The Nobel School

The Nobel School continues to maintain its status as a good school, highlighting a positive learning environment where pupils feel proud to belong. The school effectively encourages students to strive for excellence by fostering a culture of respect, hard work, and personal responsibility. Teachers set high expectations and deliver a well-structured curriculum that aids in revisiting and building on previous knowledge. However, there are areas for improvement, particularly in supporting some students who may develop gaps in understanding due to inconsistent checks on their progress and communication issues among staff.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate pride in their school and positive attitudes towards learning.
• The curriculum is well-planned and engaging, ensuring knowledge is revisited effectively.
• Positive behavior and respectful relationships are promoted throughout the school community.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• A variety of extracurricular clubs and leadership opportunities enhance pupil engagement.
• Pupils are well prepared for future pathways through a robust careers programme.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not consistently identify when pupils struggle with key concepts, leading to knowledge gaps.
• Lack of effective communication between teachers and teaching assistants hinders support for SEND pupils.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at The Nobel School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.8% of pupils at The Nobel School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 The Nobel School had 14.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.5% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 20.5% of pupils at The Nobel School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 The Nobel School received £7,994 and spent £7,959 for each of its 1,475 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £18,000 (£12 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Stevenage · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is The Nobel School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Nobel School is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was The Nobel School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Nobel School was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does The Nobel School have?

The Nobel School has 1,475 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Nobel School cover?

The Nobel School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Nobel School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.0, and 51% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Nobel School?

The Nobel School is at Mobbsbury Way, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG2 0HS.