Gloucester Academy

Gloucester Academy has improved markedly since joining Greenshaw Learning Trust in 2020, following an inadequate judgement for its predecessor school. This was its first routine section 5 inspection, and inspectors found high expectations, a well-delivered and consistent curriculum, and pupils who are learning more effectively, achieving more and feeling safe. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management are good, while personal development is outstanding; safeguarding is effective. Staff are well trained, pupils with SEND are accurately identified, and reading and English as an additional language support are particular strengths. Personal development is a standout feature, with extensive enrichment, trips, character education and exemplary mental health and resilience work. There are still areas to address. In a few areas, learning activities do not consistently deepen pupils’ understanding or develop their use of subject vocabulary. A significant minority of pupils are suspended or removed from lessons, which means they miss important learning and wider development, and a recently introduced enhanced pastoral support programme has not yet had the desired impact. Attendance has improved significantly but remains below where it should be.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement
• Consistent, well-delivered curriculum that builds knowledge over time
• Strong professional development and staff confidence in explaining concepts
• Accurate SEND identification and generally effective support
• Effective reading support and exceptionally strong EAL provision
• Outstanding personal development with extensive enrichment and trips
• Strong rewards and praise culture that motivates pupils
• Pupils have a strong understanding of fundamental British values
• High-quality guidance and employer and university links for pupils’ next steps
• Exemplary mental health and resilience work
• All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, access high-quality enrichment
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Learning activities in a few areas do not deepen pupils’ understanding or extend their thinking
• Pupils sometimes lack confidence and subject vocabulary to discuss their learning in depth
• A significant minority of pupils are suspended or removed from lessons, missing important learning
• The enhanced pastoral support programme is new and has not yet improved behaviour for a minority
• Attendance has improved significantly but is still not high enough
• Staff are occasionally unclear how to adapt learning for pupils with SEND

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 Gloucester Academy attended 86.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 39.8% 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, 20.0% of pupils at Gloucester Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 Gloucester Academy had 16.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.9% 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, 22.9% of pupils at Gloucester Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.1% 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 Gloucester Academy received £8,780 and spent £8,474 for each of its 939 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £775,000 (£825 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Greenshaw Learning Trust, income was £8,062 and spending £7,907 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 Gloucester · Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

Gloucester Academy is part of Greenshaw Learning Trust, which runs 39 schools. The nearest others:

• Hillside Primary School Gloucester
• Barnwood Park School Gloucester
• Widden Primary School Gloucester
• Grange Primary Academy
• Holmleigh Park High School Gloucester
• Waterwells Primary Academy Gloucester
• Henley Bank High School Gloucester
• Hunts Grove Primary Academy Gloucester
• Five Acres High School Coleford
• Tyndale Primary School Yate

What is Gloucester Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gloucester Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Gloucester Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Gloucester Academy was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Gloucester Academy have?

Gloucester Academy has 1,014 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gloucester Academy cover?

Gloucester Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Gloucester Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.5, and 36% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Gloucester Academy?

Gloucester Academy is at Painswick Road, Gloucester, GL4 6RN.