Northgate School Academy Trust is a special academy in Northampton, West Northamptonshire, for children and young people aged 11 to 18. It supports dyslexia and SpLD, vision, hearing and 6 other needs.
- Ages 11–18
- 289 pupils
School details
- Type
- Special academy
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 289 (places for 130)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Francesca Shears (Executive Headteacher)
- Part of
- Northgate School Academy Trust
- Opened
- 1 September 2011
- Free school meals
- 39.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- West Northamptonshire
- School reference (URN)
- 137354
Needs it supports
10 needs: dyslexia and SpLD, vision and 8 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
- Autism Other schools for this in West Northamptonshire (10)
- Speech, language and communication Other schools for this in West Northamptonshire (5)
Cognition and learning
- Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia)
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in West Northamptonshire (1)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in West Northamptonshire (5)
Sensory and physical
- Hearing impairment Other schools for this in West Northamptonshire (3)
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in West Northamptonshire (1)
- Multi-sensory impairment Other schools for this in West Northamptonshire (2)
- Physical disability Other schools for this in West Northamptonshire (1)
It also lists other needs. Ask the school what these are.
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often West Northamptonshire council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Graded by area, June 2025; school remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (May 2023)
Inspected in June 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formOutstanding
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Outstanding (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, May 2023).
Contact and getting there
Queen's Park Parade, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, NN2 6LR
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Cambian Northampton School Independent · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.0 miles
- Kingsthorpe Grove Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.3 miles
- Malcolm Arnold Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Good 0.4 miles
All SEND schools in West Northamptonshire
By need in West Northamptonshire: Autism (11) · SEMH (6) · Speech and language (6) · Severe learning (6) · Hearing (4) · Multi-sensory (3) · Moderate learning (2) · PMLD (2) · Vision (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Northgate School Academy Trust
How do I get a place at Northgate School Academy Trust?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Northgate School Academy Trust. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Northgate School Academy Trust support?
Specific learning difficulty (such as dyslexia), visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, moderate learning difficulty and severe learning difficulty. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Northgate School Academy Trust take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is Northgate School Academy Trust’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Outstanding by Ofsted in June 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Northgate School Academy Trust?
Queen's Park Parade, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, NN2 6LR, in West Northamptonshire.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.