The Nethersole CofE Academy

The Nethersole CofE Academy is a Church of England primary school within Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust, with 236 pupils on roll, a nursery, and a specially resourced provision for up to eight pupils with speech, language and communication needs. The school is performing at the expected standard overall, with safeguarding standards met. Leaders have prioritised improving the quality of education following historic weaknesses, and this work is having a positive impact: outcomes in national tests at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics have improved for pupils working at the expected standard. Pupils are well behaved, attendance is monitored closely and improving, and the early years provision is a strength, with children well prepared for Year 1. Staff create an inclusive, nurturing environment in which pupils feel safe and valued, and pupils with SEND, including those in the resourced provision, are well supported. The curriculum is ambitious and broad, reading is taught effectively, and professional development has improved consistency in teaching. Personal development is a notable strength, with pupils taking on leadership roles, learning about healthy lifestyles and celebrating diversity. However, some weaknesses remain. Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes, while improving, are still variable and below national averages, and the school's disadvantage gap is wide. Handwriting and letter formation are not consistently developed, and teachers' checking of pupils' work is not always precise enough to identify misconceptions quickly. Leaders also need to strengthen the Local Academy Board so members understand their role within the trust. These areas are identified as next steps for improvement.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture.
• Pupils behave well, show excellent manners and demonstrate strong teamwork.
• Attendance has improved over time and is monitored closely.
• Leaders have designed an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum.
• Reading is taught effectively, with pupils decoding and blending confidently.
• Early years provision is strong, with warm relationships and well-planned learning.
• Inclusion is a strength; pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are well supported.
• Staff professional development has improved consistency in teaching.
• Personal development is well planned, with rich opportunities and pupil leadership roles.
• Pupils feel safe, belong and enjoy coming to school.

Areas for Improvement

• Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils remain variable and below national averages.
• The disadvantage gap for pupils achieving the expected standard is wide.
• Handwriting and letter formation are not consistently developed.
• Teachers' checking of pupils' work is sometimes not precise enough to quickly identify misconceptions.
• The Local Academy Board requires further development so members fully understand their role within the trust.

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 Nethersole CofE Academy attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 2.5% of pupils at The Nethersole CofE Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 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 Nethersole CofE Academy had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 24.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 15.8% of pupils at The Nethersole CofE Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 3 pupils.

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Nethersole CofE Academy received £7,192 and spent £7,293 for each of its 228 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £215,000 (£941 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,859 and spending £7,689 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 Tamworth · Warwickshire local authority: places and applications

The Nethersole CofE Academy is part of Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 19 schools. The nearest others:

• Warton Nethersole's CofE Primary School Tamworth
• Woodside CofE Primary School Atherstone
• Austrey CofE Primary School Atherstone
• Newton Regis CofE Primary School Tamworth
• Coleshill Church of England Primary School Birmingham
• St Clement's Church of England Academy Birmingham
• Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy (Handsworth) Birmingham
• St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Solihull
• St George's Church of England Academy, Newtown Birmingham
• St Michael's CofE Primary Academy, Handsworth Birmingham

What is The Nethersole CofE Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Nethersole CofE Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was The Nethersole CofE Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Nethersole CofE Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does The Nethersole CofE Academy have?

The Nethersole CofE Academy has 221 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Nethersole CofE Academy cover?

The Nethersole CofE Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are The Nethersole CofE Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is The Nethersole CofE Academy?

The Nethersole CofE Academy is at High Street, Polesworth, Tamworth, B78 1DZ.