School Chooser

Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology

Secondary · ages 11-19MixedFree school928 pupilsSixth formNottingham
School Chooser Score
68
Above
similar schools
Likely range 58 to 76
Out of 100. Better than 61% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2022
Strong pass in English and maths53%England 46%
Attendance93.7%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families35%Far more than most schools
Places7 spare928 pupils, 935 places
Pupils per teacher18.6School workforce census

Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology is a free school in Nottingham for boys and girls aged 11 to 19. It has 928 pupils and room for 935. About 35 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 68 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 61% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

93 Abbey Street, Dunkirk, Nottingham, NG7 2PL0115 859 2040nuast.orgMr David Thompson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 September 2022, 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
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

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

Average GCSE score51.1
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths53%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths75%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.16In each subject, pupils here finished a little 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: 51.051.020182019: 51.951.920192022: 50.850.820222023: 49.749.720232024: 45.945.920242025: 51.151.12025
Since 2018: +0.1Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018NottinghamEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 111221181181199963
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 851.145.949.750.851.951.044.246.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.16-0.01-0.23+0.17+0.00
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths53%53%49%61%50%51%41%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths75%71%74%76%75%75%61%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score4.423.984.114.014.233.813.834.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry27%43%12%5%2%3%29%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged48.837.442.442.148.447.1
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged53.049.653.455.953.453.0
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers32.429.930.834.7
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers60.065.458.562.160.9

Subjects

Results came out for 16 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

Computer Science69%grades 9 to 5, England 56%
English Language63%grades 9 to 5, England 54% · 786th of 3,210 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Biology (50% here, 82% across England), Physics (52% here, 82% across England), Chemistry (55% here, 81% across England), Statistics (36% here, 51% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, computer science.

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

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics122 entries · 4th of 18 in Nottingham
61%England 53%
English Language122 entries · 3rd of 18 in Nottingham
63%England 54%
English Literature121 entries · 6th of 18 in Nottingham
60%England 58%
Biology117 entries · 14th of 16 in Nottingham
50%England 82%
Chemistry116 entries · 14th of 16 in Nottingham
55%England 81%
Physics116 entries · 14th of 16 in Nottingham
52%England 82%
Geography67 entries · 6th of 18 in Nottingham
48%England 51%
Business63 entries · 4th of 8 in Nottingham
46%England 51%
History50 entries · 8th of 18 in Nottingham
50%England 52%
Statistics33 entries · 1st of 4 in Nottingham
36%England 51%
Religious Studies27 entries · 6th of 15 in Nottingham
63%England 60%
Spanish20 entries · 9th of 13 in Nottingham
50%England 54%
53%England 50%
69%England 56%
0%England 49%
Art and Design11 entries
73%England 58%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics12231%61%83%53%891 of 3,211
English Language12225%63%80%54%786 of 3,210
English Literature12124%60%81%58%1,285 of 3,202
Biology11717%50%67%82%2,380 of 2,570
Chemistry11626%55%72%81%2,271 of 2,537
Physics11616%52%64%82%2,345 of 2,546
Geography6727%48%63%51%1,550 of 3,116
Business6322%46%60%51%961 of 1,806
History5026%50%68%52%1,587 of 3,126
Statistics3312%36%52%51%275 of 375
Religious Studies2730%63%74%60%877 of 1,825
Spanish2015%50%80%54%1,157 of 1,941
Design & Technology195%53%68%50%
Computer Science1644%69%69%56%
Other Modern Languages160%0%0%49%
Art and Design1146%73%91%58%

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.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

168 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeB-38.1 points per entry
A level progress+0.03Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better34%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished95%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018
Students168156169175202131
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry38.1334.8632.5537.1038.8534.81
Average A level gradeB-C+C+B-BC+
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS38.3234.7832.8136.7238.8341.30
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects34%23%15%28%30%44%
A level progressA level value added+0.03-0.05+0.35+0.42
Applied general courses: points per entry35.8336.43
T levels: points per entry43.4841.4040.9642.76
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed95%90%97%94%79%89%

A level subjects

13 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

Strongest A levels

Design and Technology (Engineering)62%A* to B, England 37% · 13 entries
Mathematics76%A* to B, England 60% · 102 entries
Physics65%A* to B, England 51% · 48 entries
A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsMathematics102Chemistry72Biology60Physics48Mathematics (Further)32Psychology20Computer Science20Economics13Design and Technology (Engineering)13Law9English Literature7Sociology6Business Studies6
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Mathematics102 entries · 53% A* or A · 99% passed
76%England 60%
Chemistry72 entries · 32% A* or A · 99% passed
57%England 53%
Biology60 entries · 23% A* or A · 95% passed
43%England 49%
Physics48 entries · 40% A* or A · 96% passed
65%England 51%
Mathematics (Further)32 entries · 47% A* or A · 100% passed
75%England 76%
Psychology20 entries · 20% A* or A · 100% passed
50%England 46%
Computer Science20 entries · 30% A* or A · 100% passed
45%England 46%
Economics13 entries · 23% A* or A · 100% passed
46%England 57%
Design and Technology (Engineering)13 entries · 23% A* or A · 100% passed
62%England 37%
Law9 entries · 22% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 40%
English Literature7 entries · 14% A* or A · 100% passed
57%England 52%
Sociology6 entries · 17% A* or A · 100% passed
67%England 49%
Business Studies6 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
33%England 47%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

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
48.853.0
Gap 4.2England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
47%57%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
48.554.1
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

Admissions policy not published.

Full913 pupils for 800 places, 2024/25
114% full

The school is full, with 113 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have fallen by 3% since 2021/22.

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 roll928Census January 2026
Places93599% full
Pupils from low-income families28%35% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English37%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support8%70 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.238 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils3%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)40%£270,600 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls547 / 381
White British pupils17%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (25), Moderate learning difficulty (14), Autistic spectrum disorder (12), language and communications needs (7), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (5), Hearing impairment (3).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll928913906917946901
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%28%28%28%24%19%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language37%38%37%32%26%23%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%10%10%15%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%0%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance93.7%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.1%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils11.72024/25, 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 absence6.3%7.5%8.2%9.2%5.3%5.1%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.6%3.9%4.2%5.6%1.4%2.7%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.7%3.6%4.0%3.6%3.9%2.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.1%20.4%26.8%31.1%13.7%13.5%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate11.714.415.623.318.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 118 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training94%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 92%, compared with 95% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training94%90%94%90%
Education91%84%88%88%
Apprenticeship2%3%4%1%
Work2%3%2%2%
Not in education, work or training2%8%3%7%

After sixth form

Where the 166 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training91%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 88%, compared with 92% for everyone else.

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training86%England 72%
Top-third universities37%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship8%England 6%
Higher technical course1%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND

Among students from low-income families, 89% went on to degree-level study or training and 46% to a top-third university.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training91%90%94%
Education71%67%65%
Apprenticeship8%9%11%11%
Work13%14%18%
Not in education, work or training5%8%4%

Staff and money

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

Teachers50.0full-time equivalent, 55 people
Pupils per teacher18.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,104
Teachers who left in the year29%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies1
Sick days per teacher10.32024/25

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£7,303England £7,965. Total £6.7m
Income per pupil£8,272England £8,423. Total £7.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,098England £4,444
Money in reserve39%A lot put by: £3.0m, £3,229 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£887kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,303spent 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 m89712 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate188 per 1,000 people106% higher than the England average
Nearest bus stop80 mQMC Abbey Street, 15 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 Wollaton AcademyAcademy1.1 miles879Not inspected69Compare
The Nottingham Emmanuel SchoolAcademy1.3 miles1,108No overall grade 202536Compare
The Becket SchoolAcademy1.4 miles1,157Good 202281Compare
Clayfield HouseSecure units1.9 milesNot inspectedCompare
Djanogly City AcademyAcademy1.9 miles1,270No overall grade 202428Compare
Bluecoat Aspley AcademyAcademy2.0 miles1,344Good 202460Compare
Nottingham Girls' AcademyAcademy2.1 miles931Outstanding 202382Compare
Bluecoat Beechdale AcademyAcademy2.2 miles887Good 20228Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats61%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 68 is 5 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 63 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 68 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 68% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 58 to 76. 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%in line
+0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 122 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 4.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.04
DfE progress measure; 122 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.08
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.08
2024/25; 655 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 122 pupils
What pupils do next5%above
+0.02
118 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 Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology scores 68 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 61% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 58 to 76, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology good at its last full inspection on 28 September 2022.

How good are Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 53% 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 51.1, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology have?

928 pupils aged 11 to 19 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 935 places, so it is 99% full.

Is Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 113 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology?

The average class had 21.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 3% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was B-. 13 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

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

Contact and details

Address
93 Abbey Street, Dunkirk, Nottingham, NG7 2PL
Telephone
0115 859 2040
Website
www.nuast.org
Headteacher
Mr David Thompson
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Nova Education Trust (17 schools)
Local authority
Nottingham
Ward
Lenton & Wollaton East
Constituency
Nottingham South
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2014 (new provision)
URN
140984 · LAESTAB 8924004 · UKPRN 10047253

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from