Huxlow Academy
Blue Falcons
Red KitesHuxlow Academy is a secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Previously a specialist Science College, the school converted to academy status in April 2012. However, the name only changed to Huxlow Academy in late 2022. There are just over 900 students on roll, including around 100 students in the Sixth Form, which is shared with two other local schools.
It was founded in 1962 and was originally known as Finedon and Irthlingborough Secondary Modern School.
The current Head Teacher is Kim Isaksen. There are 47 teachers (full-time equivalent) and 36 support staff.
Feeder schools
The school gains its Year 7 students from primary schools in Irthlingborough, Finedon, Little Addington, Great Addington and Woodford as well as numerous schools in surrounding villages.
Sixth form provision
The Sixth Form is part of The East Northamptonshire College (TENC), which combines the strengths of Huxlow Academy, The Ferrers School and The Rushden Academy at post-16 level.
School performance and inspections
The school's Ofsted report in 2016 judged the school as Good in all main areas (achievement, quality of teaching, behaviour and leadership/management). The 2021 inspection rated the school inadequate. The inspectors found that racist, homophobic and sexist language is commonplace.
The percentage of students achieving 5+ GCSEs including Math and English was:
- 2012: 59%
- 2013: 57%
- 2014: 54%
- 2015: 48%
- 2018: 56%
- 2019: 53%
The percentage of students achieving a grade 5 or above in Math and English at the end of KS4 was:
- 2018: 43%
- 2019: 36.4%
- 2020: 44.5%
- 2021: 37%
Convictions of staff
In 2017, Emma Wright, an art teacher, was found to have allowed pupils to take inappropriate photographs for an art project. She was banned from teaching in 2022 by the Teaching Regulation Agency.
In 2019, Kevin Sheppard, a former teaching assistant in the school, was arrested after child abuse footage was found on his telephone and computer. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison, suspended for 2 years, and 120 hours of unpaid work. Kevin Sheppard was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order.