Abbeyfield School
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,296 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.0
Academy converter
The Duston School
- Pupils on roll
- 2,064of 1,830 places
- Free school meals
- 16.4%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 273
- Ofsted
- Report card, 10 March 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Strong standardAchievement Strong standardAttendance and behaviour Strong standardPersonal development and wellbeing Strong standardInclusion Strong standardLeadership and governance Strong standardPost-16 provision Strong standardSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: The Duston School (URN 122074, until 1 June 2012).
What the data says
Of the 239 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Duston School in 2023, 42% stayed on in The Duston School’s own sixth form (West Northamptonshire average 42%), 41% went to a further education college and 6% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 119 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 64% went to university (West Northamptonshire 37%, England 37%), and 19% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Statistics is unusually popular at GCSE: 99% of the year group took it, against 5% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 50.0 against 46.1 across England and 44.7 in West Northamptonshire, with 48% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in West Northamptonshire and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Duston School | West Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 239 | 4,707 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 92% | 92% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 85% | 87% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 42% | 42% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | — | — | 13% |
| — further education college | 41% | 42% | 37% |
| — other education | — | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 1% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 2% | 2% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Duston School | West Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 119 | 4,702 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 91% | 81% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 64% | 37% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 19% | 14% | 19% |
| Further education | 1% | 5% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 6% | 7% |
| Employment | 23% | 33% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 14% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Duston School | West Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 50.0 | 44.7 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 48% | 42% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 72% | 64% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 60% | 41% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.66 | 3.97 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 20% | 21% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 41.5 | 32.6 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 52.2 | 47.9 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 19% | 21% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combined Science | 273 | 100% | 65% | 18% | 9% | 71% |
| English Literature | 273 | 100% | 86% | 20% | 21% | 77% |
| English Language | 273 | 100% | 89% | 15% | 20% | 73% |
| Mathematics | 273 | 100% | 88% | 22% | 22% | 81% |
| Statistics | 271 | 99% | 5% | 16% | 20% | 76% |
| History | 196 | 72% | 41% | 20% | 26% | 67% |
| Geography | 108 | 40% | 41% | 22% | 25% | 65% |
| Spanish | 78 | 29% | 19% | 21% | 27% | 65% |
| French | 78 | 29% | 18% | 26% | 29% | 73% |
| Business Studies | 64 | 23% | 18% | 25% | 20% | 72% |
| Psychology | 28 | 10% | 3% | 61% | 22% | 96% |
| Computer Science | 28 | 10% | 13% | 21% | 30% | 71% |
| Fine Art | 20 | 7% | 9% | 15% | 28% | 85% |
| Media Studies | 17 | 6% | 4% | 41% | 20% | 100% |
| Polish | 16 | 6% | 1% | 69% | 84% | 88% |
| Design and Technology | 14 | 5% | 11% | 14% | 23% | 71% |
| Drama | 8 | 3% | 7% | 0% | 27% | 63% |
| Film Studies | 8 | 3% | 1% | 25% | 20% | 50% |
| Graphic Communication | 7 | 3% | 1% | 0% | 23% | 71% |
| Russian | 5 | 2% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Sociology | 3 | 1% | 4% | — | 21% | — |
| Music | 2 | 1% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
| Italian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Modern Greek | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 33% | — |
| Arabic | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 47% | — |
| Bengali | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 35% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 0% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Punjabi | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 48% | — |
| Japanese | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports Studies | 26 | 25% | — |
| Beauty Care / Services | 17 | 16% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 11 | 10% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 10 | 9% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | The Duston School | West Northamptonshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 221 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 106 | 1,852 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | B- | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 37.71 | 34.15 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | B | C+ | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 23% | 15% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media Studies | 39 | 37% | 4% |
| Mathematics | 28 | 26% | 31% |
| History | 24 | 23% | 13% |
| Psychology | 23 | 22% | 23% |
| Sociology | 22 | 21% | 13% |
| Politics | 18 | 17% | 6% |
| Physics | 16 | 15% | 12% |
| English Literature | 14 | 13% | 11% |
| Further Mathematics | 14 | 13% | 5% |
| Biology | 11 | 10% | 20% |
| Computer Science | 10 | 9% | 5% |
| Spanish | 9 | 8% | 2% |
| Chemistry | 8 | 8% | 17% |
| English Language | 7 | 7% | 4% |
| Art and Design | 6 | 6% | 1% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| Italian | — | — | 0% |
| Russian | — | — | 0% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Media Studies | GCE AS level (All) | 46 | 43% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 27 | 25% | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 27 | 25% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 27 | 25% | — |
| Health Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 14 | 13% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 13 | 12% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 12 | 11% | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | 12 | 11% | — |
| Media Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | 7 | 7% | — |
| Business Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| English Language | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Politics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| English Language | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Politics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| History | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Where The Duston School is
Other secondary schools in West Northamptonshire are shown for comparison; darker blue means more Year 11 leavers stayed in education. The last distance at which this school offered places is not yet on file — it comes from West Northamptonshire’s allocation statistics.
Other secondary schools in West Northamptonshire
Campion School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,309 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.2
Caroline Chisholm School
Academy converter · sixth form · 2,049 pupils
91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.4
Chenderit School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,104 pupils
89% stayed in education · Attainment 8 50.0
DSLV E-ACT Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 997 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.2
Elizabeth Woodville School
Academy converter · 1,124 pupils
82% stayed in education · Attainment 8 44.9
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.