Purple Oaks Academy

Purple Oaks Academy is performing well, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Opened in 2017, this special school caters to students with autism spectrum disorder and severe learning difficulties. It marks its first routine inspection since opening, showing a positive trajectory in student support and education delivery. Strengths include a well-implemented ambitious curriculum that supports pupils' communication skills, independence, and emotional regulation. Staff maintain high expectations for all pupils, ensuring access to tailored educational experiences. The positive feedback from parents and staff indicates a strong supportive environment, further enhanced by effective safeguarding measures and a commitment to personal development programs.

Strengths

• High expectations from leaders and staff for all pupils.
• Strong support for communication skills and emotional regulation.
• Good relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.
• Ambitious and clearly sequenced curriculum.
• Pupils enjoy reading and receive timely support for literacy.
• Most parents are supportive of the school.
• Staff value the support and training provided.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, key knowledge to be taught is unclear for teachers.
• Phonics teaching does not fully meet pupils’ needs.

In 2024–25 pupils at Purple Oaks Academy attended 91.1% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 22.9% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Purple Oaks 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 Purple Oaks Academy had 5.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.6% 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 Purple Oaks Academy had 131 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; multi-sensory impairment; 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 Purple Oaks Academy received £29,043 and spent £28,500 for each of its 121 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £161,000 (-£1,333 per pupil).

Across all 37 schools of Greenwood Academies Trust, income was £8,670 and spending £8,578 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.

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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Northampton · West Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Purple Oaks Academy is part of Greenwood Academies Trust, which runs 38 schools. The nearest others:

• Green Oaks Primary Academy Northampton
• Sunnyside Primary Academy Northampton
• Weston Favell Academy Northampton
• Woodvale Primary Academy Northampton
• Tiffield Academy Towcester
• Rushden Primary Academy Rushden
• Danesholme Infant Academy Corby
• Danesholme Junior Academy Corby
• Kingswood Secondary Academy Corby
• Kingswood Primary Academy Corby

What is Purple Oaks Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Purple Oaks Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2022.

When was Purple Oaks Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Purple Oaks Academy was last inspected in May 2022.

How many pupils does Purple Oaks Academy have?

Purple Oaks Academy has 131 pupils on roll.

What age range does Purple Oaks Academy cover?

Purple Oaks Academy for pupils aged 3 to 18.

Where is Purple Oaks Academy?

Purple Oaks Academy is at Whiston Road, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN2 7RR.