Academy converter

The South Wolds Academy & Sixth Form

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth formNottinghamshire, East Midlands · Nottingham NG12 5FFTrust: East Midlands Education TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,033of 1,114 places
Free school meals
16.6%
Year 11 cohort 2025
161
Ofsted
School remains Good, 23 April 2025Read the Ofsted report

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: South Wolds Community School (URN 122883, until 1 June 2012).

What the data says

Of the 148 pupils who finished Year 11 at The South Wolds Academy & Sixth Form in 2023, 48% stayed on in The South Wolds Academy & Sixth Form’s own sixth form (Nottinghamshire average 36%), 32% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.

Among the 62 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 63% went to university (Nottinghamshire 40%, England 37%), and 29% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 27% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.

GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 53.5 against 46.1 across England and 46.8 in Nottinghamshire, with 61% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

Where pupils went after Year 11

Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Nottinghamshire and England.

This school
Nottinghamshire
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolNottinghamshireEngland
Pupils in the cohort1488,955607,348
Any sustained destination91%92%92%
Stayed in education84%84%86%
— school sixth form48%36%34%
— sixth form college2%4%13%
— further education college32%42%37%
— other education1%2%2%
Apprenticeship4%5%3%
Employment3%3%3%
No sustained destination7%6%6%
Destination unknown2%3%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

This school
Nottinghamshire
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThis schoolNottinghamshireEngland
Students in the cohort625,147541,441
Any sustained destination95%84%79%
University (higher education)63%40%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students29%23%19%
Further education0%4%5%
Apprenticeship10%10%7%
Employment23%29%28%
No sustained destination5%13%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThis schoolNottinghamshireEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)53.546.846.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths61%47%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths76%68%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects22%39%41%
EBacc average point score4.544.154.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort17%24%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils36.833.934.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils57.050.850.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language14%10%19%

Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.

Subjects taken at GCSE

Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language15999%89%21%20%76%
Mathematics15898%88%32%22%80%
English Literature15496%86%27%21%79%
Combined Science9458%65%11%9%64%
Business Studies7748%18%32%20%73%
History6037%41%13%26%50%
Biology6037%23%62%45%100%
Spanish6037%19%28%27%82%
Physics6037%23%52%46%100%
Chemistry6037%23%68%47%100%
Photography4427%6%27%19%98%
Religious Studies4125%31%37%32%78%
Food Preparation and Nutrition3622%8%11%21%42%
Physical Education3522%11%9%24%63%
French2616%18%54%29%96%
Geography2616%41%38%25%81%
Fine Art2516%9%36%28%100%
Graphic Communication2516%1%44%23%92%
German2314%5%78%33%100%
Computer Science1912%13%53%30%95%
Textiles1811%2%50%27%100%
Design and Technology1610%11%25%23%75%
Drama127%7%25%27%67%
Chinese127%1%100%75%100%
Modern Greek32%0%33%
Portuguese21%0%50%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureThis schoolNottinghamshireEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study147
— of whom A level students683,226261,341
Average A level gradeB-C+B-
Average points per A level entry37.8634.6535.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsB-B-B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects13%17%18%
Average grade, applied general courses
Average grade, T levels

A level subjects

Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Psychology2334%23%
Business Studies2131%13%
Mathematics1928%31%
Economics1624%13%
Graphic Communication1218%2%
Chemistry1218%17%
Religious Studies1015%4%
Biology913%20%
Photography913%3%
English Language710%4%
English Literature69%11%
Physics69%12%
Physical Education69%3%
Fine Art3%
Textiles1%
Computer Science5%
Drama2%
Product Design2%
French1%
Geography10%
German0%
Music0%
Spanish2%
Turkish0%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 32740%
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)69%
PsychologyGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (All)
PsychologyGCE AS level (All)
Further MathematicsGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)

Other secondary schools in Nottinghamshire

Bramcote College

Academy converter · sixth form · 816 pupils

79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 51.3

Carlton Academy

Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,354 pupils

84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.1

Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.