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State secondary · 11 to 18 · Mixed · 699 pupils

Nottingham Free School

The Courtaulds Building, 290 Haydn Road, Nottingham, NG5 1EB
Compare
Ofsted: School remains Good · November 2022Top 22% (4/19)Oversubscribed · 1.5 first choices per place (2026)
School website ↗Google Maps ↗Directions ↗Ofsted reports ↗DfE results ↗Government register ↗

Summary

The key facts, in one place
GCSE (key stage 4) The league rank: the school's place among its council's schools of the same phase on the newest year's DfE results, the same rank as on the Schools map. In England: 729th of 3,223 on the same figure. Band: Top 22%.
Top 22% (4/19)Rank among 19 Nottingham secondaries with results, 2026 results (Attainment 8)
See the Nottingham league table →
Inspection
School remains Good, November 2022
Getting in
Oversubscribed for Year 7 2026
Results
+0.29 progress 8; 52.0 attainment 8
Size
699 pupils; 120 places a year; classes of 23
Run by
Nova Education Trust
Type
Free schools
Ages
11 to 18 · Mixed
Strengths, and things to check
  • Progress 8: +0.29, against -0.23 in Nottingham.
  • Attainment 8: 52.0, against 44.3 in Nottingham.
  • Oversubscribed: 1.5 first choices for each place (Year 7 2026).
  • We hold no offer-day distances for this school: ask the council how far places went.
Could your child get in?We hold no offer-day distances for this school yet. Enter your postcode to see how far it is from your home.Check a postcode ↓ Schools for usRank every school near you by the measures that matter to your family, each reason shown.Rank schools →

At a glance

i

SourceWhere these figures come from

How it is worked outNottingham and England: DfE's own averages for results. For the rest, the middle state secondary school of the same phase, from every school we hold, since DfE publishes no council figure we hold.

Against Nottingham and England
This schoolNottinghamEnglandHover or tap a bar for the figures
Academic
Progress 8How far pupils progressed between the end of primary school and GCSEs, against pupils across England who started at the same level. 0 is average; +0.5 means half a grade better in each subject.
+0.29
Better than Nottingham
Attainment 8The average GCSE score across eight subjects, including English and maths counted twice. A grade 5 in all eight would score 50.
52.0
Better than Nottingham
English and maths, grade 5+The share of pupils with grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE (a strong pass).
61%
Better than Nottingham
Attendance and behaviour
Sessions missedHalf-day sessions missed, authorised or not, as a share of all sessions in the school year (DfE pupil absence). Lower is better.
5.6%
Better than Nottingham
Persistently absentPupils who missed one session in ten or more. Lower is better.
12.7%
Better than Nottingham
Suspensions per 100 pupilsSuspensions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. Lower is better; one or two incidents move a small school a lot.
11.6
Better than Nottingham
Pupils and classes
Average class sizeAverage pupils per class, from the school census. Shown for context, not as a score.
22.8
Context
Free school mealsPupils eligible for free school meals. Context for reading the results, not a measure of the school.
26%
Context
Pupils for each teacherPupils on roll for each full-time teacher, from the school workforce census. Shown for context.
17.5
Context
Demand for places
First choices per placeFamilies who put this school first, for each Year 7 place in 2026 (DfE applications and offers). Above 1 means more first choices than places.
1.5
More sought after than Nottingham
COULD YOUR CHILD GET IN? · YEAR 7 2027
i

SourceCouncil offer-day figures; none held for this school yet.

How it is worked outThe bars show how far the last place offered reached each year. A full bar means everyone who applied was offered a place; a dash means we hold no distance for that year. Your postcode is set against each year's last distance.

Things to know
  • A record of past years, not a promise: the distance changes every year with who applies.

We hold no offer-day distances for this school yet. Enter your postcode to see how far it is from your home.

Free, no account needed. Your postcode is used for this check and not kept.

Offers

How far offers reached

How far away the last child offered a place under the distance rule lived, as the council measures it. It changes every year with who applies: a record, not a promise. Children with a higher priority can be offered places from further away.

Year 7. Distance of the last child offered a place on offer day. What the last distance means →

Could you get in?Enter a home or postcode: we set it against every year's last offer and this school's rules.

Results

Quality

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SourceOfsted · inspected 9 November 2022
DfE school performance tables · 2023/2024
DfE school performance tables · 2025/2026

  • School remains Good
  • Progress 8: +0.29 (England +0.01) (county -0.23)
  • Attainment 8: 52.0 (England 47.4) (county 44.3)
  • English and maths grade 5 or above: 61% (England 48%) (county 42%)
  • Progress, set against pupils who started with the same results: above average

Results

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SourceDfE school performance tables, 2023/2024, 2025/2026.

MeasureThis schoolEnglandCouncilYear
Progress 8+0.29+0.01-0.232023/2024
Attainment 852.047.444.32025/2026
English and maths grade 5 or above61%48%42%2025/2026
Average A level gradeB-——2023/2024

League table place

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SourceDfE school performance tables: the newest year's results, place among the council's schools of the same phase.

TableLeague rank
GCSE (key stage 4)Top 22% (4/19)
A level (16 to 18)Top 37% (4/11)

Where leavers go

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SourceDfE, destination measures.

Things to know
  • A figure DfE hides for a small group is left out, not shown as nought. The newest year may be provisional.
StageLeavers inPupilsIn a sustained placeOf which
After GCSEs2023/2411194%In education 94%; Apprenticeship 0.0%; Employment 0.0%
After GCSEs2022/2311292%In education 92%; Apprenticeship 0.0%; Employment 0.0%
After GCSEs2021/2210196%In education 95%; Apprenticeship 1.0%; Employment 0.0%
After sixth form2023/243792%Further education 0.0%; Apprenticeship 0.0%; Employment 16%
After sixth form2022/232383%Further education 0.0%; Apprenticeship 0.0%; Employment 22%
After sixth form2021/223482%Further education 5.9%; Apprenticeship 0.0%; Employment 15%
Nottingham league tableEvery school of this phase in the council on these results.See the table →

Daily life and who goes there

Daily life

i

SourceDfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level · 2024/25
DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level · 2024/25
DfE, school workforce and pupil census · 2025/26
DfE, school workforce · November 2025
DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes) · within 800 m
DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years · 2021 to 2025
DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps · 2024

  • Absence: 5.6% of sessions missed; 13% of pupils miss 1 in 10 or more. Schools with a similar intake: 8.5% and 24%
  • Suspensions: 12 per 100 pupils (schools with a similar intake: 17); 1 permanent exclusion
  • Classes average 22.8 pupils; 28% of classes have more than 30
  • 17.5 pupils for each teacher
  • Nearest stops, in a straight line: bus 154 m
  • 29 police-reported road collisions within 500 m (0 fatal, 8 serious)
  • Air: nitrogen dioxide 14.3 µg/m³, PM2.5 7.9 (1 km square, background level)

Absence

i

SourceDfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level, 2024-25.

Things to know
  • Similar intake: state schools of the same phase with free school meals in the same band (20-30%), the median of 896 schools.
YearSessions missedAuthorisedUnauthorisedPupils missing 1 in 10Pupils missing 1 in 2
2024/255.6%2.4%3.2%13%1.6%
2023/246.6%2.6%3.9%19%1.5%
2022/237.4%3.1%4.3%22%1.5%
Schools with a similar intake8.5%24%

Suspensions and exclusions

i

SourceDfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level, 2024-25.

YearSuspensions per 100 pupilsPupils suspendedSuspensionsPermanent exclusions
2024/2511.65.9%781
2023/2414.87.0%1002
2022/2319.911%1312
Schools with a similar intake16.8

Class sizes and staff

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SourceDfE, school workforce; school census, 2025/26.

MeasureFigureYear
Average class size22.82025/26
Classes over 30 pupils28%2025/26
Pupils for each teacher17.5November 2025

Stops nearby

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SourceDfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes), current.

Things to know
  • A stop across a railway or main road may be a long walk. Bus frequency is not held.
KindNearest (metres, straight line)
bus154

Road collisions within 500 m

i

SourceDfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years, 2021 to 2025.

Things to know
  • 8 serious and 0 fatal in all; 3 involved a pedestrian, 2 a cyclist. Only collisions with an injury reported to police are counted.
YearCollisions
20253
20246
20234
20229
20217

Air quality

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SourceDEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps.

Things to know
  • A 1 km background figure: not the air at the school gate beside a busy road.
PollutantAnnual mean (µg/m³)Year
NO214.32024
PM1012.42024
PM257.92024

Who goes there

i

SourceDfE, schools, pupils and their characteristics; special educational needs, 2025/26.

MeasureShare of pupilsYear
Eligible for free school meals26%2025/26
First language other than English16%2025/26
SEN support11%2025/26
Education, health and care plan2.4%2025/26
Girls47%2025/26

Ofsted

Inspections

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SourceOfsted, 2022.

DateKindOutcome
9 November 2022Ungraded visitSchool remains Good

Admissions

Getting in

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SourceDfE, school applications and offers · Year 7 2026

  • 185 families put it first for 120 places; 112 of them got in
  • We hold no catchment map for this school, so we can't say which addresses are inside it.
  • We can't tell how far Year 7 places reached: we hold no offer-day figures for this school. Ask the council or the school for the last distance offered.

Applications and offers, DfE

i

SourceDfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school level, Open Government Licence), 2015 to 2026.

Things to know
  • Families name up to three schools, so most applications are somebody's second or third choice.
EntryYearPlacesFirst choicesAny choiceFirst choices offered
Year 72026120185487112
Year 72025116160489105
Year 72024120184486112
Year 72023120190490113
Year 72022120214536117
Year 72021118191465114
Year 72020119194541104
Year 7201911414044398
Year 720189818044090
Year 720179518443389

Who runs it

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SourceDfE, Get Information about Schools: group links · joined September 2014
DfE, open academies list

  • Nova Education Trust, with 17 schools
  • Opened as an academy (free schools) on 1 September 2014
  • We can't compare results before and after it converted: we hold results for only one side of the date, because DfE publishes a few years at a time.

Fees and clubs

State schools charge no tuition fees. Breakfast clubs, after-school clubs and holiday clubs are set by each school: ask the school what it runs and what it costs.

Childcare costsWhat wraparound care and early years places cost, and what funding covers.See costs →

Nearby

Schools nearby

Bluecoat Trent Academy0.7 miDjanogly City Academy0.9 miThe Wells Academy1.2 miEllis Guilford School1.3 miCompare side by side →

Nurseries nearby

i

SourceOfsted early years register.

Mountford House Nursery Ltd0.6 miles
Kids Planet Carrington0.6 miles
St George's Nursery0.6 miles
Kids Planet Sherwood0.7 miles
Homes in reach of this schoolLook up any home near here: its sales, an open-data valuation, and which schools it keeps in reach.Search homes →

Sources

  • DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps
  • DfE school performance tables
  • DfE school performance tables: the newest year's results, place among the council's schools of the same phase
  • DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school level, Open Government Licence)
  • DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level
  • DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level
  • DfE, destination measures
  • DfE, school workforce; school census
  • DfE, schools, pupils and their characteristics; special educational needs
  • DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes)
  • DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years
  • Ofsted
  • School register: DfE Get Information about Schools, updated 17 October 2026 (this school)
  • How we check these figures: How we know

More in schools in Nottingham and the Nottingham league table.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources and methods: tap the (i) on each section. How we know · All sources.