Colonel Frank Seely Academy

Colonel Frank Seely Academy is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across all inspected areas. Notably, the school has successfully implemented a vertical tutor group system that fosters strong relationships among pupils and creates a supportive learning environment. Pupils report feeling safe, happy, and well-prepared for their future steps, especially within the sixth form, where they receive strong support and guidance. With an effective curriculum design that encourages depth of study and a focus on oracy, students are building their confidence and skill in communication. However, the school faces some challenges, particularly regarding consistency in the use of assessments across all subjects, and ensuring that learning activities are suitably matched to lesson objectives. There are also noted gaps in the quality of careers information and guidance, which are still being refined. Continuous collaboration between trust leaders and school officials indicates a commitment to ongoing improvement in these areas, reflecting the school’s overall positive trajectory since its establishment.

Strengths

• The school has a supportive and respectful culture.
• Pupils feel safe and happy, contributing to a positive learning environment.
• The vertical tutor group system fosters strong relationships among students.
• Teachers have well-developed subject knowledge and present information clearly.
• The curriculum is broad and well-designed, promoting depth of study.
• Effective strategies are in place for assessing students' knowledge and skills.
• Strong support is provided for sixth-form students to achieve highly.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in assessment practices across some subjects.
• Activities are not always well-matched to intended learning outcomes.
• Careers information and guidance are not of uniformly high quality.

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 Colonel Frank Seely Academy attended 92.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.2% 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, 7.3% of pupils at Colonel Frank Seely Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Colonel Frank Seely Academy had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.5% 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, 6.4% of pupils at Colonel Frank Seely Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.5% 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 Colonel Frank Seely Academy received £7,449 and spent £7,567 for each of its 859 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £258,000 (-£300 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Redhill Academy Trust, income was £7,880 and spending £7,947 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

Colonel Frank Seely Academy is part of Redhill Academy Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• Redhill Academy Nottingham
• Robert Mellors Primary Academy Nottingham
• The Oakwood Academy Nottingham
• Park Vale Academy Nottingham
• Carlton Academy Nottingham
• The Carlton Junior Academy Nottingham
• The Carlton Infant Academy Nottingham
• South Nottinghamshire Academy Nottingham
• Hall Park Academy Nottingham
• Farmilo Primary School and Nursery Mansfield

What is Colonel Frank Seely Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Colonel Frank Seely Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was Colonel Frank Seely Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Colonel Frank Seely Academy was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does Colonel Frank Seely Academy have?

Colonel Frank Seely Academy has 895 pupils on roll.

What age range does Colonel Frank Seely Academy cover?

Colonel Frank Seely Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Colonel Frank Seely Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 49.2, and 45% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Colonel Frank Seely Academy?

Colonel Frank Seely Academy is at Flatts Lane, Calverton, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG14 6JZ.