The Latimer Arts College

The Latimer Arts College
Location
Castle Way, Barton Seagrave Kettering , Northamptonshire , NN15 6SW England
Coordinates	52°22′52″N0°41′36″W / 52.3810°N 0.6933°W / 52.3810; -0.6933
Information
Type	Foundation school
Motto	Unlocking Potential – Inspiring Excellence
Local authority	North Northamptonshire
Department for Education URN	122066 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Principal	Kathryn Murphy
Gender	Co-educational
Age	11to 18
Enrolment	1134
Houses	Attenborough   Gilbert   Kahlo   Tull
Colour(s)
Website	www.latimer.org.uk

The Latimer Arts College is an 11 to 18 secondary school in Barton Seagrave, Northamptonshire.

History

The Latimer Arts College opened in 1976 as Latimer School.^{[ citation needed ]}

In 1998, the College received a £1.7 million grant to build a community performing arts centre – The Masque Theatre – and, subsequently, became a specialist performing arts college, rebranding to Latimer Community Arts College.

In 2007, the College changed its name to The Latimer Arts College – as it is known today.

Since 2019, the College has been the only local authority-maintained secondary school in Northamptonshire.

Academic standards

The most recent Ofsted inspection, from April 2023, stated "The Latimer Arts College continues to be a good school". ^[1]

In 2025, it was ranked as the eleventh best-performing state secondary school in Northamptonshire, based on an above average Progress 8 score at GCSE. ^[2] In 2024, the average A Level grade attained by Sixth Form students was C+, placing the college seventh among state sixth forms in Northamptonshire. ^[3]

The Masque Theatre

The Latimer Arts College is the base for The Masque Theatre, a community performing arts centre operated on behalf of the College by Schools Plus. The Masque Theatre has a 200-seat theatre, drama and dance studios, music rooms, recording studios, and a meeting and conference room. ^[4]

Sixth form

The former community centre was refurbished and opened as the new 'SixthForm@Latimer' building on 9 December 2024, with dedicated spaces for both studying and socialising. ^[5]

Notable former students

• Mae Stephens, singer and songwriter. ^[6]

References

1. [e-mail], Ofsted Communications Team (18 April 2023). "Find an inspection report and registered childcare". reports.ofsted.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2024.
2. "The 19 best-performing state secondary schools across Northamptonshire – using our own 'gold standard'". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 31 July 2025. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
3. "The 11 best state sixth forms for A Levels in Northamptonshire – from latest performance and Ofsted data". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 27 February 2025. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
4. "The Masque Theatre". masquekettering.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2024.
5. "Kettering's SixthForm@Latimer opens its doors at The Latimer Arts College". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 9 December 2024. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 26 December 2024.
6. "Battling bullies, shifts at Asda and singing at The Stirrup Cup - how Kettering's Mae Stephens became a global star". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 24 February 2023. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 26 December 2024.