George Eliot Academy

George Eliot Academy is a secondary school that has undergone significant change since joining the United Learning Trust in December 2023. Following its November 2025 full inspection, all inspected areas were judged to be meeting the expected standard, and safeguarding standards are met. Inspectors found that leaders have brought about rapid improvement in a short period, with trust support and accurate self-evaluation helping to create a safer, calmer and more inclusive school. The school's main strengths are its improved attendance, better behaviour and a strong culture of care. Pupils feel safe and valued, relationships are respectful, and inclusion is central to provision. The curriculum is carefully designed, teaching routines are consistent, and staff adapt well for pupils with SEND. Personal development, pastoral support, careers education and enrichment are also effective, and staff feel valued and involved in changes. There are still areas to refine. Achievement is secure overall, but mathematics and science are less consistently strong. Pupils sometimes have too few opportunities to practise and deepen learning independently, and a small number still struggle to meet behaviour expectations. Leaders also recognise that more work is needed to engage some parents and the wider community. Overall, the school is performing at the expected standard and is well placed to continue improving.

Strengths

• Attendance has improved significantly and is now at least in line with national averages, including for disadvantaged and SEND pupils.
• Behaviour has improved and suspensions have fallen sharply, creating a calm and orderly school.
• Pupils feel safe and cared for, with respectful relationships and a strong culture of inclusion.
• The curriculum is carefully designed and sequenced, with consistent teaching routines and clear expectations.
• Teachers adapt their teaching effectively, particularly for pupils with SEND, and leaders monitor teaching well.
• Inclusion is central to provision, with accurate identification of needs and well-matched, frequently reviewed support.
• Leaders have an accurate, forensic understanding of the school and take decisive action to improve it.
• Trust and local governance are effective, and trust support has helped bring about rapid improvement.
• Staff feel valued and involved in changes, and leaders listen to their views.
• Personal development, pastoral care, careers education and enrichment are strong and prepare pupils well for adult life.
• Improvements in disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are a particular strength.

Areas for Improvement

• Achievement in mathematics and science is not as consistently secure as in most other subjects.
• Pupils sometimes have limited opportunities to practise and deepen learning independently, so some rely too much on staff or give up easily.
• A small number of pupils still struggle to meet the school's high behaviour expectations.
• More work is needed to engage some parents and the wider local community.
• Destinations after key stage 4 have been below the national average for recent leaver cohorts.

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 George Eliot Academy attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.1% 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, 8.5% of pupils at George Eliot Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 George Eliot Academy had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.7% 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, 19.0% of pupils at George Eliot Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.2% 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 2024–25 George Eliot Academy received £7,952 and spent £8,420 for each of its 850 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £760,000 (£894 per pupil).

Across all 93 schools of United Learning Trust, income was £8,687 and spending £8,616 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Nuneaton · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

George Eliot Academy is part of United Learning Trust, which runs 98 schools. The nearest others:

• Nuneaton Academy Nuneaton
• Hartshill Academy Nuneaton
• Heath Lane Academy Leicester
• Timbertree Academy Cradley Heath
• Corngreaves Academy Cradley Heath
• Montsaye Academy Kettering
• Campion School Northampton
• Ham Dingle Primary Academy Stourbridge
• Hanwell Fields Community School Banbury
• North Oxfordshire Academy Banbury

What is George Eliot Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for George Eliot Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was George Eliot Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

George Eliot Academy was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does George Eliot Academy have?

George Eliot Academy has 815 pupils on roll.

What age range does George Eliot Academy cover?

George Eliot Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are George Eliot Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.9, and 55% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is George Eliot Academy?

George Eliot Academy is at Raveloe Drive, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 4QP.