Nottingham Free SchoolBluecoat Trent Academy

Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Nottingham.

Summary of the comparison

Nottingham Free School and Bluecoat Trent Academy are secondary schools in Nottingham.

  • Nottingham Free School scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Bluecoat Trent Academy scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Nottingham Free School is ahead on our composite score.

  • Nottingham Free School was judged Good and Bluecoat Trent Academy was judged Good.

  • On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 52.0 for Nottingham Free School and 39.7 for Bluecoat Trent Academy.

  • GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Nottingham Free School (54.3 in 2021-22, 52.0 in 2025-26).

Side-by-side comparison

Nottingham Free School versus Bluecoat Trent Academy compared on inspection, results, pupils and attendance.
Measure NottinghamNottingham Free SchoolNottinghamBluecoat Trent AcademyEngland average
Overview
Our scoreC65/100Stronger figureD53/100
Local ranking4th of 19 in Nottingham Stronger figure19th of 19 in Nottingham
InspectionOfsted: GoodOfsted: Good
School typeFree schools Free schools
PhaseSecondary Secondary
Age range11-18 11-16
GenderMixed Mixed
Pupils on roll699 1,132
Capacity626 1,200
LocationNottingham, NG5 1EB Nottingham, NG5 1AJ
GCSE results
Attainment 852.0 Stronger figure39.7 46.2
Grade 5+ in English & maths61.2% Stronger figure31.5% 46.3%
Grade 4+ in English & maths80.2% Stronger figure52.5% 64.8%
Cohort116 181
A-level results
A-level entries31 Not reported
A-level average points31.1 Not reported35.0
A-level average gradeC Not reported
Best 3 A-levels points29.8 Not reported35.8
AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects9.7% Not reported17.5%
Pupils
Pupils in the census673 895
Free school meals (ever 6)27.7% 51.1%
English as an additional language17.4% 29.7%
SEN support10.0% 12.8%
SEN with an EHC plan1.2% 1.4%
Attendance
Overall absence5.6% Stronger figure9.4% 6.2%
Persistent absence12.7% Stronger figure29.6% 15.8%

marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.

Historical trends

Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.

GCSE Attainment 8

Overall absence

Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)

Pupils on roll

Ethnicity over time

One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.

Nottingham Free School

Bluecoat Trent Academy

Full profiles: Nottingham Free School · Bluecoat Trent Academy