Bluecoat Aspley Academy
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,344 pupils
91% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.6
Academy sponsor led
The Bulwell Academy
- Pupils on roll
- 1,051of 1,050 places
- Free school meals
- 55.6%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 188
- Ofsted
- Report card, 12 May 2026Read the Ofsted report
Curriculum and teaching Needs attentionAchievement Needs attentionAttendance and behaviour Expected standardPersonal development and wellbeing Expected standardInclusion Expected standardLeadership and governance Expected standardPost-16 provision Not applicableSafeguarding Met
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: The Bulwell Academy (URN 135685, until 30 April 2018).
What the data says
Of the 189 pupils who finished Year 11 at The Bulwell Academy in 2023, 3% stayed on in The Bulwell Academy’s own sixth form (Nottingham average 27%), 68% went to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.
GCSE results in 2025 were well below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 36.1 against 46.1 across England and 43.0 in Nottingham, with 29% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Photography is unusually popular at GCSE: 29% of the year group took it, against 6% of pupils across England.
10% of leavers were not in sustained education, employment or training six months on, compared with 6% nationally.
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 Nottingham and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | The Bulwell Academy | Nottingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 189 | 3,152 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 83% | 88% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 77% | 85% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 3% | 27% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 7% | 14% | 13% |
| — further education college | 68% | 42% | 37% |
| — other education | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 2% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 2% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 10% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 7% | 5% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
No published destinations for sixth-form leavers yet.
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | The Bulwell Academy | Nottingham | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 36.1 | 43.0 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 29% | 40% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 47% | 59% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 12% | 27% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.01 | 3.73 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 47% | 42% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 30.6 | 35.1 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 40.9 | 48.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 12% | 35% | 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.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 189 | 100% | 89% | 11% | 20% | 54% |
| Mathematics | 189 | 100% | 88% | 8% | 22% | 51% |
| English Literature | 187 | 99% | 86% | 5% | 21% | 57% |
| Combined Science | 181 | 96% | 65% | 5% | 9% | 39% |
| Geography | 83 | 44% | 41% | 7% | 25% | 43% |
| Photography | 55 | 29% | 6% | 0% | 19% | 47% |
| History | 50 | 27% | 41% | 12% | 26% | 40% |
| Fine Art | 33 | 18% | 9% | 18% | 28% | 27% |
| Spanish | 23 | 12% | 19% | 22% | 27% | 61% |
| Drama | 16 | 9% | 7% | 6% | 27% | 19% |
| French | 16 | 9% | 18% | 19% | 29% | 38% |
| Polish | 5 | 3% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
| Portuguese | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 50% | — |
| Biology | 2 | 1% | 23% | — | 45% | — |
| Art and Design | 1 | 1% | 7% | — | 24% | — |
| Turkish | 1 | 1% | 0% | — | 71% | — |
| Chinese | 1 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Chemistry | 1 | 1% | 23% | — | 47% | — |
| Physics | 1 | 1% | 23% | — | 46% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 91 | — | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 78 | — | — |
| Sports Studies | 50 | — | — |
| Health Studies | 37 | — | — |
| Multimedia | 35 | — | — |
| Beauty Care / Services | 30 | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 27 | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | 19 | — | — |
| Art and Design | 18 | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Nottingham
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy
Academy sponsor led · 887 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 34.0
Bluecoat Wollaton Academy
Academy converter · 879 pupils
92% stayed in education · Attainment 8 49.4
Djanogly City Academy
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,270 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.0
Ellis Guilford School
Academy sponsor led · 1,171 pupils
79% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.1
Farnborough Spencer Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,005 pupils
77% stayed in education · Attainment 8 38.9
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.