Wrenn School

About Wrenn School

Wrenn School’s Progress 8 score sits at exactly -0.02, which is bang on the North Northamptonshire local authority average for secondary schools. That might not sound flashy, but it tells a useful story: this is a school where pupils make broadly the progress you’d expect given their starting points, neither pulling ahead nor falling behind the typical LA pattern. Look a little closer, though, and the nuance emerges. The school’s Attainment 8 score of 39.8 is modest, and only 31.8% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 5 measure), compared with 52.9% at grade 4 or above. That gap suggests a significant tail of students just below the higher threshold. On the EBacc side, just 7.5% entered and achieved the full suite at grade 5 or better, and the EBacc average point score of 3.49 is low. So while the headline progress figure is neutral, the attainment profile is one where the school is working hard to move a large cohort from lower starting points.

The sixth form tells a more encouraging story. With a value added score of 0.17 and a progress banding of ‘Average’, students at A-level again make typical progress, but the points per entry of 31.3 (equivalent to a C grade) and a best three A-level grade of C+ suggest outcomes are solid rather than stellar. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in December 2023 confirmed it remains Good overall, with leadership and management and sixth-form provision both rated Good. That’s a notable improvement from the previous graded inspection in 2018, which had rated the school Inadequate overall, with leadership and management also Inadequate. The turnaround is real and recognised. In the local authority rankings, Wrenn sits 10th out of 20 schools on Progress 8, right in the middle of the pack, and nationally it falls around the 50th percentile. For parents, the academic picture is one of steady, unspectacular progress in a school that has clearly stabilised after a difficult period.

On the practical side, Wrenn is a large secondary with 1,465 pupils against a capacity of 1,632, and it’s oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 548 applications for 256 places, a ratio of 2.14 applicants per place, and 203 offers went to first-preference families. That level of demand suggests it’s a popular choice locally. Facilities are strong for a state school, including a swimming pool, astro turf, tennis courts, a sports hall, and a sixth form centre. There’s a wide range of clubs from DofE and Model UN to coding and martial arts. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, SEMH, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families looking for a large, mixed, non-faith secondary with a decent sixth form, solid facilities, and a track record of improvement — particularly if your child needs SEND support or would benefit from a school that doesn’t just cherry-pick high attainers.

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