Sycamore Academy

About Sycamore Academy

Sycamore Academy’s headline Key Stage 2 results sit below the Nottingham local authority average, a gap that’s worth noting for parents weighing their options. The school’s proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined is 55%, compared with the LA average of 60%. That five-point difference places Sycamore 52nd out of 74 primary schools in the city, putting it in the bottom half of the local league table. The school is also significantly oversubscribed — 80 applications for 54 places in 2025/26, with 52 first-preference offers — so demand remains strong despite the middling headline figure. Context matters here: Sycamore serves a notably disadvantaged intake, with 48.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, nearly double the national average. That makes the raw attainment gap less surprising, and the school’s Good Ofsted rating, confirmed in an ungraded inspection in June 2024, suggests leadership is managing these challenges effectively.

Digging into the KS2 breakdown, Sycamore’s strongest subject is reading, where 75% of pupils met the expected standard and the average scaled score reached 104. Writing and maths followed at 71% and 67% respectively, all above the national floor but below the top quartile. The proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects combined is just 7%, which is low and reflects the school’s position in the bottom 50 nationally for this metric. In maths, 18% achieved the higher standard; in reading, 16%; in writing, 14%. The school’s Progress 8 scores are not available in the data, so it’s hard to say how much value the school adds relative to its starting points. The previous Ofsted inspection in 2014 rated overall effectiveness as Good, and the 2024 ungraded visit confirmed the school remains Good, with early years provision improving from a 3 (Satisfactory) in 2010 to a 2 (Good) in 2024. Leadership and management have held steady at Good across both inspections.

Sycamore Academy is a two-form-entry primary with nursery provision for children from age two, and it currently exceeds its official capacity of 420 with 476 pupils on roll. The site includes playing fields, a gymnasium, an ICT suite, art studios, a dining hall and even a chapel — unusual for a non-religious school. Sports provision covers gymnastics, athletics, dance, cross country, football and tennis, while after-school clubs include art, drama, choir and film club. The school’s SEND offer is broad, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to profound learning difficulties, speech and language needs, visual impairment, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health support. For families in Nottingham, Sycamore is a popular, community-focused school that serves a high-needs population. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is Huntingdon Academy, just 0.4 km away, so parents with higher academic expectations may want to compare both.

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