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 65 out of 100 (grade C, average) and The Wells Academy scores 46 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 52.0 for Nottingham Free School and 38.7 for The Wells Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Nottingham Free School (54.3 in 2021-22, 52.0 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at The Wells Academy (40.1 in 2021-22, 38.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | NottinghamNottingham Free School | NottinghamThe Wells Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C65/100Stronger figure | D46/100 | |
| Local ranking | 4th of 19 in Nottingham Stronger figure | 16th of 19 in Nottingham | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Expected | |
| School type | Free schools | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 699 | 634 | |
| Capacity | 626 | 800 | |
| Location | Nottingham, NG5 1EB | Nottingham, NG3 5LR | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 52.0 Stronger figure | 38.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 61.2% Stronger figure | 27.4% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 80.2% Stronger figure | 46.0% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 116 | 124 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 31 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 31.1 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 29.8 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 9.7% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 673 | 704 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 27.7% | 50.9% | |
| English as an additional language | 17.4% | 38.4% | |
| SEN support | 10.0% | 11.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.2% | 1.7% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.6% Stronger figure | 7.6% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 12.7% Stronger figure | 24.4% | 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