Bluecoat Beechdale Academy, Nottingham
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Nottingham, part of Archway Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2022 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 42nd-highest of the 43 schools in Nottingham with published results, and 3,016th of 3,298 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Nottingham (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.4 in Nottingham and 47 across England.
20% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Nottingham and 47% in England.
That is up from 34 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.67: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 34.7, against 40 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.3 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and History.
Getting a place at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy
For September 2026 entry, 127 families put Bluecoat Beechdale Academy as their first choice and 309 named it as one of their preferences, for 177 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Bluecoat Beechdale Academy are The Trinity Catholic School A Voluntary Academy (0.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54.4); Nottingham Girls' Academy (0.5 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 48.8); Bluecoat Aspley Academy (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.8); and Nottingham University Samworth Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 39.9).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Bluecoat Beechdale Academy.
The Trinity Catholic School A Voluntary AcademyNottingham Girls' AcademyBluecoat Aspley AcademyNottingham University Samworth Academy
The trust
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is one of 13 schools run by Archway Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 173 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 74% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 55% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.
Who goes there
68.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 238 pupils (26.8%) received SEN support and 19 (2.1%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Wilkinson Street Tram Stop, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
19 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ambergate Road, 240 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Bluecoat Beechdale Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bluecoat Beechdale Academy issued 570 suspensions, 64 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Bluecoat Beechdale Academy are Glenbrook Spencer Academy (0.2 miles), Bluecoat Primary Academy (0.2 miles), St Teresa's Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles) and Jubilee L.E.A.D. Academy (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Glenbrook Spencer AcademyBluecoat Primary AcademySt Teresa's Catholic Primary SchoolJubilee L.E.A.D. Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from February 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its February 2017 inspection - up from Inadequate.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
68.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.67 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 33.7 to 36.6 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 20% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 36.6 | 20% |
| Disadvantaged(109) | - | 34.7 | 17.4% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(61) | - | 40.0 | 24.6% |
| Boys(83) | - | 34.3 | 21.7% |
| Girls(87) | - | 38.7 | 18.4% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(36) | - | 44.3 | 27.8% |
| Non mobile(162) | - | 36.9 | 21% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 2 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 173 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
5
Permanent exclusions
0.56%
Exclusion rate
570
Suspensions
63.97%
Suspension rate
135 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 891 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Bluecoat Beechdale Academy
Term dates
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Nottingham's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Bluecoat Beechdale Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is in Nottingham; for families living there:
Apply to Nottingham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Nottingham is 37 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy
Will you get a place at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bluecoat Beechdale Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bluecoat Beechdale Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bluecoat Beechdale Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Nottingham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Nottingham got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
891 pupils
900 places
9 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Nottingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nottingham
Across Nottingham council
Places available
3,708
Applications
3,688
Got 1st preference
80.3%
Got preferred school
94.1%
All secondary applications across Nottingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
238
SEN Support
19
EHC Plans
29.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
887
Total Pupils
500
Boys
387
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
54
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,396
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,998
Per pupil
£8874k
Total funding
£627k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.3%
Overall absence
36.4%
Persistent absence
953
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy
Showing 10 of 14 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Bluecoat Beechdale Academy
What are GCSE results like at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 36.6. 20% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Bluecoat Beechdale Academy's Ofsted rating?
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2022, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is oversubscribed, Nottingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
Classes at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy average 19.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy has around 887 pupils on roll. 68% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
13.3% of sessions were missed at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy in 2024/25. 36.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
Apply through Nottingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Bluecoat Beechdale Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 5 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Nottingham is 37 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bluecoat Beechdale Academy?
Bluecoat Beechdale Academy is at Harvey Road, Bilborough, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG8 3GP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)