The Suthers School

The Suthers School has demonstrated marked improvement since its last inspection, now rated as good overall. The inclusive environment fosters positive relationships among pupils and staff, contributing to a sense of happiness and safety within the school. The leadership has effectively implemented ambitious curricular frameworks that meet high expectations, particularly concerning students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents express satisfaction with their children's progress, highlighting the school's role in developing confident and articulate young individuals.

Strengths

• Strong subject knowledge among teachers
• Ambitious curriculum that supports high expectations for all pupils
• A focus on developing a love for reading
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils
• Comprehensive personal development programme
• Effective careers education and guidance for students

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checks on pupils' understanding in some lessons

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 Suthers School attended 90.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.4% 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, 9.8% of pupils at The Suthers School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Suthers School had 20.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.0% 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, 8.2% of pupils at The Suthers School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.6% 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 The Suthers School received £7,660 and spent £7,305 for each of its 656 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £659,000 (-£1,004 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 Newark · Nottinghamshire local authority: places and applications

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

• The Newark Academy Newark
• Robert Miles Infant School Nottingham
• Toot Hill School Nottingham
• Westdale Junior School Nottingham
• Nottingham Free School Nottingham
• The Garibaldi School Mansfield
• Victoria Primary School Nottingham
• Forest Town Primary School Mansfield
• Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology Nottingham
• Birklands Primary School Mansfield

What is The Suthers School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Suthers School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was The Suthers School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Suthers School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does The Suthers School have?

The Suthers School has 684 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Suthers School cover?

The Suthers School for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are The Suthers School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.6, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Suthers School?

The Suthers School is at Cross Lane, Fernwood, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 3NH.