Sir Christopher Hatton Academy

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across most areas of the inspection criteria, with notable strengths in personal development and sixth-form provision, both rated as 'Outstanding'. The school has experienced changes in leadership and significant growth in pupil numbers since its last inspection, which was seven years ago. The leadership team is committed to instilling high aspirations in their students, who generally display positive attitudes towards learning and respect for one another. However, there are concerns regarding inconsistent implementation of the key-stage-3 curriculum and behavior management among staff, which need attention to ensure equitable support for all students.

Strengths

• High-quality support for pupils to achieve their potential.
• Pupils exhibit positive attitudes and are keen to learn.
• Outstanding provision in personal development and sixth-form education.
• Effective leadership that promotes resilience and character development.
• Strong enrichment and extracurricular activities available to pupils.
• Rigorous safeguarding arrangements ensuring pupil safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the key-stage-3 curriculum.
• Varying teacher expectations for key stage 3 pupils' achievements.
• Some staff do not manage poor behavior consistently, affecting other pupils' learning.

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 Sir Christopher Hatton Academy attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.6% 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, 6.1% of pupils at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy 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 Sir Christopher Hatton Academy had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.1% 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, 9.8% of pupils at Sir Christopher Hatton Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.3% 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 Sir Christopher Hatton Academy received £7,408 and spent £7,152 for each of its 1,481 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,091,000 (£737 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Hatton Academies Trust, income was £6,188 and spending £6,108 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 Wellingborough · North Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is part of Hatton Academies Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Oakway Academy Wellingborough
• Victoria Primary Academy Wellingborough
• Earls Barton Primary School Northampton
• Ecton Village Primary School Northampton

What is Sir Christopher Hatton Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Sir Christopher Hatton Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Sir Christopher Hatton Academy have?

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy has 1,440 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sir Christopher Hatton Academy cover?

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Sir Christopher Hatton Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.8, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Sir Christopher Hatton Academy?

Sir Christopher Hatton Academy is at The Pyghtle, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, NN8 4RP.