John Hunt Academy

John Hunt Academy has been evaluated as a good school overall, showcasing effective teaching and learning practices across various domains. The school fosters a supportive and caring environment where pupils feel safe and happy. With a clear ambition for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), it effectively promotes an inclusive atmosphere where students enjoy learning and achieve well. However, some recent results do not align with the promising quality of the current curriculum, indicating areas for further development in consistently evaluating student progress over time. The school boasts strengths in its ambitious curriculum, effective use of assessment in key subjects like English and mathematics, and a strong emphasis on reading development. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes towards their education, engage actively in lessons, and benefit from a variety of extracurricular activities. Leadership and governance are strong, with a supportive professional development framework for staff. Despite these strengths, the school is encouraged to enhance its approach to addressing pupils' misconceptions and ensuring consistent evaluation of knowledge retention across all subjects.

Strengths

• Caring and supportive staff environment
• Strong curriculum ambition, especially for SEND pupils
• Effective teaching in reading and core subjects
• Positive pupil attitudes and engagement in learning
• High-quality professional development for staff
• Strong leadership and governance

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent evaluation of knowledge retention in some subjects
• Inconsistent addressing of pupils' misconceptions

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 John Hunt Academy attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.5% 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, 1.4% of pupils at John Hunt 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 John Hunt Academy had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.8% 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, 17.1% of pupils at John Hunt Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 John Hunt Academy received £6,677 and spent £6,385 for each of its 343 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £298,000 (£869 per pupil).

Across all 14 schools of Aspire and Shine Education Trust, income was £7,155 and spending £6,954 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

John Hunt Academy is part of Aspire and Shine Education Trust, which runs 15 schools. The nearest others:

• Winthorpe Primary School Newark
• Muskham Primary School Newark
• Archbishop Cranmer Church of England Academy Nottingham
• East Bridgford St Peters Church of England Academy Nottingham
• Gunthorpe CofE Primary School Nottingham
• Langar CofE Primary School Nottingham
• Sir John Sherbrooke Junior School Nottingham
• Oak Tree Primary School Mansfield
• Scotholme Primary and Nursery School Nottingham
• Whitemoor Academy (Primary and Nursery) Nottingham

What is John Hunt Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for John Hunt Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was John Hunt Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

John Hunt Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does John Hunt Academy have?

John Hunt Academy has 350 pupils on roll.

What age range does John Hunt Academy cover?

John Hunt Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are John Hunt Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is John Hunt Academy?

John Hunt Academy is at London Road, New Balderton, Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 3BN.