and socially. The school's commitment to providing a bespoke curriculum tailored to the unique needs of each pupil is a significant strength, alongside the promotion of communication skills and personal development opportunities.

Strengths

• Outstanding quality of education with a well-thought-out curriculum.
• High expectations from leaders and a supportive school culture.
• Effective strategies for developing pupils' communication skills.
• Strong emphasis on personal development with exceptional extracurricular activities.
• Staff expertise in early reading and individualized learning support.
• Effective safeguarding culture and support systems for pupils.

In 2024–25 pupils at Kingsley Special Academy attended 89.9% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 32.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Kingsley Special Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No 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 Kingsley Special Academy had 6.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.5% 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 Kingsley Special Academy had 165 pupils, 100.0% 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; profound and multiple learning difficulty; speech, language and communication needs; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory 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 Kingsley Special Academy received £26,546 and spent £27,458 for each of its 163 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £283,000 (£1,738 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Kingsley Learning Foundation, income was £27,751 and spending £27,400 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

Kingsley Special Academy is part of Kingsley Learning Foundation, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Red Kite Academy Corby

What is Kingsley Special Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kingsley Special Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in August 2023.

When was Kingsley Special Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Kingsley Special Academy was last inspected in August 2023.

How many pupils does Kingsley Special Academy have?

Kingsley Special Academy has 165 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kingsley Special Academy cover?

Kingsley Special Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Kingsley Special Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kingsley Special Academy?

Kingsley Special Academy is at Churchill Way, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN15 5DP.