English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy

English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy is a 246-pupil Catholic primary in the St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust. Inspectors found a school performing strongly overall: attendance is above national averages, behaviour is exemplary, the curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced, and early years and inclusion are particularly effective. Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements, and pupils say they feel safe and well supported. Leadership and governance are a notable strength, with effective trust oversight, strong professional development and clear attention to staff well-being. Pupils benefit from a broad personal development programme and extensive enrichment. Published outcomes are above national averages overall, and teaching in early reading, writing and mathematics is effective. The main concern is achievement for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders act decisively and gaps are closing in some measures, but progress for this group is not yet consistent over time. The next step is to continue curriculum improvement so disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as their peers.

Strengths

• Attendance is above the national average, with persistent absence reducing.
• Behaviour and attitudes are exemplary, with a calm and purposeful climate for learning.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and consistently taught across subjects.
• Early reading and phonics teaching are clear strengths.
• Early years provision is calm, ambitious and prepares children well for Year 1.
• Inclusion is highly effective for disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND and pupils who speak EAL.
• Leadership, governance and trust oversight are highly effective and improvement-focused.
• Professional development and staff well-being are prioritised.
• The personal development programme is broad, with extensive enrichment and leadership opportunities.
• Pupils are polite, confident and well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Safeguarding has an open and positive culture, and pupils feel safe.
• Published outcomes are above national averages overall.

Areas for Improvement

• Progress for disadvantaged pupils is not yet consistent over time.
• Leaders should continue improving the curriculum so disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as their peers.

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 English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.7% 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, 0.4% of pupils at English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary 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 English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.0% 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, 16.6% of pupils at English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy received £6,636 and spent £7,114 for each of its 246 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £284,000 (-£1,156 per pupil).

Across all 25 schools of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,472 and spending £7,889 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 · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy is part of St Ralph Sherwin Catholic Multi Academy Trust, which runs 25 schools. The nearest others:

• St Thomas Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkeston
• Saint John Houghton Catholic Voluntary Academy Ilkeston
• St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Alban's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• The Priory Catholic Voluntary Academy Nottingham
• St Joseph's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• Saint Benedict, A Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St George's Catholic Voluntary Academy Derby
• St Elizabeth's Catholic Voluntary Academy Belper

What is English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy have?

English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy has 229 pupils on roll.

What age range does English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy cover?

English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy?

English Martyrs' Catholic Voluntary Academy is at Bracken Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG10 4DA.