Firbeck Academy

Firbeck Academy has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, now rated as good overall. The school fosters a positive and inclusive environment, where staff and pupils take pride in the institution. Leaders emphasize high expectations for both academic performance and personal development, with a focus on helping pupils, including those with special educational needs, achieve their best. Students enjoy a variety of learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom, laying a solid foundation for their educational journey. However, attendance remains a concern, particularly among disadvantaged students, who are not attending regularly enough to maximize their learning opportunities.

Strengths

• Positive relationships between pupils and staff
• High expectations of behaviour and learning
• Inclusive practices for pupils with SEND
• Strong emphasis on reading and phonics from early years
• Wide range of extracurricular activities and community involvement
• Effective safeguarding measures in place

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent assessment checks in some foundation subjects
• High levels of absenteeism impacting pupil learning
• Need for improved communication with parents regarding school changes

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 Firbeck Academy attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.5% 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, 3.2% of pupils at Firbeck 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 Firbeck Academy had 22.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 34.8% 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, 11.0% of pupils at Firbeck Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 Firbeck Academy received £7,275 and spent £8,054 for each of its 179 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £258,000 (-£1,445 per pupil).

Across all 17 schools of Nova Education Trust, income was £7,436 and spending £7,228 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 · Nottingham local authority: places and applications

Firbeck Academy is part of Nova Education Trust, which runs 17 schools. The nearest others:

• Nottingham University Samworth Academy Nottingham
• Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology Nottingham
• Kirk Hallam Community Academy Ilkeston
• Victoria Primary School Nottingham
• Nottingham Free School Nottingham
• Westdale Junior School Nottingham
• Robert Miles Infant School Nottingham
• Toot Hill School Nottingham
• Forest Town Primary School Mansfield
• The Garibaldi School Mansfield

What is Firbeck Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Firbeck Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Firbeck Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Firbeck Academy was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Firbeck Academy have?

Firbeck Academy has 173 pupils on roll.

What age range does Firbeck Academy cover?

Firbeck Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Firbeck Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Firbeck Academy?

Firbeck Academy is at Firbeck Road, Wollaton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG8 2FB.