School Chooser

Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy340 pupilsNurserySutton-in-AshfieldNottinghamshire
School Chooser Score
97
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 94 to 99
Out of 100. Better than 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, January 2025
Reached the expected level at 1189%England 63%
Attendance96.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families12%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull340 pupils, 315 places
Pupils per teacher23.2School workforce census

Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School is a converter academy in Sutton-in-Ashfield for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 340 pupils, 25 more than it has places for. About 12 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 97 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Henning Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 1HU01623 455949mapplewellsprimary.co.ukMr A Whittle headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 January 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”
Outstanding
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Outstanding
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

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

Reached the expected level at 1189%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level16%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 72%72%20172018: 83%83%20182019: 84%84%20192023: 90%90%20232024: 89%89%20242025: 89%89%2025
Since 2017: +17%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017†NottinghamshireEngland
Pupils tested444548313029
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths89%89%90%84%83%72%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths16%11%23%0%13%21%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0107.0107.0106.0107.0105.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0108.0107.0107.0107.0107.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score112.0112.0111.0110.0109.0110.0105.0105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard93%91%92%94%90%72%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard89%89%90%97%90%93%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)93%91%92%90%90%90%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.8+2.8+2.7-0.1
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.9+3.5+3.5+2.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged73%80%70%33%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged94%91%95%83%

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 Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School, the school this one replaced in July 2017. 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. 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
73%94%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
85%92%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%16%
Gap 16 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.

Nearly full313 pupils for 315 places, 2024/25
99% 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 grown by 5% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 0.7 miles away in 2026, 1.5 miles away in 2024. 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 0.7 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 Primary45132450.7 milesLA
2025 Primary4511142all offeredLA
2024 Primary45136451.5 milesLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 1.1 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.1 miles of the school£185,000half sold for £148k to £230k
Homes sold579December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-8%a typical home in the district sells for £200,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll340Census January 2026
Places315108% full
Pupils from low-income families12%12% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%34 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.910 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils20%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)12%£58,900 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls173 / 167
White British pupils87%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.8 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (15), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (9), Moderate learning difficulty (5), emotional and mental health (4), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll340346344345333332
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals12%14%15%13%14%14%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%6%0%3%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support10%10%10%9%9%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%3%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school4.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.1%4.3%4.2%5.5%2.6%4.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.2%3.1%3.0%4.2%2.0%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%1.2%1.2%1.4%0.7%1.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence4.0%6.2%6.2%13.2%3.7%7.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.30.90.90.90.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers14.6full-time equivalent, 15 people
Pupils per teacher23.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£41,295
Teachers who left in the year15%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.82024/25

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£5,614England £7,128. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£6,086England £7,587. Total £2.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,673England £3,405
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £41k, £122 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£160kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,614spent 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 m16312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate71 per 1,000 people23% lower than the England average
Typical house price£200,000Ashfield
Nearest bus stop90 mHenning Lane, 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
St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary SchoolAcademy960 m205Report card 202613Compare
Huthwaite All Saints Church of England Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy0.9 miles109Report card 202646Compare
Brierley Forest Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy0.9 miles258Report card 20251Compare
Leamington Primary and Nursery AcademyAcademy1.1 miles461Good 201958Compare
Woodland View Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy1.2 miles300Not inspected8Compare
Croft Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles364No overall grade 202514Compare
Greenwood Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy1.3 miles445No overall grade 202576Compare
Priestsic Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil1.3 miles425Good 202217Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Mapplewells Primary and Nursery 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.

Beats100%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the very top of its group. Its score of 97 is 49 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 48 · highest 93100

No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 97 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 97% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 94 to 99. 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%above
+0.21
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 44 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well above
+0.43
Ofsted grade, 1.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%well above
+0.22
DfE progress measure; 44 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.02
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.13
2024/25; 272 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.15
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 44 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 Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School scores 97 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 100% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 94 to 99, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School not judged at its last full inspection on 28 January 2025.

How good are Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 89% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 16% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School have?

340 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 315 places, so it is 108% full.

Is Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 0.7 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 Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School?

Pupils were in school 96.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 4% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School?

The average class had 28.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 20% 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
Henning Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 1HU
Telephone
01623 455949
Website
www.mapplewellsprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr A Whittle
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Flying High Trust (39 schools)
Local authority
Nottinghamshire
Ward
Ashfields
Constituency
Ashfield
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 July 2017 (academy converter)
URN
144322 · LAESTAB 8912120 · UKPRN 10062854
Formerly
Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School

Where these figures come from