School Chooser

Ambleside Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy629 pupilsNurseryNottingham
School Chooser Score
45
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 29 to 63
Out of 100. Better than 48% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, March 2025
Reached the expected level at 1158%England 63%
Attendance92.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families48%Far more than most schools
Places1 spare629 pupils, 630 places
Pupils per teacher21.2School workforce census

Ambleside Primary School is a sponsored academy in Nottingham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 629 pupils and room for 630. About 48 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 45 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 48% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Minver Crescent, Aspley, Nottingham, NG8 5PN0115 900 3610ambleside.raleightrust.orgMiss Amy Johnson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 18 March 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

88 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1158%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level5%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 37%37%20172018: 40%40%20182019: 49%49%20192023: 46%46%20232024: 57%57%20242025: 58%58%2025
Since 2017: +21%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†NottinghamEngland
Pupils tested888889899089
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%57%46%49%40%37%62%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths5%5%2%0%2%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0102.0102.099.0100.098.0104.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0103.0102.0102.0100.099.0104.1104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0103.0103.0103.0102.0101.0104.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%66%56%54%56%46%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard68%68%58%73%57%47%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)76%72%62%65%73%69%
Reading progressReading progress score-2.1-3.0-3.7-3.4
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.6-0.9-2.7-2.9
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged54%50%34%50%40%17%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged66%64%68%49%40%58%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Ambleside Primary School, the school this one replaced in February 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
54%66%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
49%66%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
70%58%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
4%5%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places591 pupils for 630 places, 2024/25
94% full

About 39 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 3% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Nottingham council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll629Census January 2026
Places630100% full
Pupils from low-income families45%48% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English31%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%110 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%9 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.223 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils13%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)48%£426,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls301 / 328
White British pupils45%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.1 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.6 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (47), language and communications needs (29), emotional and mental health (24), Autistic spectrum disorder (13), Hearing impairment (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll629633636628663681
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals45%46%46%46%42%40%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language31%30%26%20%16%17%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%23%24%23%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school20.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence7.1%7.9%8.1%9.1%7.7%6.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%5.2%4.3%5.0%2.7%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.7%2.7%3.9%4.1%5.0%4.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence20.5%25.9%23.7%31.8%26.6%20.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.04.79.76.25.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers28.9full-time equivalent, 31 people
Pupils per teacher21.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants24.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,862
Teachers who left in the year15%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.32024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,787England £7,128. Total £4.2m
Income per pupil£7,448England £7,587. Total £4.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,002England £3,405
Money in reserve54%A lot put by: £2.5m, £4,009 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£410kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,787spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m51012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate102 per 1,000 people12% higher than the England average
Nearest bus stop160 mHilcot Drive, 24 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy750 m417Report card 202698Compare
Rosslyn Park Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy960 m576Good 202321Compare
Bluecoat Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles452Good 202225Compare
Brocklewood Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy0.7 miles401Good 20238Compare
Jubilee L.E.A.D. AcademyAcademy0.7 miles344Good 202067Compare
Whitemoor Academy (Primary and Nursery)Academy0.8 miles385Good 202225Compare
Old Basford SchoolAcademy0.8 miles447Good 202332Compare
Glenbrook Spencer AcademyAcademy0.9 miles369Good 202249Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Ambleside Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats48%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 45 is 10 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 55 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Ambleside Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Southglade Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil2.5 miles444Good 202259Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 45 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 45% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 29 to 63. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.14
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 88 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.24
Ofsted grade, 1.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.07
DfE progress measure; 88 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.09
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.12
2024/25; 528 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 88 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Ambleside Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Ambleside Primary School scores 45 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 48% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 29 to 63, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Ambleside Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Ambleside Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 18 March 2025.

How good are Ambleside Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 58% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 5% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Ambleside Primary School have?

629 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 630 places, so it is 100% full.

Is Ambleside Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 39 places were empty in 2024/25 (6% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Ambleside Primary School?

Pupils were in school 92.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Ambleside Primary School?

The average class had 27.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 13% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Minver Crescent, Aspley, Nottingham, NG8 5PN
Telephone
0115 900 3610
Website
www.ambleside.raleightrust.org
Headteacher
Miss Amy Johnson
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Raleigh Education Trust (7 schools)
Local authority
Nottingham
Ward
Aspley
Constituency
Nottingham North and Kimberley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 February 2018 (fresh start)
URN
145506 · LAESTAB 8922020 · UKPRN 10066697
Formerly
Ambleside Primary School

Where these figures come from