The Elizabethan Academy

The Elizabethan Academy is performing well overall, rated as good in all key areas including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. The school fosters an inclusive environment with high expectations for pupil behaviour and achievement, contributing to a calm and orderly atmosphere. Pupils feel safe, supported by staff who are committed to their personal development through a variety of enrichment activities and extracurricular opportunities. However, while most pupils progress well, there are some areas for improvement, particularly in ensuring all teachers effectively assess prior learning and address any gaps in students' understanding.

Strengths

• Strong leadership with effective challenge and support from trustees.
• Inclusive environment with high expectations for behaviour and achievement.
• Well-planned curriculum accessible to all pupils, including those with SEND.
• Teachers exhibit good subject knowledge and clarity in instruction.
• Pupils participate in numerous enrichment activities that develop their character and skills.
• Effective arrangements for safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupils' prior learning by some teachers.
• Occasional neglect of spelling, punctuation, and grammar in pupils' work.
• Limited understanding of fundamental British values among some 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 Elizabethan Academy attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.1% 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, 3.4% of pupils at The Elizabethan 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 The Elizabethan Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.0% 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, 13.5% of pupils at The Elizabethan Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.3% 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 The Elizabethan Academy received £7,696 and spent £7,750 for each of its 1,205 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £823,000 (£683 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

What is The Elizabethan Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Elizabethan Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was The Elizabethan Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Elizabethan Academy was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does The Elizabethan Academy have?

The Elizabethan Academy has 1,230 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Elizabethan Academy cover?

The Elizabethan Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Elizabethan Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 42.9, and 46% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Elizabethan Academy?

The Elizabethan Academy is at Hallcroft Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire, DN22 7PY.