Rushcliffe Spencer Academy

Rushcliffe Spencer Academy is a highly ambitious and inclusive secondary school where pupils and sixth-form students achieve exceptionally well. The inspection found the school performing at an exceptionally high standard across its curriculum, behaviour, personal development, leadership and sixth-form provision. Pupils respond brilliantly to high expectations, remain calm and focused in lessons, and show impressive conduct around the school, including during extensive building work. The curriculum is broad, balanced and carefully designed, with expert teaching, strong assessment and timely support helping pupils develop detailed knowledge and produce high-quality work. SEND support is skilled and well targeted, literacy development is exemplary, and reading interventions help pupils become confident readers. Pupils benefit from an extensive enrichment offer, strong careers provision and many opportunities to develop as responsible, active citizens; sixth-form students enjoy particularly wide-ranging opportunities and exceptional standards of work. The school is part of The Spencer Academies Trust, and leadership at both school and trust level is highly effective. Staff feel well supported and appreciate efforts to reduce workload and improve well-being. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. No significant concerns were identified.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum across all subjects
• Expert subject knowledge and precise teaching that builds on prior learning
• Strong assessment and feedback, including boost lessons, leading to high-quality work
• Skilled identification and support for pupils with SEND through targeted training
• Exemplary whole-school literacy and effective reading interventions
• Calm, purposeful lessons and impressive pupil conduct around school
• Inclusive, respectful pupils and caring support for those with school-based anxiety
• Wide range of enrichment, trips, clubs and opportunities developing global citizens
• Excellent personal development, British values, diversity and fundraising opportunities
• Staggering sixth-form enrichment and exceptional sixth-form work
• Highly valued careers provision preparing pupils and students for next steps
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Strong staff development, well-supported staff and effective trust and school leadership

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 Rushcliffe Spencer Academy attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.7% 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, 4.4% of pupils at Rushcliffe Spencer 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 Rushcliffe Spencer Academy had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.3% 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, 5.4% of pupils at Rushcliffe Spencer Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.0% 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 Rushcliffe Spencer Academy received £7,302 and spent £7,550 for each of its 2,033 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £94,000 (£46 per pupil).

Across all 27 schools of The Spencer Academies Trust, income was £7,619 and spending £7,638 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 Nottingham · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Rushcliffe Spencer Academy is part of The Spencer Academies Trust, which runs 27 schools. The nearest others:

• Rosecliffe Spencer Academy Nottingham
• Farnborough Spencer Academy Nottingham
• Glenbrook Spencer Academy Nottingham
• Sunnyside Spencer Academy Nottingham
• Chetwynd Spencer Academy Nottingham
• Arnold Hill Spencer Academy Nottingham
• Portland Spencer Academy Nottingham
• Bispham Spencer Academy Nottingham
• George Spencer Academy Nottingham
• Fairfield Spencer Academy Nottingham

What is Rushcliffe Spencer Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rushcliffe Spencer Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Rushcliffe Spencer Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rushcliffe Spencer Academy was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Rushcliffe Spencer Academy have?

Rushcliffe Spencer Academy has 2,039 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rushcliffe Spencer Academy cover?

Rushcliffe Spencer Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Rushcliffe Spencer Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.3, and 74% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Rushcliffe Spencer Academy?

Rushcliffe Spencer Academy is at Boundary Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 7BW.