City of Derby Academy, Derby

Ofsted's report card from its 9 June 2026 inspection grades City of Derby Academy on 6 areas: 5 needs attention and 1 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Leaders' recent and effective actions have led to significant improvements in pupils' attendance and behaviour."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders recognise the weaknesses in the curriculum and in the quality of teaching."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders have placed inclusion at the heart of their improvement work."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders have stemmed the school's decline."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "Leaders have designed the personal, social and health education curriculum well, although some elements are still in the early stages of development."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "There are significant gaps in pupils' knowledge."

Safeguarding standards were NOT met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders and those responsible for governance need to make sure that safeguarding systems and processes are strategically managed and rigorous, and are applied routinely so that their actions to keep pupils safe and promote their welfare are suitable, timely and tracked closely"; "Leaders need to ensure that the all pupils have the opportunity to attain well across the curriculum, so that they are prepared well to progress to suitable next steps in education, training or employment"; "Leaders need to ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is consistent across all curriculum subjects, including personal, social and health education, and key stages so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or with other vulnerabilities, secure the knowledge and skills that they need"; "Leaders should continue their work to improve pupils' attendance and behaviour so that pupils attend school often, behave well and are ready to learn"; "School and trust leaders need to ensure that they continue to identify the right priorities to improve the quality of the provision so that all pupils benefit from a positive educational experience".

From the headteacher's welcome: "May we take this opportunity to welcome you to the City of Derby Academy. Our educational philosophy is to provide all students with an engaging and enjoyable learning experience which will develop both academic and personal success."

In 2026, pupils at City of Derby Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 31.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 42.7 in Derby and 47 across England.

16% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 37% in Derby and 47% in England.

That is down from 34.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.56: 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 25.8, against 38.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Art and Design and History.

For September 2026 entry, 112 families put City of Derby Academy as their first choice and 194 named it as one of their preferences, for 178 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to City of Derby Academy are Derby Moor Spencer Academy (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.7); Littleover Community School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 54.5); Alvaston Moor Academy (2.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 33.6); and Noel-Baker Academy (2.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 35.2).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than City of Derby Academy.

City of Derby Academy is one of 15 schools run by Tapestry Learning Partnership, an academy trust.

Of the 168 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 71% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 55% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

57.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 51.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Asian (33%), White British (26%) and Mixed (8%).

In 2026, 131 pupils (14.2%) received SEN support and 23 (2.5%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Peartree Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Falcon Way (adjacent), 70 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood City of Derby Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, City of Derby Academy issued 638 suspensions, 69.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to City of Derby Academy are Ash Croft Primary Academy (0.2 miles), Stenson Fields Primary Community School (0.3 miles), Redwood Primary School (0.4 miles) and Grampian Primary Academy (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.