School Chooser

Ellis Guilford School

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedAcademy1,171 pupilsNottingham
School Chooser Score
19
Below
similar schools
Likely range 14 to 25
Out of 100. Better than 40% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Strong pass in English and maths29%England 46%
Attendance90.0%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families46%Far more than most schools
Places179 spare1,171 pupils, 1,350 places
Pupils per teacher22.5School workforce census

Ellis Guilford School is a sponsored academy in Nottingham for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 1,171 pupils and room for 1,350. About 46 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 19 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Bar Lane, Basford, Nottingham, NG6 0HT0115 913 1338ellisguilfordschool.org.ukMs Gemma Johnson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 20 June 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

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

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

267 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score37.1
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths29%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths48%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.43In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 34.834.820182019: 35.435.420192022: 40.640.620222023: 36.536.520232024: 37.837.820242025: 37.137.12025
Since 2018: +2.3Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320222019†2018†NottinghamEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11267258266252262246
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 837.137.836.540.635.434.844.246.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.43-0.59-0.44-0.64-0.97
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths29%28%17%32%20%22%41%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths48%47%41%53%41%45%61%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.323.253.013.372.762.963.834.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry23%19%18%12%18%23%29%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged30.430.229.835.228.330.0
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged42.443.940.845.440.839.8
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers23.823.527.318.714.5
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers56.650.459.349.848.7

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

Subjects

Results came out for 15 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

French87%grades 9 to 5, England 60% · 254th of 1,974 schools
Spanish71%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 438th of 1,941 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Geography (24% here, 51% across England), Art and Design (32% here, 58% across England), Business (29% here, 51% across England), English Language (34% here, 54% across England).

What is taught hereOffers 2 languages, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics267 entries · 16th of 18 in Nottingham
34%England 53%
English Language267 entries · 17th of 18 in Nottingham
34%England 54%
English Literature260 entries · 16th of 18 in Nottingham
38%England 58%
Combined Science255 entries · 4th of 17 in Nottingham
36%England 36%
Geography187 entries · 17th of 18 in Nottingham
24%England 51%
Business130 entries · 6th of 8 in Nottingham
29%England 51%
Art and Design108 entries · 14th of 15 in Nottingham
32%England 58%
History59 entries · 12th of 18 in Nottingham
32%England 52%
Computer Science57 entries · 5th of 10 in Nottingham
40%England 56%
Spanish48 entries · 1st of 13 in Nottingham
71%England 54%
French30 entries · 1st of 8 in Nottingham
87%England 60%
Other Modern Languages25 entries · 3rd of 6 in Nottingham
52%England 49%
Religious Studies20 entries · 10th of 15 in Nottingham
50%England 60%
Music12 entries
8%England 61%
Drama10 entries
0%England 60%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics26710%34%54%53%2,813 of 3,211
English Language2678%34%56%54%2,877 of 3,210
English Literature2604%38%57%58%2,809 of 3,202
Combined Science25512%36%54%36%1,429 of 3,084
Geography1877%24%34%51%2,872 of 3,116
Business1305%29%43%51%1,522 of 1,806
Art and Design1083%32%46%58%2,486 of 2,818
History5912%32%36%52%2,682 of 3,126
Computer Science5711%40%54%56%1,340 of 1,861
Spanish4842%71%81%54%438 of 1,941
French3037%87%97%60%254 of 1,974
Other Modern Languages2544%52%60%49%306 of 454
Religious Studies2020%50%60%60%1,343 of 1,825
Music120%8%25%61%
Drama100%0%20%60%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

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 3 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 GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
30.442.4
Gap 12.0England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
18%37%
Gap 19 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
34.940.5
Gap 5.6England 3.0
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

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

A few spare places1,235 pupils for 1,350 places, 2024/25
92% full

About 115 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have fallen by 6% 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 roll1,171Census January 2026
Places1,35087% full
Pupils from low-income families46%46% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English34%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%200 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%20 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.245 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils9%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)48%£618,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls652 / 519
White British pupils40%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (72), Moderate learning difficulty (58), Autistic spectrum disorder (30), language and communications needs (23), Specific learning difficulty (18), Other difficulty or disability (8).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,1711,2471,2771,2841,3151,295
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals46%45%45%42%41%39%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language34%35%31%27%22%20%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%17%14%14%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%1%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance90.0%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school29.2%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils62.02024/25, 23 permanent exclusions
Missed without permission5.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence10.0%11.0%11.5%10.4%8.6%8.5%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.1%4.0%3.6%3.8%4.1%4.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence5.9%7.0%7.9%6.6%4.5%4.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence29.2%29.9%34.4%31.0%27.4%24.2%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate62.0136.3105.1112.678.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions2334201312

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 266 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training84%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 83%, compared with 84% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training84%84%87%83%
Education79%76%79%71%
Apprenticeship2%3%2%3%
Work3%5%5%10%
Not in education, work or training10%10%9%15%

Staff and money

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

Teachers52.0full-time equivalent, 55 people
Pupils per teacher22.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers93%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants16.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,084
Teachers who left in the year30%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.72024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£9,337England £7,965. Total £12m
Income per pupil£8,921England £8,423. Total £11m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,656England £4,444
Money in reserve8%A healthy amount put by: £903k, £719 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out-£523kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£9,337spent 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 m55612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate112 per 1,000 people23% higher than the England average
Nearest bus stop160 mEllis Guilford School, 26 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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Bluecoat Aspley AcademyAcademy0.8 miles1,344Good 202460Compare
Nottingham Girls' AcademyAcademy1.0 miles931Outstanding 202382Compare
The Trinity Catholic School A Voluntary AcademyAcademy1.1 miles1,182Not inspected78Compare
Nottingham Free SchoolFree school1.3 miles699Good 202274Compare
Bluecoat Beechdale AcademyAcademy1.3 miles887Good 20228Compare
Djanogly City AcademyAcademy1.4 miles1,270No overall grade 202428Compare
Bluecoat Trent AcademyFree school1.6 miles1,132Good 202416Compare
The Bulwell AcademyAcademy1.9 miles1,051Report card 20269Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Ellis Guilford School with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats40%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 19 is 6 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 25 · highest 86100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 19 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 19% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 14 to 25. 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 years20%well below
-0.22
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 267 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.17
DfE progress measure; 267 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.04
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.09
2024/25; 1,361 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 267 pupils
What pupils do next5%well below
-0.07
266 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 Ellis Guilford School a good school?

The figures are weak. Ellis Guilford School scores 19 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 14 to 25, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Ellis Guilford School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Ellis Guilford School good at its last full inspection on 20 June 2023.

How good are Ellis Guilford School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 29% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 37.1, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Ellis Guilford School have?

1,171 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,350 places, so it is 87% full.

Is Ellis Guilford School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 115 places were empty in 2024/25 (9% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Ellis Guilford School?

Pupils were in school 90.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 29% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Ellis Guilford School?

The average class had 24.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 9% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Ellis Guilford School have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 84% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.

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

Contact and details

Address
Bar Lane, Basford, Nottingham, NG6 0HT
Telephone
0115 913 1338
Website
www.ellisguilfordschool.org.uk
Headteacher
Ms Gemma Johnson
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Creative Education Trust (17 schools)
Local authority
Nottingham
Ward
Basford
Constituency
Nottingham North and Kimberley
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2018 (new provision)
URN
146539 · LAESTAB 8924011 · UKPRN 10081445
Formerly
Ellis Guilford School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from