Queen Elizabeth's Academy Review 2026: Historic Mansfield secondary with improving culture and a partnered sixth form

A long-established Mansfield school with origins dating back to 1561, Queen Elizabeth’s Academy combines a traditional sense of place with a deliberate push on routines, curriculum sequencing, and behaviour. The school sits within Diverse Academies Trust and serves local families across Forest Town and the wider Mansfield area.

The most recent graded inspection, in April 2023, judged the school Good across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

For parents, the key “fit” question is not whether the school is trying to improve, it clearly is, but whether its current outcomes and pace of academic recovery match what your child needs. The inspection narrative stresses calm corridors, positive relationships, and strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Published performance data remains a weaker area, and the school is candid that outcomes have not yet caught up with its ambition.

This is a school that talks explicitly about culture and conduct, and it is reflected in the official inspection description. Pupils are described as happy to attend, with calm classrooms and corridors and polite interactions with staff. Bullying is acknowledged as something that can happen, but pupils report it is rare and addressed quickly. That combination of realism and clarity tends to matter to families choosing a local comprehensive school.

A distinctive element, compared with many non-faith secondaries, is that the school’s own materials and inspection coverage refer to Christian values as part of its ethos, alongside work on equality and diversity. Practically, this shows up most directly in admissions: the academy’s published admissions appendix for 2026 to 2027 includes a supplementary form for families who want church commitment considered, with up to 25 places described within that criterion set.

Leadership is currently stable and clearly identified. Donna Percival is the Principal, and the April 2023 inspection records that the headteacher appointment was made in May 2022, following a change in leadership. Parents who have tracked the school over time may see this as the hinge point between the earlier “requires improvement” period and a more structured approach to improvement.

Performance needs to be understood in two layers: the academy’s recent inspection picture, and the published outcomes data available.

GCSE performance suggests the school is currently below England average

The school’s Attainment 8 score is 31.3, and Progress 8 is -0.95. The proportion achieving grade 5 or above in EBacc subjects is 4.7%, with an EBacc average point score of 2.68. These figures are signals that many pupils have not yet been securing strong sets of GCSE passes across the core academic suite.

Rankings add context

Queen Elizabeth’s Academy is ranked 3,706th in England and 9th in Mansfield for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), placing it below England average overall.

At A level, the academy is ranked 2,574th in England and 8th in Mansfield for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), again placing it below England average. The dataset’s A-level grade distribution fields are recorded as zeros, which typically signals that a published breakdown is not available in that format for the cohort captured.

The most constructive way to interpret these numbers is alongside the inspection narrative, which states that leaders have worked rapidly to improve culture and curriculum, while outcomes have not yet been consistently strong enough and are still catching up with the school’s ambition.

Parents comparing options locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view GCSE and post-16 outcomes side-by-side with nearby schools, rather than relying on reputation or historic hearsay.

The strongest thread running through both the academy’s materials and the inspection report is a planned, sequenced approach to curriculum, with consistent routines to help pupils remember more. The academy describes a knowledge-led approach supported by knowledge organisers and retrieval tasks. Homework is framed as consolidation, including recall-based activities such as vocabulary learning and knowledge quizzes, rather than open-ended project work.

Curriculum breadth appears meaningful at Key Stage 3, and option choice expands at Key Stage 4. The academy highlights a range that includes engineering, computer science and psychology, and internal materials show a broader menu of practical and creative options alongside core academic subjects.

The inspection report adds the “how”: teachers are described as having strong subject knowledge, giving clear explanations, and checking recall routinely. Where the school is still developing is in subject-by-subject curriculum precision. In some areas, planning is described as not yet responsive enough to pupil needs, and in others the intended learning does not yet prepare pupils as well as it should for the next stage. For parents, that translates into a school where the overall direction is coherent, but the lived experience can vary by subject and by year group.

Post-16 at Queen Elizabeth’s Academy needs a clear explanation because it is not a simple “in-house sixth form in the same building” model.

The inspection report describes the sixth form curriculum as delivered through a partnership arrangement with two local schools, The National Church of England Academy and The Holgate Academy, operating as Hucknall Sixth Form Centre. That structure can be a positive for breadth, particularly for students wanting a wider mix of academic and vocational pathways than a small sixth form can sustain alone. It can also add travel and a different daily rhythm, which some teenagers handle well and others find tiring.

Destination data for the 2023 to 2024 cohort is based on a small group (cohort size 8), so it should be interpreted carefully. Within that cohort, 50% progressed to university, 13% to apprenticeships, and 25% into employment. Small cohorts can swing sharply year to year, so it is better used as a directional indicator than a firm prediction for an individual student.

For Key Stage 4 leavers, the academy’s curriculum intent is aligned to next steps, but families should focus on two practical questions during visits: what support is in place for borderline grade 4 to 5 pupils, and how consistently it is delivered across subjects. The inspection description of detailed feedback for sixth form students suggests that once pupils reach post-16 courses, academic coaching becomes more targeted.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through Nottinghamshire, with clear county-wide deadlines for September 2026 entry. Applications open 4 August 2025, close 31 October 2025, and offers are issued on 2 March 2026.

The academy’s admissions appendix for 2026 to 2027 sets out the published admission number for Year 7 as 180. It also confirms a defined catchment approach and names key feeder primaries, including Wainwright Primary Academy, The Flying High Academy, Intake Farm Primary School, Crescent Primary School, and Farmilo Primary School.

A notable feature is the inclusion of a church-commitment route within the oversubscription criteria, supported by a supplementary form for families who want that element considered. The same appendix describes up to 25 places in that part of the criteria set. For families who are not seeking a faith-based criterion, the practical implication is that it is important to understand the full oversubscription order and how it interacts with catchment, siblings, and feeder links.

For Year 12, the appendix describes a sixth form capacity of 125 in Year 12 (within an overall sixth form figure of 250) and a small external admission number, with entry conditional on meeting minimum requirements. In practice, because post-16 delivery is partnership-based, families should ask how applications are handled for external candidates, what travel expectations are, and what a “typical day” looks like for each pathway.

The inspection report supports a picture of improving culture and a generally settled environment. Pupils are described as feeling safe, and staff-pupil relationships are framed as positive. The report also states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff trained to identify risk and leaders acting decisively when concerns are raised.

SEND support stands out as a relative strength. The report describes staff knowing pupils’ needs well and leaders helping teachers plan adaptations so that pupils with SEND can access the same lessons and enrichment opportunities as their peers. Parents and carers of pupils with SEND are described as confident in the support provided.

The academy also highlights specialist learning support work through “The Summit Centre”, which has received external recognition through the National SEND Awards (in the special schools and alternative provision category). For parents of pupils who need structured support, that combination of a mainstream setting and a recognised internal centre is worth exploring in detail during a visit.

Attendance expectations are clearly communicated. The academy sets an attendance target of 97% and states that registers close 25 minutes after the designated start of the day, which signals a fairly firm stance on punctuality.

Extracurricular life is presented as part of the school’s wider culture work, and the inspection report notes a wide range of sports and clubs alongside a choir that pupils take pride in, plus an active student leadership panel.

The academy’s own materials place enrichment across sport, performance, creative subjects, and academic support. Specific examples evidenced in school materials include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, drama club, dance club, badminton, and targeted subject support sessions. Programmes like this matter most for two reasons: they widen friendship groups beyond tutor time, and they build routine and belonging for pupils who may not naturally “plug in” through sport alone.

There is also a practical, outcomes-linked layer. The school references revision sessions at lunch and after the academy day, and homework is framed as retrieval and consolidation. For families concerned about GCSE recovery, it is worth asking how enrichment is balanced between high-participation clubs and structured academic support, especially for pupils who have gaps from earlier years.

The academy day runs from 8:30am to 2:55pm, with tutor time and assembly at the start of the day and five taught lessons around breaks and lunch.

A distinctive practical offer is the free breakfast club for Years 7 to 11, available from 7:30am with no booking required. For families managing early work starts or pupils who benefit from a steady morning routine, this can be a meaningful support rather than a small perk.

Travel planning should be treated as part of the decision, particularly because post-16 delivery can involve partnership arrangements. The school encourages families to check bus and travel routes and discourages routine car drop-off where possible, asking parents to use designated drop-off spots if driving is unavoidable.

• Outcomes are still rebuilding. The published results are below England average and the inspection narrative indicates outcomes have not yet consistently matched the curriculum ambition. This can still be the right choice for a child who benefits from improved routines and support, but families should probe subject-by-subject strength at open events.

• Faith-linked oversubscription criteria. The admissions appendix includes a church-commitment route and a supplementary form for families who want that considered. Parents should read the oversubscription order carefully to understand how it interacts with catchment and feeder primaries.

• Post-16 is partnership-based. Sixth form delivery is described as part of Hucknall Sixth Form Centre. This can widen course choice, but may add travel and a different daily rhythm compared with a fully on-site sixth form.

• Alternative provision use for a small number of pupils. The inspection report notes that the school uses alternative providers for a small number of pupils. For some families, this indicates flexible pathways; for others, it raises questions about behaviour thresholds and support structures, which are best discussed directly with staff.

Queen Elizabeth’s Academy offers a clear “improving school” proposition: a calmer culture, stronger curriculum planning, and well-regarded SEND practice, validated by a Good graded inspection. The trade-off is that published academic outcomes remain weaker than many families will hope for, so the decision should be made with open eyes and detailed questioning.

Best suited to local families who want a structured secondary with an improving culture, strong SEND awareness, and a broad curriculum that includes technical options. Securing the right fit is less about headline reputation and more about how well your child responds to routines, retrieval-led learning, and the school’s expectations around attendance and conduct.