School Chooser

New Horizons Academy

Pupil referral unit / alternative provision · ages 4-16MixedFree schools alternative provision50 pupilsNorthamptonWest Northamptonshire
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedInadequateLast Ofsted inspection, November 2023
Pupils from low-income families70%Far more than most schools
Places55 spare50 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher5.0School workforce census
Pupils on roll50Census January 2026

New Horizons Academy is a free schools alternative provision in Northampton for boys and girls aged 4 to 16. It has 50 pupils and room for 105. About 70 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was inadequate, back in 2023.

59-77 Sheep Street, Northampton, NN1 2NE01604 801320newhorizonsacademy.org.ukMr Matt Hance headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 14 November 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Inadequate overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Inadequate
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Inadequate
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Inadequate
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Inadequate
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Ofsted has serious worries about this school. It is in special measures.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to West Northamptonshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll50Census January 2026
Places10548% full
Pupils from low-income families70%70% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support46%23 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan54%27 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)66%£51,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls44 / 6
White British pupils80%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (45), Autistic spectrum disorder (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025
Pupils on roll5057
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals70%40%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support37%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans63%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers14.0full-time equivalent, 16 people
Pupils per teacher5.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers50%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants16.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,087
Teachers who left in the year13%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.62024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£41,827England £7,128. Total £3.1m
Income per pupil£41,733England £7,587. Total £3.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£12,360England £3,405
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £457k, £6,089 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£7,000it spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£41,827spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m3,19512 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate410 per 1,000 people351% higher than the England average
Typical house price£300,000West Northamptonshire
Nearest bus stop30 mGala Casino, 40 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Castle AcademyAcademy200 m455Report card 202654Compare
Spring Lane Primary SchoolAcademy330 m434Good 202220Compare
Northampton International AcademyFree school410 m1,754No overall grade 202415Compare
Progress Schools - NorthamptonshireIndependent510 m29Not inspectedCompare
Hampton Bridge SchoolIndependent690 m33Not inspectedCompare
Bosworth Independent SchoolIndependent700 m220Not inspectedCompare
The CE AcademyAcademy alternative provision converter770 m124No overall grade 2025Compare
WiEducate LTDSpecial post 16 institution900 mNot inspectedCompare

Questions parents ask

Is New Horizons Academy a good school?

New Horizons Academy doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it inadequate at its last inspection in November 2023.

What is New Horizons Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated New Horizons Academy inadequate at its last full inspection on 14 November 2023.

How many pupils does New Horizons Academy have?

50 pupils aged 4 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 48% full.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
59-77 Sheep Street, Northampton, NN1 2NE
Telephone
01604 801320
Website
www.newhorizonsacademy.org.uk
Headteacher
Mr Matt Hance
Type of school
Free schools alternative provision (Free schools alternative provision, free schools)
Phase
Pupil referral unit / alternative provision, ages 4-16
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Tove Learning Trust (16 schools)
Local authority
West Northamptonshire
Ward
Castle
Constituency
Northampton North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 February 2024 (change in status)
URN
150717 · LAESTAB 9411102 · UKPRN 10094704
Formerly
The Spires Academy

Where these figures come from