Applications open for Year 7 and sixth form places at new £46m Northampton school

Next year the school, which opened in its new building earlier this month in the former Royal Mail building in Barrack Road, will welcome its first sixth form learners.

It currently has about 800 pupils in Years 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9, and the all-through school is due to reach its full capacity of 2,200 pupils by 2021.

The project has redesigned the brutalist building to provide up to 2,200 school places with a 400-seat theatre, a rooftop sports halls and classrooms available for out-of-hours community use.

Principal Tim Marston said: “Northampton International Academy is a brand new school, based in the centre of the town, providing high quality educational provision for young people from across the local area.

“I am passionate about celebrating the uniqueness and diversity of each of our pupils and I know all of the staff here are committed to working with students to raise aspirations and strive for excellence in everything we do.

“I would encourage anyone who is thinking of applying for a place in Year 7 or Year 12 for next September to come along to one of our opening evenings to find out more about our amazing new school and what we have to offer.”

The project has been plagued with problems during its construction and is estimated to have run £11 million over budget, with the cash-strapped county council picking up the bill.

For the past two years, the academy's first pupils have been schooled in on-site temporary accommodation, which cost some £3.6million this year.

A group of 150 year seven pupils at the EMLC Trust-sponsored school were being taught in temporary classrooms at the back of the site and 30 reception children were being taught at nearby Castle Academy before the official move in date last week on September 5.

The scheme was originally projected to cost just £20 million, but with the additional works, the final figure is more than double the cost at £46 million.

Open evenings will take place on Tuesday, September 25 and Wednesday, October 3 at the school, in Barrack Road, where prospective pupils and parents can find out more about Northampton International Academy, which is part of the East Midlands Academy Trust.

Staff who are interested in working at Northampton International Academy from September 2019 are also welcome to attend the open evenings on September 25 between 5pm and 7.30pm and on October 3rd between 4pm and 6.30pm.

Northampton International Academy is situated off the busy A508. However, the council estimates that 90 per cent of pupils will walk to and from school.