Nicholas Chamberlaine School
90%
Capacity
1,427
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About Nicholas Chamberlaine School
Nicholas Chamberlaine School’s headline Progress 8 score of -0.51 sits well below the Warwickshire local authority average of 0.02, placing it in the bottom half of schools nationally. This is a significant gap that parents will want to weigh carefully. The school ranks 32nd out of 42 secondary schools in the county, and within the Nuneaton and Bedworth borough it comes 7th out of 8. The Progress 8 banding is described as ‘well below average’, and the school’s attainment 8 score of 38.8 reflects a cohort where over a third of pupils (34.8%) are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. That said, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 judged it Good across all five categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. This marks a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2021, when it was rated Requires Improvement overall.
At GCSE, 53.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, though only 26.3% reached the stronger grade 5 threshold. The EBacc average point score sits at 3.47, and just 7.8% of pupils entered the full EBacc combination. The school’s sixth form tells a more encouraging story: the value added score of 0.22 is rated ‘above average’, with a confidence interval that sits entirely above zero. The average points per entry of 30.59 equates to a grade C, and the best three A-levels average out at a C+. With 48 pupils in the sixth form cohort, it is a relatively small provision, but one where students typically make stronger progress than their prior attainment would predict. The school also offers a broad range of A-level subjects, and the sixth form centre is a dedicated facility on site.
The school is oversubscribed: for 273 places in 2025/26, there were 346 total applications and 248 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.27. Facilities include a swimming pool, theatre, music rooms, sports hall, and a chapel, alongside a library and ICT suites. Sports provision is wide, with rowing, rugby, hockey, and gymnastics among the options, and clubs range from Model UN to coding and science club. The school’s SEND register covers a broad spectrum, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. This is a large, inclusive comprehensive with a strong sixth form value-add, but the below-average KS4 progress means it may suit families who value the pastoral and extracurricular breadth over headline academic metrics.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Bulkington Road, Bedworth, Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV12 9EA |
| Headteacher | Alison Ramsay |
| Local Authority | Warwickshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,427 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 34.8% |
| School Capacity | 1,427 / 1,593 (90% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
23 Apr 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 22 May 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.51)
2622nd of 3,141
Nationally
309th of 371
In West Midlands
7th of 8
In Nuneaton and Bedworth
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
24.0
'22/23
23.8
'23/24
30.6
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2333%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 210 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)33%
- FE college30%
- Sixth form college20%
- Not sustained7%
- Employment4%
- Apprenticeship3%
92% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2354%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 54 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
9%
Russell Group
9%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)54%
- Employment30%
- Not sustained6%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Other education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Business Studies:Single17
- Sociology17
- Mathematics14
- Biology13
- Geography13
- Psychology10
- History6
- Chemistry5
- Logic / Philosophy4
- Art and Design (Fine Art)3
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
16Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed273
346
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
248 families put this school as their 1st choice (72% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:30
Source: nicholaschamberlaine-gst.org. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British73.7%
- Asian6.4%
- White (other)5.2%
- Mixed3.4%
- Black0.4%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
6
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Nicholas Chamberlaine School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Bulkington Road, Bedworth
Nuneaton and Bedworth, CV12 9EA
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