St Nicolas CofE Academy

About St Nicolas CofE Academy

St Nicolas CofE Academy is a Church of England primary in Nuneaton and Bedworth that is comfortably oversubscribed, a clear signal of its standing among local families. With 425 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, the school is effectively full. The demand is striking: for 60 places in the 2025/26 intake, the school received 233 applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 3.88. Of those, 90 were first-preference applications, and 56 first-preference offers were made. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 12.9%, which is below the national average for primary schools and suggests a relatively less disadvantaged intake than many schools in the Warwickshire local authority. The school is mixed, non-selective, and takes children from age 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2024, rated the school Good overall, with an Outstanding rating for early years provision — a notable strength that may appeal to parents of younger children.

Academically, St Nicolas performs solidly against local benchmarks. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That is two percentage points above the Warwickshire local authority average of 62%. The school ranks 12th out of 25 primary schools in the Nuneaton and Bedworth area on this metric, placing it in the top half locally. Nationally, it sits in the 47th percentile. Subject-level results show reading as a relative strength: 80% of pupils met the expected standard and 36% reached the higher standard, with an average score of 105. Maths saw 74% at expected and 13% at the higher standard, with an average score of 102. Writing was similar, with 75% at expected and 16% at the higher standard. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The previous Ofsted inspection in 2011 also rated the school Good overall, though leadership and management was graded as Requires Improvement at that time.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, gymnasium, dining hall, sensory room and chapel, and runs clubs such as chess, coding, choir, eco club, film club and gardening. Sports on offer include netball, tennis, athletics, swimming and gymnastics. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for a broad spectrum of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, social and emotional mental health difficulties, and specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia. The school is oversubscribed, so parents should be prepared to apply early and list it as a first preference to maximise their chances of an offer. Given its Church of England character and Good Ofsted rating with an Outstanding early years provision, it is likely to suit families who value a faith-based setting with strong early years support and a solid, above-average academic record within the local authority.

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