Nottingham Free SchoolThe Wells Academy

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

Summary of the comparison

Nottingham Free School and The Wells Academy are secondary schools in Nottingham.

  • Nottingham Free School scores 64 out of 100 (grade C, average) and The Wells Academy scores 47 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Nottingham Free School is ahead on our composite score.

  • Nottingham Free School was judged Good and The Wells Academy was judged the expected standard.

  • On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 51.5 for Nottingham Free School and 43.1 for The Wells Academy.

  • GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Nottingham Free School (54.3 in 2021-22, 51.5 in 2024-25) and has risen at The Wells Academy (40.1 in 2021-22, 43.1 in 2024-25).

Side-by-side comparison

Nottingham Free School versus The Wells Academy compared on inspection, results, pupils and attendance.
Measure NottinghamNottingham Free SchoolNottinghamThe Wells AcademyEngland average
Overview
Our scoreC64/100Stronger figureD47/100
Local ranking4th of 19 in Nottingham Stronger figure14th of 19 in Nottingham
InspectionOfsted: GoodOfsted: Expected
School typeFree schools Academy sponsor led
PhaseSecondary Secondary
Age range11-18 11-16
GenderMixed Mixed
Pupils on roll673 704
Capacity626 800
LocationNottingham, NG5 1EB Nottingham, NG3 5LR
GCSE results
Attainment 851.5 Stronger figure43.1 46.0
Grade 5+ in English & maths54.6% Stronger figure34.7% 45.4%
Grade 4+ in English & maths79.0% Stronger figure59.0% 64.8%
Entering EBacc64.7% Stronger figure16.0% 40.5%
EBacc average point score4.84 Stronger figure3.60 4.09
Cohort119 144
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 704
Free school meals (ever 6)27.7% 50.9%
English as an additional language17.4% 38.4%
SEN support10.0% 11.4%
SEN with an EHC plan1.2% 1.7%
Attendance
Overall absence5.6% Stronger figure7.6% 6.2%
Persistent absence12.7% Stronger figure24.4% 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

GCSE Progress 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

The Wells Academy

Full profiles: Nottingham Free School · The Wells Academy