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Sponne School

Brackley Road, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 6DJ ·

Ofsted:Good or better in all areas· 2025
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At a glance

A state secondary academy for ages 11–18 in Towcester. Ofsted inspection (January 2025): Good or better in all areas (no overall grade was given). GCSE results are above the England average (Attainment 8: 52.0 vs 46.1, 2024/25). 214 families put it first for 220 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages
11–18
Pupils
1,410
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Non-selective
Local authority
West Northamptonshire
Academy trust
TOVE LEARNING TRUST
Headteacher
Mr Graham Forbes
Opened
Mar 2011

Inspection

Ofsted (framework in use until November 2025)

Read reports
Graded inspection 21 Jan 2025

Inspections from September 2024 did not give an overall grade, only the separate judgements below.

Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form
Good

Safeguarding effective: Yes

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 232 pupils

Attainment 8
52.0
England 46.1
Grade 5+ Eng & maths
55.2%
England 45.4%
Grade 4+ Eng & maths
82.8%
England 64.8%
Progress 8
+0.27
2023/24 · CI 0.09 to 0.46
This school
52
West Northamptonshire
44.7
England
46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made
220
1st preferences
214
All applications
328
1st prefs per place
0.97
Fewer first choices than places

207 of 214 first-preference applicants were offered a place (97%). 1 offers went to families living in another council area.

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils
1,422
Capacity
1,373
103% full
Girls / boys
50/50
Mixed
  • Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)13.1%
  • English as an additional language2.7%
  • SEN support15.2%
  • Education, Health and Care plan1.8%
  • The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.
Sponne School, Towcester · SchoolPatch