School profile

Fernwood School

Secondary · Academy converter · Nottingham, NG8 2FT

Outstanding

Map showing Fernwood School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#524 of 3,312

Better than 84% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Fernwood School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 12 Mar 2024

Ofsted rating
Outstanding
Quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,543
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Christopher Gell
TrustTHE FERNWOOD ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityNottingham
Opened01 May 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 136724.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolNottinghamEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.54.6, better than England, better than Nottingham43.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.79.2%, better than England, better than Nottingham59.7%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.65.5%, better than England, better than Nottingham41.5%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.22.8%, better than England, better than Nottingham11%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths74.6%, better than England, better than Nottingham54.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4307--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,543
Girls727
Boys816
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.18.3%
First language not English34%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,500
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.144
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.20
Average class size23.8

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
36.2%
Pakistani
15.1%
Chinese
5.8%
Indian
5.7%
Other White
5.5%
White and Black Caribbean
4.4%
Other Asian
4.4%
Other ethnic group
4.1%
Other mixed
3.2%
White and Asian
3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.5
Teachers (FTE)93.03
Teaching assistants (FTE)16.91
Support staff (FTE)60.08
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2591.6
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2583
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254.6

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.293
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.796
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.426
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.286
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)136

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolNottinghamEngland
Overall absence6.2%, better than England, better than Nottingham8.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.13.9%, better than England, better than Nottingham23.8%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.1.7%, better than England, better than Nottingham3.8%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate6%
Pupils with one or more suspensions3.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0.1%
Permanent exclusions2

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.92.6%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.91.2%
Sixth form college65.9%
Further education18.9%
School sixth form6.5%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.1%
Apprenticeship0.9%
Employment0.5%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Fernwood School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryFernwood Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.5 miPrimaryFirbeck AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.6 miPrimaryPortland Spencer AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Outstanding
0.7 miSecondaryNottingham University Samworth AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.9 mi16 plusBilborough CollegeAcademy 16-19 converter
Unrated
1.1 miPrimaryGlenbrook Spencer AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.1 miPrimaryMelbury Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.2 miPrimaryBramcote Hills Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
1.2 miSecondaryBluecoat Beechdale AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.2 miPrimaryBluecoat Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Fernwood School

What is Fernwood School's Ofsted rating?

Fernwood School is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, last inspected on 12 Mar 2024.

How does Fernwood School rank in England?

Fernwood School ranks 524 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 84% of schools).

What are Fernwood School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 65.5% of pupils at Fernwood School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 54.6 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Fernwood School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Fernwood School made 293 offers from 796 applications (2.7 per offer), and 286 of 426 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Fernwood School?

Fernwood School has 1,543 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Fernwood School?

Fernwood School had 1,500 school places in 2024/25.

Does Fernwood School have a sixth form?

No, Fernwood School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Fernwood School?

At Fernwood School, the average class had 23.8 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Fernwood School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Fernwood School missed 6.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 13.9% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.