Abbeyfield School

Abbeyfield School is currently performing at a strong standard, with leaders taking decisive actions that have positively impacted various aspects of the school in a relatively short timeframe. The safeguarding practices are robust, ensuring that pupils feel safe and supported. Furthermore, there is a clear direction set by the leadership team, leading to improvements in areas such as teaching, curriculum, and support for students with special educational needs. However, the school faces challenges, particularly with inconsistent pupil achievement and attendance, especially among disadvantaged students and those with additional needs.

Strengths

• Leaders have a clear vision and implement effective improvements.
• Robust safeguarding measures create a safe environment for pupils.
• Positive feedback from staff regarding leadership support and workload management.
• Strong pastoral support helps pupils regulate their emotions.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupil achievement is inconsistent across subjects.
• High persistent absence rates among disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Variability in teaching quality affects learning outcomes.
• The personal development programme lacks consistent impact on pupils' wellbeing.

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 Abbeyfield School attended 91.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.1% 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, 11.8% of pupils at Abbeyfield School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Abbeyfield School had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 29.4% 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, 8.4% of pupils at Abbeyfield School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.2% 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 Abbeyfield School received £7,541 and spent £7,464 for each of its 1,360 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £977,000 (£719 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Creative Education Trust, income was £8,557 and spending £8,500 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 Northampton · West Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Abbeyfield School is part of Creative Education Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Queen Eleanor Primary Academy Northampton
• Weavers Academy Wellingborough
• Wrenn School Wellingborough
• The Milton Keynes Academy Milton Keynes
• Ash Green School Coventry
• Three Peaks Primary Academy Tamworth
• Ellis Guilford School Nottingham
• The Bulwell Academy Nottingham
• The Hart School Rugeley
• Thistley Hough Academy Stoke-On-Trent

What is Abbeyfield School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Abbeyfield School is Needs attention, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Abbeyfield School last inspected by Ofsted?

Abbeyfield School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Abbeyfield School have?

Abbeyfield School has 1,296 pupils on roll.

What age range does Abbeyfield School cover?

Abbeyfield School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Abbeyfield School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.6, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Abbeyfield School?

Abbeyfield School is at Mereway, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN4 8BU.