Rushden Academy

Rushden Academy has demonstrated a strong overall performance during its first inspection, achieving a 'Good' rating across all areas evaluated. The school fosters positive relationships between staff and students, contributing to a supportive learning environment where pupils feel safe and valued. There is a commendable emphasis on both academic achievement and personal development, with effective strategies in place to support students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents express high satisfaction with the school, stating that teachers are committed to maximizing student potential.

Strengths

• Strong positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Effective curriculum redesign that is ambitious for all pupils.
• Support for pupils with SEND is well-implemented.
• High levels of student safety and happiness.
• Good quality of education with broad subject offerings.
• Comprehensive sixth form programme supporting future opportunities.
• Commitment to fostering a love for reading among pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum for design and technology, particularly food and nutrition, is underdeveloped.
• Some teachers infrequently check that all pupils have secured important knowledge.
• A small number of pupils have high levels of persistent absence.

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 Rushden Academy attended 90.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.5% 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, 12.4% of pupils at Rushden Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 8 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 Rushden Academy had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.3% 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, 10.0% of pupils at Rushden Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.9% 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 Rushden Academy received £7,377 and spent £7,221 for each of its 934 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £856,000 (£917 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Tove Learning Trust, income was £7,790 and spending £7,801 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 Rushden · North Northamptonshire local authority: places and applications

Rushden Academy is part of Tove Learning Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Whitefriars Primary School Rushden
• Huxlow Academy Irthlingborough
• Wootton Primary School Northampton
• Roade Village Academy Roade
• Stantonbury School Milton Keynes
• Sponne School Towcester
• Elizabeth Woodville School Milton Keynes
• Knowles Primary School Milton Keynes
• Lord Grey Academy Milton Keynes
• Water Hall Primary School Milton Keynes

What is Rushden Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rushden Academy is Good, from an inspection in October 2022.

When was Rushden Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rushden Academy was last inspected in October 2022.

How many pupils does Rushden Academy have?

Rushden Academy has 961 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rushden Academy cover?

Rushden Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Rushden Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.1, and 32% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rushden Academy?

Rushden Academy is at Hayway, Rushden, Northamptonshire, NN10 6AG.