OFSTED
12 March 2024
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Outstanding
OEIF
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour & attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Outstanding
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Nottingham
Trust
THE FERNWOOD ACADEMY TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,543
1,543 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
727
47.1% of pupils
Male pupils
816
52.9% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
6.5 pts
below England
School
18.3%
Nottingham
36.9%
East Midlands
25.0%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
13.7 pts
above England
School
34.0%
Nottingham
36.7%
East Midlands
18.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.6 pts
below England
School
0.4%
Nottingham
0.7%
East Midlands
0.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
36.2%
559
Pakistani
15.1%
233
Chinese
5.8%
89
Indian
5.7%
88
Any other White background
5.5%
85
Unclassified
5.2%
81
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
10.6%
164 of
1,543 pupils
10.2 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
5.5 pts
below
England
6.0%
4.7 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
53.8
14.6 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.60 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
6.51%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
0.29 pts
higher than
England
School
6.51%
Nottingham
6.82%
East Midlands
5.90%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
16.13%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
0.32 pts
higher than
England
School
16.13%
Nottingham
18.73%
East Midlands
14.53%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
2.56%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
0.76 pts
higher than
England
School
2.56%
Nottingham
2.30%
East Midlands
1.72%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
102.9%
10.5 pts
above England
Fernwood School
102.9%
Nottingham
101.7%
East Midlands
94.2%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.