West Nottinghamshire College

About West Nottinghamshire College

West Nottinghamshire College’s Progress 8 score of -0.17 sits below the Nottinghamshire local authority average of -0.11, meaning pupils here make less academic progress between Key Stage 2 and GCSE than their peers across the county. That gap is modest — roughly one month’s worth of learning — but it places the college in the bottom half of schools nationally, at the 39th percentile. Within Mansfield, where it ranks 3rd out of 8 schools, it’s a middling performer. The picture is similar at A-level: a value-added score of -0.27 and an average points per entry of 24.35 (equivalent to a D+ grade) suggest students leave sixth form with results slightly below what their prior attainment would predict. The college’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2023, rated overall effectiveness as Requires Improvement, a repeat of its 2020 judgement. Behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and quality of education all scored 3 (Requires Improvement), though sixth-form provision, early years provision, and personal development were all judged Good.

On GCSE results, 51.4% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, dropping to 33.5% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is very low at 5.8%, and only 2.5% of pupils achieved the full EBacc at grade 4 or above. Attainment 8 sits at 40.6, and the EBacc average point score is 3.26. At A-level, the best three A-levels averaged a D grade (21.25 points), and no pupils achieved AAB or higher in at least two facilitating subjects. The college’s Progress 8 banding is officially ‘Average’, which tempers the headline figure — the confidence interval ranges from -0.34 to 0.01, so the true score could be close to zero. In the East Midlands, it ranks 155th out of 273 schools, placing it just above the regional median. Parents responding to the Ofsted Parent View survey were overwhelmingly positive: 99% would recommend the school, 93% agreed their child is happy, and 91% felt their child is safe.

The college is a large 16-99 mixed state school in Mansfield with a capacity of 2,570 and an official sixth form. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26 entry, with 164 applications for 131 places and 96 first-preference offers. A high 42.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, reflecting the local demographic. Facilities include a theatre, science labs, music rooms, art studios, a sixth form centre, and a chapel. Sports provision covers netball, rugby, football, swimming, tennis, and hockey, while clubs range from drama and orchestra to coding, eco club, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school lists SEND support for a wide range of needs, including dyslexia, moderate and severe learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language difficulties, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families prioritising a broad sixth-form offer and strong pastoral support, but who are comfortable with academic results that trail the local average and an Ofsted rating that still requires improvement.

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