SchoolChecker

Nottingham Free School

The Courtaulds Building, 290 Haydn Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire · NG5 1EB

SecondaryFree schoolsMixedAges 11–18673 pupilsNOVA EDUCATION TRUST
Visit website ↗01158964949Ward: E05012272MP: E14001410
Ofsted
Not yet inspected
Attainment 8A pupil’s average score across 8 GCSE subjects (English and maths double-weighted). Higher is better; the maximum is roughly 90.
51.5

GCSE · 2024-25

Overall absence
5.6%

2024-25

Free school mealsFree School Meals: the share of pupils eligible for free school meals — a common measure of disadvantage.
24.2%

2024-25

Pupils per teacher
18.0

2025-26

Spend per pupil
£7,652

2024-25

Places filled
108%

673 of 626 places · 2025-26

Ofsted

Not yet inspected

GCSE results (Key Stage 4)

All state-funded pupils

Attainment 8A pupil’s average score across 8 GCSE subjects (English and maths double-weighted). Higher is better; the maximum is roughly 90.↓ -1.7

Average GCSE score across 8 subjects

53.2
'18-19
54.3
'21-22
50.5
'22-23
52.7
'23-24
51.5
'24-25

Grade 5+ in English & MathsThe percentage of pupils achieving at least a grade 5 (a “strong pass”) in both GCSE English and maths.↓ -4%

A strong pass in both

59%
'18-19
61%
'21-22
53%
'22-23
59%
'23-24
55%
'24-25

Grade 4+ in English & Maths↑ +1%

A standard pass in both

78%
'18-19
79%
'21-22
71%
'22-23
80%
'23-24
79%
'24-25

Progress 8How much pupils progress from the end of primary to GCSE compared with similar pupils nationally. 0 is average; positive is above, negative is below.↓ -0.09

Vs similar pupils nationally · 0 = average

0.38
'18-19
0.08
'21-22
0.09
'22-23
0.29
'23-24
—
'24-25

EBacc average point scoreEnglish Baccalaureate Average Point Score: average grade across the core academic EBacc subjects (English, maths, sciences, a language, history or geography).↓ -0.12

4.96
'18-19
4.99
'21-22
4.63
'22-23
4.90
'23-24
4.84
'24-25

Progress 8 was not published for 2019/20, 2020/21 (exams cancelled) or recent years lacking a KS2 baseline.

How this school compares

Against Nottingham (its local authority) and England · 2024-25

Attainment 8A pupil’s average score across 8 GCSE subjects (English and maths double-weighted). Higher is better; the maximum is roughly 90.

+13.4 vs Nottingham average

This school51.5
Nottingham average38.1
Best in Nottingham69.8
England average39.2

Grade 5+ in English & Maths

+20.3% vs Nottingham average

This school54.6%
Nottingham average34.3%
Best in Nottingham90.0%
England average36.0%

A-level & 16–18 results

Sixth-form attainment

A-level average point score↓ -4.6

Per entry

35.7
'21-22
34.0
'22-23
35.5
'23-24
31.1
'24-25

Academic average point score↓ -4.6

35.7
'21-22
34.0
'22-23
35.5
'23-24
31.2
'24-25

How this school compares

Against Nottingham (its local authority) and England · 2024-25

A-level average point score

-0.3 vs Nottingham average

This school31.1
Nottingham average31.4
Best in Nottingham49.8
England average33.8

Pupil makeup

Spring school census · 2024-25

Free school mealsFree School Meals: the share of pupils eligible for free school meals — a common measure of disadvantage.
24.2%
English as 2nd lang.English as an Additional Language: pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English.
17.4%
SEN supportSpecial Educational Needs support: pupils who get extra help in school but do not have an Education, Health and Care plan.
1.2%
With EHC planEducation, Health and Care plan: a legal document for children with more significant needs, setting out the support a council must provide.
10.0%

Gender split

44%
56%

299 girls · 374 boys

Ethnicity

White British
42.1%
Pakistani
19.6%
White & Black Caribbean
6.2%
Unclassified
4.5%
Other White
4.3%
Other Mixed
3.3%
African
3.1%
Indian
2.8%
Other ethnic group
2.5%
Other Asian
2.2%
White & Asian
2.2%
White & Black African
1.8%

Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.

How this school compares

Against Nottingham (its local authority) and England · 2024-25

Free school mealsFree School Meals: the share of pupils eligible for free school meals — a common measure of disadvantage.

-11.2% vs Nottingham average

This school24.2%
Nottingham average35.4%
England average23.2%

English as 2nd lang.English as an Additional Language: pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English.

-15.8% vs Nottingham average

This school17.4%
Nottingham average33.2%
England average16.4%

SEN supportSpecial Educational Needs support: pupils who get extra help in school but do not have an Education, Health and Care plan.

-6.7% vs Nottingham average

This school1.2%
Nottingham average7.9%
England average11.2%

With EHC planEducation, Health and Care plan: a legal document for children with more significant needs, setting out the support a council must provide.

-5.1% vs Nottingham average

This school10.0%
Nottingham average15.1%
England average14.6%

Attendance & absence

Share of school sessions missed

Overall absence rate↑ +1.7%

3.9%
'18-19
5.9%
'21-22
7.4%
'22-23
6.6%
'23-24
5.6%
'24-25

Persistent absenceThe percentage of pupils who miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions across the year.↑ +4.1%

Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions

8.6%
'18-19
15.0%
'21-22
21.7%
'22-23
18.9%
'23-24
12.7%
'24-25

How this school compares

Against Nottingham (its local authority) and England · 2024-25

Overall absence rate

-1.2% vs Nottingham average

This school5.6%
Nottingham average6.8%
Best in Nottingham2.9%
England average6.2%

Persistent absenceThe percentage of pupils who miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions across the year.

-6.0% vs Nottingham average

This school12.7%
Nottingham average18.7%
Best in Nottingham4.3%
England average15.8%

Suspensions & exclusions

As a percentage of pupils on roll

Suspension rateThe number of suspensions (fixed-period exclusions) expressed as a percentage of pupils on roll. A pupil can be suspended more than once.↑ +3.1%

Total suspensions as a share of pupils

0.0%
'16-17
0.0%
'17-18
3.5%
'18-19
4.6%
'19-20
9.5%
'20-21
7.7%
'21-22
8.5%
'22-23
4.0%
'23-24
3.1%
'24-25

Pupils suspended at least once↑ +2.2%

Share of pupils with one or more suspension

0.0%
'16-17
0.0%
'17-18
2.5%
'18-19
2.6%
'19-20
5.2%
'20-21
3.8%
'21-22
5.2%
'22-23
2.9%
'23-24
2.2%
'24-25

Permanent exclusion rateThe percentage of pupils permanently excluded (expelled) from the school during the year.→ +0.00%

0.00%
'16-17
0.00%
'17-18
0.00%
'18-19
0.00%
'19-20
0.33%
'20-21
0.16%
'21-22
0.00%
'22-23
0.29%
'23-24
0.00%
'24-25

How this school compares

Against Nottingham (its local authority) and England · 2024-25

Suspension rateThe number of suspensions (fixed-period exclusions) expressed as a percentage of pupils on roll. A pupil can be suspended more than once.

+0.1% vs Nottingham average

This school3.1%
Nottingham average3.0%
Best in Nottingham0.0%
England average2.5%

Permanent exclusion rateThe percentage of pupils permanently excluded (expelled) from the school during the year.

-0.06% vs Nottingham average

This school0.00%
Nottingham average0.06%
Best in Nottingham0.00%
England average0.03%

What pupils do next

Sustained destinations the year after leaving

After GCSEs (Key Stage 4)

92% sustained

Year 11 leavers · 2024-25

Education 92%Not sustained 4%

After 16–18 (Key Stage 5)

100% sustained

Sixth-form leavers · 2024-25

Education 61%Employment 22%

The local area

Neighbourhood context around the school in Nottingham

Median house price
£215,000

2023 · England £295,000

DeprivationIndex of Multiple Deprivation: the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas. Areas are split into deciles, where 1 is the most-deprived 10% in England and 10 the least.
6/10

10 = least deprived

Claimant rateThe share of residents aged 16–64 claiming unemployment-related benefits (the claimant count) — a timely local proxy for unemployment.
6.0%

April 2026 · England 4.1%

Recorded crimes
33

~1 mile · 6m to 2026-04

Degree-level+
42%

Residents 16+ · Census 2021

Deprivation (IMD) Index of Multiple Deprivation: the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas. Areas are split into deciles, where 1 is the most-deprived 10% in England and 10 the least.

Around the England average · 1 = most deprived 10%, 10 = least

Overall
6/10
Income
6/10
Employment
7/10
Education
8/10
Health
4/10
Crime
6/10

Crime by type

Street-level reports within ~1 mile · 6m to 2026-04

Violence and sexual offences
11
Anti social behaviour
5
Criminal damage and arson
4
Burglary
4
Other crime
3
Other theft
2
Vehicle crime
2
Drugs
2

Area figures describe the neighbourhood around the school (LSOA/MSOA), not the school itself. Sources: ONS, Home Office (data.police.uk), MHCLG — Open Government Licence v3.0.

Data last updated 06/06/2026 · URN 141010