Bluecoat Beechdale Academy

Bluecoat Beechdale Academy continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school since its last inspection in February 2017. The school is characterized by a positive and supportive environment where pupils feel safe and valued. High expectations are evident throughout the school, reflecting a commitment to both academic excellence and personal development. Leaders have implemented a thoughtful and ambitious curriculum that offers a variety of subjects and opportunities for cultural enrichment, although there are areas where consistency in delivery needs to be improved. The school also provides strong support for pupils with special educational needs, ensuring access to quality education for all students.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and happy in a caring school environment.
• High expectations and clear guidelines lead to a calm and orderly atmosphere.
• Ambitious curriculum with a wide variety of subjects available.
• Effective support for bilingual pupils to gain qualifications.
• Rapid improvements in provision for pupils with SEND.
• Strong career advice and guidance helps prepare pupils for their future.
• Staff are well-trained in safeguarding, creating a strong culture of safety.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent curriculum delivery across some subjects affects work quality.
• PSHE curriculum is not yet fully embedded or valued by all 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 Bluecoat Beechdale Academy attended 86.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 36.4% 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, 15.2% of pupils at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Bluecoat Beechdale Academy had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.8% 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, 26.8% of pupils at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% 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 Bluecoat Beechdale Academy received £10,599 and spent £9,672 for each of its 898 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £219,000 (£244 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Archway Learning Trust, income was £8,859 and spending £8,904 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

Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is part of Archway Learning Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Bluecoat Primary Academy Nottingham
• Bluecoat Aspley Academy Nottingham
• Bluecoat Wollaton Academy Nottingham
• Bluecoat Bentinck Primary Academy Nottingham
• Bluecoat Trent Academy Nottingham
• St John's CofE Primary School Nottingham
• The Nottingham Emmanuel School West Bridgford
• Colwick St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy Nottingham
• The Long Eaton School Nottingham
• Wood's Foundation CofE Primary School Nottingham

What is Bluecoat Beechdale Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Bluecoat Beechdale Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Bluecoat Beechdale Academy was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Bluecoat Beechdale Academy have?

Bluecoat Beechdale Academy has 887 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bluecoat Beechdale Academy cover?

Bluecoat Beechdale Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Bluecoat Beechdale Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 36.6, and 20% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?

Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is at Harvey Road, Bilborough, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG8 3GP.