Editing Northampton (section)

== Education ==
The first [[University of Northampton (thirteenth century)|University of Northampton]] was established by [[royal charter]] by King Henry III in 1261,<ref name="Leach2010">{{cite book |last=Arthur F. Leach |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YlQHi9LKefEC&pg=PA158 |title=Educational Charters and Documents 598 to 1909 |date=31 October 2010 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-01016-0 |pages=158– |access-date=31 August 2013}}</ref> and started to rival the universities in [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] and [[University of Oxford|Oxford]], with their students migrating to the Northampton establishment.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=3 May 1996 |title=Reading, a city dreaming of spires &#124; General |url=http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/93509.article |magazine=Times Higher Education |access-date=29 August 2013}}</ref> This university was dissolved by King Henry III in 1265, in revenge of its students siding with the rebellious barons in the Battle of Northampton (1264).<ref name="Cobban2002">{{cite book |last=Alan Cobban |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBYC9aDw7zoC&pg=PA194 |title=English University Life In The Middle Ages |date=4 January 2002 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-203-00651-1 |pages=194– |access-date=31 August 2013}}</ref> Henry III was also advised by bishops and magnates that it posed a threat to Oxford, and signed a Royal Decree which banned the establishment of a university in Northampton.<ref>{{cite news |title=Northampton regains University status |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/northamptonshire/content/articles/2005/10/22/student_news_uni_official_feature.shtml |access-date=29 August 2013}}</ref>

This was eventually repealed and the university's name was revived in 2005 when the unconnected University College Northampton, which was founded in 1924, was upgraded to full university status and renamed the University of Northampton.<ref>{{cite news |date=17 April 2012 |title=University of Northampton considering plans to move to new site |work=Northampton Chronicle and Echo |url=http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/university-of-northampton-considering-plans-to-move-to-new-site-1-3739420 |access-date=29 August 2013 |archive-date=14 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131214150307/http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/university-of-northampton-considering-plans-to-move-to-new-site-1-3739420 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This is the only [[higher education]] (HE) establishment in the town and offers courses from foundation and undergraduate levels to postgraduate, professional and doctoral qualifications. The university is made of up six schools: Business, Education, Health, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and The Arts. The university was originally spread over two campuses across the town, but moved to its new £330&nbsp;million waterside campus by the River Nene in the town centre in 2018.

Northampton's only [[further education]] (FE) college is [[Northampton College]], one of the largest FE colleges in the South Midlands, which has two campuses across the town, offering vocational courses, [[GCSE]]s and [[GCE Advanced Level in the United Kingdom|A Levels]]. [[Moulton College]] is another FE college just north of Northampton which provides many vocational courses, specialising in land-based subjects, sports and construction. In collaboration with the University of Northampton, both colleges also offer some HE programmes.

There are 50 [[primary school]]s and 8 [[secondary school]]s in the town. Until 2004, Northamptonshire operated a three-tier system in education of lower, middle and upper schools. In 2001, the move to a two-tier system to primary and secondary schools began, aimed at improving educational standards.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/1412003.stm – Education – Parents' concern over school closures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221126002202/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/1412003.stm |date=26 November 2022 }}. ''BBC News'' (28 June 2001). Retrieved on 25 August 2011.</ref> Some of its successful secondary schools include [[Northampton School for Boys]], which became the top performing comprehensive school in the country in 2007,<ref>{{cite news |date=14 August 2008 |title=Five-star performance by NSB's A-level students |work=Newspaper |publisher=Chronicle & Echo |url=http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/education/Fivestar-performance-by-NSB39s-Alevel.4391381.jp |url-status=live |access-date=12 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111001343/http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/education/Fivestar-performance-by-NSB39s-Alevel.4391381.jp |archive-date=11 January 2009}}</ref> and [[Northampton School for Girls]], the first school in England to gain Specialist Music College status.<ref name="BBCEdEd">{{cite news |last=Woodthorpe |first=David |date=10 February 2006 |title=East: Education, education ... |publisher=BBC |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/politics_show/4696116.stm |access-date=22 August 2008}}</ref> An average of 55% of students in Northampton achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE in 2015, above the government's benchmark of 40%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Caroline Chisholm tops Northampton school league tables but two schools fell below 'floor standard' |url=http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/caroline-chisholm-tops-northampton-school-league-tables-but-two-schools-fell-below-floor-standard-1-7173301 |website=www.northamptonchron.co.uk |access-date=9 April 2016 |archive-date=23 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160123052633/http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/local/caroline-chisholm-tops-northampton-school-league-tables-but-two-schools-fell-below-floor-standard-1-7173301 |url-status=dead }}</ref> There are also 5 [[special schools]] in the town. [[Northampton High School, England|Northampton High School]] is an independent school for girls.