School Chooser

Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyChurch of England302 pupilsNottinghamshire
School Chooser Score
59
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 37 to 78
Out of 100. Better than 41% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2023
Reached the expected level at 1167%England 63%
Attendance96.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull302 pupils, 280 places
Pupils per teacher23.2School workforce census

Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School is a converter academy in Farnsfield for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 302 pupils, 22 more than it has places for. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 59 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 41% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Branston Avenue, Farnsfield, NG22 8JZ01623 882494fsmp.org.ukMrs Louise Carpenter headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 17 October 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”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1167%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 57%57%20172018: 68%68%20182019: 63%63%20192023: 59%59%20232024: 60%60%20242025: 67%67%2025
Since 2017: +10%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†NottinghamshireEngland
Pupils tested364241303728
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%60%59%63%68%57%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%10%0%10%16%7%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0104.0106.0103.0105.0106.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0103.0102.0104.0104.0105.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0104.0106.0107.0107.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%69%76%67%73%79%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard72%71%68%77%78%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)83%79%78%80%81%68%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.7-2.3+0.4+0.8
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.4-1.9-0.5-0.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%0%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged63%81%

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 Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary (Voluntary Aided) School, the school this one replaced in May 2019. 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. Every gap at this school 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 11Boys vs girls
67%67%
No gapEngland 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. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full279 pupils for 280 places, 2024/25
100% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 3.3 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

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. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 3.3 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary4595453.3 milesLA
2025 Primary406932all offeredLA
2024 Primary405928all 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 roll302Census January 2026
Places280108% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support8%23 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.511 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)8%£34,100 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls148 / 154
White British pupils92%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.2 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Specific learning difficulty (17), language and communications needs (4), emotional and mental health (3), Other difficulty or disability (1), Physical disability (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll302272280271278277
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%6%5%5%4%5%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%1%1%2%2%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support6%5%4%10%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%2%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.3%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.7%4.0%5.0%5.5%2.5%3.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.0%3.3%3.8%4.6%2.2%2.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.7%1.1%0.9%0.3%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.0%4.6%10.7%12.8%4.5%6.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary (Voluntary Aided) School, the school this one replaced in May 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers13.0full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher23.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,270
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.32024/25

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£6,228England £7,128. Total £1.7m
Income per pupil£6,548England £7,587. Total £1.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,158England £3,405
Money in reserve14%A healthy amount put by: £252k, £927 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£87kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,228spent 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 m6812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate70 per 1,000 people23% lower than the England average
Typical house price£236,000Newark and Sherwood
Nearest bus stop370 mThe Ridgeway, 8 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
Kirklington Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles79Good 2023Compare
Bilsthorpe Flying High AcademyAcademy2.3 miles214Good 202435Compare
Halam Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy2.3 miles61Good 202482Compare
The Python Hill AcademyAcademy3.4 miles307Good 202381Compare
Blidworth Oaks Primary SchoolAcademy3.5 miles366No overall grade 202546Compare
Lowe's Wong Anglican Methodist Junior SchoolAcademy3.5 miles293Good 2019Compare
Lowe's Wong Infant SchoolAcademy3.5 miles140Report card 202669Compare
Holy Trinity CofE Infant SchoolAcademy3.6 miles56No overall grade 202578Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School 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.

Beats41%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 59 is 12 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 72 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 59 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 59% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 37 to 78. 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%in line
+0.02
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 36 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.03
DfE progress measure; 36 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.10
2024/25; 251 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.07
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 36 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 Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School scores 59 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 41% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 37 to 78, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 17 October 2023.

How good are Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 67% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School have?

302 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 280 places, so it is 108% full.

Is Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 3.3 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 27.5 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Branston Avenue, Farnsfield, NG22 8JZ
Telephone
01623 882494
Website
www.fsmp.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Louise Carpenter
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Southwell
Multi-academy trust
Minster Trust for Education (14 schools)
Local authority
Nottinghamshire
Ward
Farnsfield
Constituency
Sherwood Forest
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2019 (academy converter)
URN
145640 · LAESTAB 8912006 · UKPRN 10083018
Formerly
Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary (Voluntary Aided) School

Where these figures come from