Retford Oaks Academy

Retford Oaks Academy continues to show strong performance as a good secondary school. The staff are dedicated to creating a safe environment where pupils feel empowered and confident in their learning. With a thoughtful curriculum and effective support mechanisms in place, the school is fostering a culture of engagement and respect, which has led to positive pupil behaviour and a supportive community. The sixth form also provides commendable guidance for students preparing for their next steps in education or careers.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community and safety for pupils.
• High ambitions from leaders and governors.
• Carefully designed curriculum that prepares pupils for careers.
• Good subject knowledge among teachers.
• Effective support for sixth form students.
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Behaviour during break- and lunchtimes needs improvement.
• Variability in curriculum effectiveness across subjects.

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 Retford Oaks Academy attended 90.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.3% 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, 5.9% of pupils at Retford Oaks Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Retford Oaks Academy had 14.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.8% 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, 8.4% of pupils at Retford Oaks Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.4% 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 Retford Oaks Academy received £8,266 and spent £8,145 for each of its 1,125 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £217,000 (£193 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Diverse Academies Trust, income was £8,591 and spending £8,593 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 Retford · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Retford Oaks Academy is part of Diverse Academies Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Thrumpton Primary Academy Retford
• Bracken Lane Primary Academy Retford
• Tuxford Primary Academy Newark
• Tuxford Academy Newark
• Thoresby Vale Primary Academy Mansfield
• Samuel Barlow Primary Academy Mansfield
• Yeoman Park Academy Mansfield
• Horizons Academy Mansfield
• Queen Elizabeth's Academy Mansfield
• Wainwright Primary Academy Mansfield

What is Retford Oaks Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Retford Oaks Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was Retford Oaks Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Retford Oaks Academy was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does Retford Oaks Academy have?

Retford Oaks Academy has 1,080 pupils on roll.

What age range does Retford Oaks Academy cover?

Retford Oaks Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Retford Oaks Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.8, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Retford Oaks Academy?

Retford Oaks Academy is at Babworth Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7NJ.