School Chooser

Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy195 pupilsNewarkNottinghamshire
School Chooser Score
32
Below
similar schools
Likely range 16 to 56, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, March 2023
Reached the expected level at 1163%England 63%
Attendance93.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families25%About the same as most schools in England
Places120 spare195 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher25.9School workforce census

Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy is a sponsored academy in Newark for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 195 pupils and room for 315. About 25 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 32 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Wolsey Road, Newark, NG24 2BQ01636 680040bishopalexanderacademy.co.ukMr Andrew Adlington headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 22 March 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1163%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level13%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 49%49%20172018: 47%47%20182019: 21%21%20192023: 39%39%20232024: 43%43%20242025: 63%63%2025
Since 2017: +14%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017NottinghamshireEngland
Pupils tested244033423639
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths63%43%39%21%47%49%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths13%5%3%2%3%5%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0100.0100.093.0104.0101.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0101.0100.097.0102.0101.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0102.0102.097.0105.0103.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard79%55%45%29%78%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard75%58%70%36%64%59%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)79%70%70%55%86%74%
Reading progressReading progress score-4.4-6.4+0.4-0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-3.5-3.5-1.2-1.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged29%28%40%18%50%53%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged76%55%39%24%46%45%

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.

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. None of the gaps is 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
29%76%
Gap 47 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
58%67%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
88%63%
Gap 25 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%13%
Gap 13 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.

Plenty of spare places198 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
63% full

117 places were empty (37% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 17% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (26 offers for 30 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary303426all offeredLA
2025 Primary304130all offeredLA
2024 Primary304126all offeredLA

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 roll195Census January 2026
Places31562% full
Pupils from low-income families25%25% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English25%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support25%48 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.97 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)23%£69,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls97 / 98
White British pupils63%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 25.7 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (18), Specific learning difficulty (16), emotional and mental health (15), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Moderate learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll195222231247263267
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals25%25%28%27%23%27%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language25%29%28%27%22%21%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support20%21%23%19%20%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%0%1%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.12024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.5%7.0%7.1%5.4%3.8%4.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%4.4%3.6%3.0%2.7%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.1%2.6%3.6%2.4%1.1%1.7%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.0%16.3%20.8%15.4%9.5%10.9%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.10.41.60.41.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.5full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher25.9Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,073
Teachers who left in the year58%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.62024/25

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£7,944England £7,128. Total £1.7m
Income per pupil£8,837England £7,587. Total £1.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,423England £3,405
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £75k, £348 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£192kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,944spent 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 m15012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate226 per 1,000 people149% higher than the England average
Typical house price£236,000Newark and Sherwood
Nearest bus stop110 mFleming Drive, 9 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
Newark Flying High AcademyAcademy0.9 miles146Requires improvement 20231Compare
Winthorpe Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles111Good 202365Compare
Mount CofE Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles195No overall grade 20252Compare
Barnby Road Academy Primary and Nursery schoolAcademy1.5 miles593Good 202352Compare
Christ Church C of E Primary SchoolChurch of England1.6 miles213Good 20222Compare
Coddington CofE Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy1.8 miles409Not inspectedCompare
Holy Trinity Catholic Voluntary AcademyAcademy1.8 miles248Good 20248Compare
The King's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy1.9 miles227Good 20239Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats20%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 32 is 30 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 62 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 46 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy, 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
Pinewood Infant and Nursery SchoolCouncil14.4 miles185Outstanding 202395Compare
St Anne's Church of England Primary School, GranthamChurch of England14.6 miles208Good 202443Compare
The Carlton Infant AcademyAcademy15.2 miles182Report card 202664Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 32 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 32% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 16 to 56. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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
-0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 24 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.15
DfE progress measure; 24 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.17
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.06
2024/25; 182 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 24 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 Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy scores 32 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 16 to 56, 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 Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy good at its last full inspection on 22 March 2023.

How good are Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 63% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy have?

195 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 62% full.

Is Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 117 places were empty in 2024/25 (37% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy?

Pupils were in school 93.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy?

The average class had 27.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% 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
Wolsey Road, Newark, NG24 2BQ
Telephone
01636 680040
Website
www.bishopalexanderacademy.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Andrew Adlington
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
L.E.a.D. Academy Trust (27 schools)
Local authority
Nottinghamshire
Ward
Bridge
Constituency
Newark
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 February 2014 (new provision)
URN
140544 · LAESTAB 8912016 · UKPRN 10044563
Formerly
Bishop Alexander Primary and Nursery School

Where these figures come from