Northampton Academy celebrates a tremendous achievement with complete turnaround

When I visited Lings school in the Eastern district of our town twenty years ago, it was in a sorry state. The low red brick quad was littered with rubbish and gulls searching for discarded food. Only 17% of pupils achieved a grade C or above in English and Maths at GCSE level, with over 80% of children failing to receive a recognizable education.

This poor metric combined with the general economic deprivation of the Eastern district meant that life chances were poor, and the cycle of wasted talent and general hardship for the community looked set to continue.

Fortunately, the creation of Academy schools in 2000 led to the redevelopment of Lings school into the Northampton Academy. The government, along with a consortium of local businessmen, provided funding for a brilliant new campus. The responsibility of the school was handed to an educational charity called United Learning, and I became the Chair of Governors in 2012. Progress was slow at first, but under the leadership of four outstanding heads, including the current Principal Chris Clyne, the school has gone from strength to strength. Last term, Northampton Academy was rated Outstanding in every respect by Ofsted. The scale of this achievement is monumental.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Northampton Academy has proven to be an exceptional school that does not select its students, receives only state funding, and caters to a higher number of impoverished and vulnerable children than the national average. Remarkably, it produces confident, focused, and well-balanced young adults who are fully equipped to seize the greater opportunities available to them. The school has achieved a remarkable track record of excellent GCSE results, with a Progress 8 of +1.04, placing it 42nd in the country and within the top 2% nationally. The sixth form is thriving, with over 80% of children achieving 3 A levels graded between A*-C. The school's prestigious STEM stream has produced high achievers who frequently go on to study medicine or engineering. The teaching staff is passionate and effective, and all stakeholders feel valued, safe, and driven to do their best. Northampton Academy is now among the very best schools in the county and is also a national leader in many respects.

The transformation of Northampton Academy is a fantastic achievement, showing what is possible when local people in both the public and private sectors, charities, and other local educational bodies come together to strive for change. The success of the school should inspire and motivate everyone in the town to come together and improve our community. Congratulations to all involved in this fantastic achievement!