Nottingham Free School

What Nottingham Free School does

Nottingham Free School is a state-funded secondary academy located in the Courtaulds building on Haydn Road, Nottingham (NG5 1EB), serving students aged 11–18 across Years 7–13 in the communities of Sherwood, Carrington, Mapperley Park, Woodthorpe and Mapperley. The school opened in September 2014, added a Sixth Form (NFS16) in 2016, and operates as a member academy of Nova Education Trust, a multi-academy trust. Its core offering is a full secondary curriculum comprising Key Stage 3, a GCSE programme with 14+ option subjects including EBacc pathways, and post-16 A-Level provision, supplemented by enrichment (Duke of Edinburgh, personal development, after-school sessions), careers guidance, SEND support, and pastoral services.

The school's technology stack is built on standard third-party education platforms: Microsoft Teams for online and remote learning delivery, Bromcom Student Portal and MCAS (My Child At School) as the management information system for grades, attendance and parent access, Satchel One (Show My Homework) for homework management, ParentPay for fee/trip payments, and supplementary resources such as Reading Cloud and The Day. The school holds an Ofsted 'Good' rating (first achieved 2017, retained November 2022), Cyber Essentials certification, DrugAware accreditation, Complete Careers Career Mark, and Inclusive Attendance Bronze KITE recognition, and was ranked 2nd among the top 5 Nottingham secondary schools for pupil progression in June 2025.

The business model is government-funded: revenue is derived from per-pupil funding via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), supplemented by ring-fenced grants including Pupil Premium and 16-19 Tuition Fund. There are no tuition fees; the only parent-borne costs are optional activities such as trips and instrumental music lessons. Admissions are processed through the Nottingham Local Authority coordinated scheme, with applications due by 31 October and National Offer Day in early March. Distribution is exclusively via the single Nottingham campus and its associated Sixth Form microsite (nfs16.co.uk).

Name

Nottingham Free School

Legal name

Nottingham Free School

Website

https://nottinghamfreeschool.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Nottingham Free School is a state-funded secondary academy in Nottingham, part of Nova Education Trust, delivering KS3–KS5 education (Years 7–13) including GCSEs and A-Levels to students aged 11–18 in the Sherwood, Carrington, Mapperley Park, Woodthorpe and Mapperley catchment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• GCSE programmes
• A-level provision
• State-funded academy
• Pastoral care

Headquarters

HQ city

Nottingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. State-Funded Education: As a state-funded secondary school and academy, Nottingham Free School is primarily financed through government funding via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Revenue is derived from per-pupil funding allocations, supplemented by specific grants such as Pupil Premium, 16-19 Tuition Fund, and otherring-fenced educational funding streams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nottingham Free School is a state-funded secondary school and academy providing free education to students aged 11-18 (Years 7-13) in Nottingham. Its core offering is the KS3 Curriculum (Years 7-9), KS4/GCSE Programme (Years 10-11) with EBacc and option pathways, and KS5/A-Level Sixth Form (NFS16) provision. The school delivers a broad academic curriculum, pastoral support, SEND services, careers guidance, and enrichment activities including Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Product overview

Nottingham Free School is a secondary school offering a unified educational service from Years 7-13. The core products are the KS3 Curriculum (Years 7-9) providing broad subject coverage across 12 subjects, the KS4/GCSE Programme (Years 10-11) offering 14 GCSE qualification pathways including EBacc options, and the KS5/A-Level Provision for post-16 students. Supporting modules include Extra-Curricular Activities (Duke of Edinburgh Award, sports, music), Enrichment Lessons embedded in the core curriculum, After School Sessions for extended learning, a Transition Programme for incoming Year 6 students, and a Remote Learning Platform accessible via Microsoft Teams and Bromcom Student Portal. All students also receive pastoral support, careers guidance, and SEND services as integral components of the educational offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KS3 Curriculum (Years 7-9)
• KS4/GCSE Programme (Years 10-11)
• Sixth Form / NFS16 (KS5 A-Level Provision)
• Transition Programme
• Extra-Curricular Activities
• Remote Learning Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Progress 8 Score of +0.29 (2023-24), indicating students made more progress than the national average
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nova Education TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNottingham Free School is a member academy of the Nova Education Trust, a multi-academy trust in Nottingham. The trust provides governance, strategic leadership, financial oversight, HR support, and shared educational resources across its network of schools. The trust holds regular awards evenings (Nova Transformational Awards) that Nottingham Free School participates in and has won awards at. Nova Education Trust's registered office is at The Sir Colin Campbell Building, The University of Nottingham, Triumph Road, Nottingham, NG7 2TU.
• Microsoft (Teams)coreTechnology or IntegrationNottingham Free School uses Microsoft Teams as its primary platform for online and remote learning delivery. Students access their online education through Microsoft Teams, which serves as the digital classroom environment for homework, assignments, and remote education.
• Bromcom (Student Portal / MCAS)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe school uses Bromcom's Student Portal and MCAS (My Child At School) platform as its student information system. Parents and students use these platforms to access grades, attendance records, reports, and other academic information. Bromcom is described as the school's MIS (Management Information System) provider.
• Satchel One (Show My Homework)coreTechnology or IntegrationSatchel One (formerly Show My Homework) is the school's homework management platform. Parents and students use this to view, track, and manage homework assignments. Video guides and login instructions are provided on the school's website.
• Torch SCITTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTorch SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) is referenced on the school's vacancies page as a training pathway for individuals seeking a career in teaching. The school directs potential staff to the Torch SCITT website for more information about training opportunities.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Toot Hill School: High-performing secondary school in Bingham, south of Nottingham within the wider Nottinghamshire area. Comparable as a state secondary with strong outcomes and sixth-form provision, though it draws from a more rural/semi-rural catchment.

Direct peers

• The Becket School: Catholic secondary school in Nottingham offering 11-18 education including a sixth form. Comparable as a Nottingham city-region state secondary with strong pastoral and academic positioning competing for the same family audience.
• The West Bridgford School: Large secondary school in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, with comprehensive KS3-KS5 provision. Comparable as a high-performing Nottingham-area state secondary competing for similar parental profiles.
• Carlton le Willows Academy: Secondary academy in the Gedling area of Nottingham, serving overlapping suburban communities east of the city centre. Comparable as a state secondary with sixth form competing for the same parental school-choice pool.
• Rushcliffe School: High-performing Nottinghamshire secondary school in West Bridgford with strong GCSE and A-Level results. Comparable as a Nottingham-area state secondary with sixth form and a reputation for academic outcomes above local average.
• Djanogly City Academy: Nottingham-based secondary academy offering 11-18 education with a sixth form, operating under a multi-academy trust (Djanogly Learning Trust). Directly comparable urban state-school model competing within the Nottingham admissions market.
• Nottingham Girls' Academy: Secondary academy in Nottingham offering 11-18 education to girls, part of a multi-academy trust. Comparable as a Nottingham city state secondary with sixth-form provision targeting the same local family demographic.
• Bluecoat Aspley Academy: State-funded secondary academy located in Nottingham, serving a comparable urban catchment. Directly competes with Nottingham Free School for Year 7 applications within the city and offers a similar 11-18 curriculum with sixth-form provision.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nottingham-free-school

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nottingham Free School