Higham Lane School

Higham Lane School continues to excel since its last inspection in 2019, maintaining high standards and exhibiting effective leadership. The school's commitment to academic excellence is evident in its ambitious curriculum, which is well-structured and encourages remarkable outcomes for pupils across all year groups. The supportive environment fosters exemplary behavior, punctuality, and a positive atmosphere conducive to learning, with a range of extracurricular activities enhancing students' personal development.

Strengths

• Exceptional manners and respectful conduct among pupils.
• Strong academic achievements and high expectations for all pupils.
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.
• Engaging and well-sequenced curriculum that prepares pupils for future pathways.
• High-quality personal development programs addressing important life challenges.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent adjustments made for tasks to support pupils with SEND.

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 Higham Lane School attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 15.7% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Higham Lane 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 Higham Lane School had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.3% 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, 9.8% of pupils at Higham Lane School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% 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 Higham Lane School received £6,967 and spent £7,168 for each of its 1,479 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,300,000 (£879 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Central England Academy Trust, income was £10,818 and spending £10,437 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

Higham Lane School is part of Central England Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Higham Lane North Academy Nuneaton
• Oak Wood Primary School Nuneaton
• Oak Wood Secondary School Nuneaton
• Michael Drayton Junior School Nuneaton
• Beaufort School Birmingham

What is Higham Lane School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Higham Lane School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Higham Lane School last inspected by Ofsted?

Higham Lane School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Higham Lane School have?

Higham Lane School has 1,516 pupils on roll.

What age range does Higham Lane School cover?

Higham Lane School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Higham Lane School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 51.0, and 54% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Higham Lane School?

Higham Lane School is at Shanklin Drive, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV10 0BJ.