Southfield School

Southfield School for Girls opened in 1976, after the amalgamation of Kettering High School for Girls and Rockingham Road Senior Girls School. It is one of two girls’ schools in Northamptonshire. In 1988 the Local Authority declared its intention to close Southfield. Fortunately, however, this decision coincided, with a new government policy to allow schools to become independent while staying within the state system, known as Grant Maintained Status. This status was granted on 1 April 1990 and Southfield was one of the first GM schools in the country. In 1999, there was a quiet transition to become a foundation school which put us back in touch with the Local Authority. In 2004, the school achieved Sports College status, followed in 2009 with Science as the school’s second specialism. In the same year we became accredited as a centre for Gifted and Talented students. After a successful fundraising campaign, Southfield opened a four-court sports hall and state of the art dance studio which have become thriving facilities in the greater Kettering community. After discussion and consultation the Governing Body decided to apply for Academy status which was achieved in August 2012. During 2013, we played a part in the celebration of Kettering High School’s 100 year history, whose ethos of educating girls in the Kettering area we continue today.