The Holgate Academy

About The Holgate Academy

The Holgate Academy’s headline Progress 8 score of -0.81 places it well below the Nottinghamshire local authority average of -0.11, a gap that marks it out as one of the lowest-performing secondary schools in the county. In fact, its ranking within the 46 state secondaries in the LA is 41st, and nationally it sits in the bottom 7% of schools. This is a school where academic outcomes are significantly weaker than those of its peers, and the data suggests that pupils here make considerably less progress than similar students elsewhere. The school’s attainment 8 score of 39.1 and its EBacc average point score of 3.37 both reflect this challenge. For parents looking at headline metrics, the contrast with the LA average is stark, and it is worth noting that the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024 rated it as Requires Improvement overall, a step up from its previous Inadequate rating but still indicating significant work to be done.

Breaking down the exam results, the picture is consistent across subjects. Progress 8 in English is -0.82, in maths -0.83, and in the EBacc subjects it is -0.91, all well below the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 95 measure) is just 27.7%, compared with 48.5% at grade 4 or above. Only 10.6% of pupils entered the EBacc and achieved a grade 5 or above. At sixth form, the picture is mixed: the value added score is -0.37, described as below average, and the average points per entry is 25.06, equivalent to a C- grade. However, the sixth form provision itself was rated Good by Ofsted in 2024, and 30% of entries achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects, which suggests that the most able post-16 students can still achieve strong results.

The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, with 392 applications for 247 places and 196 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.59. This suggests that despite the academic challenges, local families still see value in what the school offers. Facilities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, sports hall, music rooms, science labs, and a sixth form centre, alongside a chapel and library. The school has a wide range of clubs, from Model UN and debate to gardening and orchestra, and offers sports including hockey, football, and cross country. Its SEND provisions are comprehensive, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With 37.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with significant disadvantage, and for families who prioritise strong pastoral support and a broad extracurricular offer over headline exam results, it may still be a viable local option.

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