The Brunts Academy, Mansfield

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades The Brunts Academy on 7 areas: 6 strong standard and 1 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Pupils benefit from a calm, orderly and respectful environment in which routines are well established and applied consistently."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have designed a well‑structured and ambitious curriculum that reflects the needs of the pupils served by the school."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders have built a highly inclusive culture that reflects the needs of the pupils that the school serves."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Pupils benefit from a well‑planned personal development programme that helps them grow in confidence and understand their place in the wider world."

Post 16 provision - Strong standard. "The post-16 curriculum is ambitious and prepares students successfully for further study, training or employment."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well in many subjects and are increasingly confident in applying what they know."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should strengthen how they use assessment information to sharpen their understanding of pupils' progress so that achievement is consistently strong across all subjects".

From the headteacher's welcome: "We believe that an outstanding education develops our students academically, socially and morally, giving them the knowledge and skills to be successful at school and in life."

In 2026, pupils at The Brunts Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.6 in Nottinghamshire and 47 across England.

40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Nottinghamshire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 45.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.41: pupils made 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 34.6, against 49.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 183 families put The Brunts Academy as their first choice and 649 named it as one of their preferences, for 215 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 The Brunts Academy are Sherwood Church Academy (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 36); Queen Elizabeth's Academy (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 32.3); All Saints' Catholic Voluntary Academy (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.5); and The Manor Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.8).

The Brunts Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

The Brunts Academy is one of 38 schools run by Greenwood Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.1 in 2024/25.

219 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Brunts Academy (as of April 2026): 83% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 66% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (89%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (66%).

Of the 263 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 66% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 46 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 67% went on to university or other higher education, 9% to apprenticeships and 11% into work. 22% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

In 2026, 155 pupils (11.2%) received SEN support and 22 (1.6%) 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 Mansfield Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Brunts Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 4th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 559 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Nottinghamshire (101), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, The Brunts Academy issued 411 suspensions, 29.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Brunts Academy are Mansfield Primary Academy (0.6 miles), Heatherley Primary School (0.6 miles), St Edmund's CofE (C) Primary & Nursery School (0.6 miles) and St Philip Neri With St Bede Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.