Corby Business Academy

About Corby Business Academy

Corby Business Academy sits slightly above the local authority average for Progress 8, with a score of 0.08 compared to North Northamptonshire's average of -0.02. That might not sound like a huge gap, but it means pupils here are making a little more academic progress than their peers across the county. The school ranks 8th out of 20 secondary schools in the LA, placing it in the top half locally and around the 40th percentile nationally. It's not a standout outlier, but it's a solid, above-average performer for the area. The school's Attainment 8 score of 44.8 and the fact that 44.4% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 5 measure) give a clearer picture of where results land. The Ebacc entry rate is relatively low at 23.2%, which suggests the curriculum doesn't push heavily toward that particular suite of qualifications.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. That's a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement overall. The sixth form, which had also been Requires Improvement, is now Good too. At A-level, the school's value-added score is -0.01, which is essentially neutral — pupils achieve about as well as expected given their starting points. The average points per entry is 31.36, equivalent to a C grade, and the best three A-levels average out at a C+. With 57 pupils in the sixth form, it's a relatively small cohort, so individual results can shift the averages noticeably.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 194 places in 2025/26, it received 459 applications, with 149 first-preference applications and 135 first-preference offers. That's a ratio of 2.37 applicants per place, so competition is real. Facilities are strong for a state school — there's a swimming pool, sports hall, astro turf, gym, music rooms, and a dedicated sixth-form centre. The SEN provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities, plus a SEN unit. With 25% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is more disadvantaged than average, yet the school still manages to push progress slightly above the local norm. It's a good fit for families who want a large, inclusive secondary with a decent sixth form and a broad range of clubs — from DofE and Model UN to coding and martial arts — without any religious affiliation.

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