Malcolm Arnold AcademyThe Duston School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Northampton.
Summary of the comparison
This page compares Malcolm Arnold Academy and The Duston School in Northampton.
Malcolm Arnold Academy scores 56 out of 100 (grade C, average) and The Duston School scores 66 out of 100 (grade C, average). The Duston School is ahead on our composite score.
Malcolm Arnold Academy was judged Good and The Duston School was judged strong.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 41.4 for Malcolm Arnold Academy and 50.0 for The Duston School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Malcolm Arnold Academy (49.0 in 2021-22, 41.4 in 2024-25) and has risen at The Duston School (47.8 in 2021-22, 50.0 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | NorthamptonMalcolm Arnold Academy | NorthamptonThe Duston School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C56/100 | C66/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 10th of 20 in West Northamptonshire | 5th of 20 in West Northamptonshire Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: StrongStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | All-through | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 4-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,307 | 2,018 | |
| Capacity | 1,450 | 1,830 | |
| Location | Northampton, NN2 6JW | Northampton, NN5 6XA | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 41.4 | 50.0 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 37.8% | 48.4% Stronger figure | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 57.7% | 71.8% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 37.3% | 60.1% Stronger figure | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.70 | 4.66 Stronger figure | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 241 | 273 | |
| Key Stage 2 (SATs) | |||
| Reading, writing & maths at expected standard | Not reported | 72.0% | 62.0% |
| At higher standard | Not reported | 7.0% | 8.0% |
| Reading average scaled score | Not reported | 107.0 | 106.0 |
| Maths average scaled score | Not reported | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 30 | 106 | |
| A-level average points | 31.1 | 37.7 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 29.6 | 40.4 Stronger figure | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 9.1% | 22.6% Stronger figure | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,307 | 2,018 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 25.2% | 18.7% | |
| English as an additional language | 35.6% | 16.6% | |
| SEN support | 11.7% | 15.7% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.1% | 1.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.3% | 6.9% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 23.7% | 17.2% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Malcolm Arnold Academy
The Duston School
Full profiles: Malcolm Arnold Academy · The Duston School