The Bulwell Academy Review 2026: A changing school with clear routines and a growing enrichment offer

The Bulwell Academy sits in Bulwell, serving families across this part of Nottingham. It is a state secondary for students aged 11 to 18, and part of Creative Education Trust.

Leadership has stabilised in the past two years. Mr Matt Irons is the Principal and was first appointed on 05 February 2024, following a period where the school had been through significant staffing and leadership change.

For parents, the practical headline is that routines are explicit and the day is tightly structured. The school day runs 8.30am to 2.50pm, with an expectation that students arrive before the gate closes at 8.20am. A free breakfast is available in the morning window.

Academically, current outcomes place the school below England average on the available GCSE measures and progress indicators point to challenges that the school is still working through. At the same time, the wider offer has become more distinctive, especially around reading, writing, and creative opportunities, including First Story and targeted literacy clubs that have produced external competition successes.

This is a school that has had to rebuild trust while keeping day to day standards clear. The language of expectations is simple and repeated. Values are presented as Aspire, Work Hard, Be Kind, and the enrichment programme is organised as Bulwell Boost, which is positioned as part of belonging and participation rather than an optional add on.

The timetable design supports that sense of structure. Students arrive from 8.00am, line up at 8.25am, then move into the start of day routine at 8.30am. There is also an explicit after school block for Bulwell Boost clubs, and a separate detention window. For families who value predictability, this level of clarity can help. For others, it signals a school that is still actively tightening consistency.

The culture around rewards is a visible feature. Bulwell Bucks are linked to both classroom behaviours and enrichment participation, including loyalty card points for after school attendance and representing the school in sport. The design is practical, it gives students concrete targets and makes participation measurable.

One important operational note is sixth form. Although registered as an 11 to 18 school, the sixth form has been temporarily closed due to limited applications and course demand, which affects post 16 planning and the availability of Key Stage 5 performance data.

The most useful way to read Bulwell’s results is as a school still in the improvement phase. The latest full inspection outcome (March 2024) and the GCSE measures both indicate work still required to raise attainment and consistency across subjects.

For GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school is ranked 3,630th in England and 49th in Nottingham. This places it below England average, within the bottom 40% of schools in England by this measure (approximately the 79th percentile, where higher percentile indicates lower relative rank).

On the underlying GCSE indicators available here, the average Attainment 8 score is 34.1 and Progress 8 is -0.72, which indicates students made below average progress from their starting points on this measure. EBacc average point score is 2.82. A separate subject entry measure shows 3.1% achieving grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects (as recorded).

There is no published Key Stage 5 outcomes data currently available through the school website, reflecting the temporary closure of sixth form provision.

If you are comparing options locally, FindMySchool’s local hub pages can help you line up GCSE rank, progress measures, and admissions context side by side, using the comparison tools rather than relying on headline impressions.

The school’s recent direction points towards tightening curriculum sequencing and day to day lesson routines. The latest published inspection describes a curriculum that has improved, with most teachers working as subject specialists and lesson activities designed to keep attention on the knowledge students need to learn. It also highlights unevenness, where checking understanding and curriculum planning are not yet consistent across all subjects.

From a parent perspective, the most concrete evidence of curriculum intent is the level of published subject information, especially at Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. For example, the music curriculum documentation points to a structured progression that includes performance and composition skills, use of digital audio workstations for recording and editing, and explicit knowledge goals such as learning about the orchestra, film music, and musical elements.

In performing arts, the published GCSE Drama overview sets out a two year course structure with a written exam, devised theatre, and scripted performance extracts, which helps families understand what the subject demands and how assessment works.

Support for literacy is unusually detailed for a comprehensive setting, and it links directly to enrichment rather than sitting purely inside English lessons. The school describes guided reading groups for fluency and comprehension, and provides additional reading clubs to make reading a social activity rather than a solitary one.

The implication is straightforward. If your child responds well to clear routines and explicit curriculum signposting, the published approach suggests a school working to make learning more coherent. If your child needs consistently strong teaching across every subject to accelerate progress quickly, you will want to probe how far the recent improvements have bedded in, subject by subject, and year group by year group.

Where Students Go Next

Because the sixth form is temporarily closed, post 16 planning matters more than it might at another 11 to 18 school. Families should expect Year 11 to be the main transition point, with most students moving on to local colleges, training providers, or apprenticeships routes, depending on fit and attainment.

The available leaver destination snapshot (2023/24 cohort, cohort size 27) shows 26% progressing to university, 4% to further education, 15% starting apprenticeships, and 26% moving into employment. This pattern suggests a mixed set of pathways rather than a single dominant route, which can be positive for students who want practical options alongside academic ones.

The school places visible emphasis on careers guidance and next step advice as part of its wider personal development work. In the latest published inspection narrative, students are described as benefiting from advice about their next stage in education and future careers.

For parents, the key question is not whether progression exists, but which progression is best for your child. With the school not currently running a full sixth form offer, it is sensible to start post 16 conversations early in Year 10, and to use open events and taster days at local providers to reduce uncertainty at the end of Year 11.

Year 7 entry follows Nottingham City’s coordinated admissions route for most families. Applications are made through the local authority’s common application process, rather than directly to the school.

The key timing for September 2026 entry is clear at local authority level. Secondary applications close by 31 October each year, and offers are issued on 01 March each year (or the next working day if it falls on a weekend or bank holiday).

The school’s published admission arrangements set a planned admission number of 210 students per year group. Oversubscription is handled through a standard priority order, including students with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, looked after and previously looked after children, then catchment and sibling criteria, with distance used as a tie breaker within criteria where needed.

The admissions picture provided indicates undersubscription in the most recent recorded cycle, with 179 applications against 196 offers. That is consistent with a school where the primary admissions pressure is not securing a place, but choosing it for the right reasons.

For in year moves, the admissions arrangements point families back to the local authority process, which is typical for the area and helps keep transfers transparent.

Open events appear to run in early autumn. Recent published items include an Open Evening in September and an Open Morning in October. For September 2026 entry, you should expect a similar seasonal pattern, but check the school’s current listings for the live dates and booking requirements.

Pastoral support at Bulwell is closely tied to attendance, routines, and belonging. The daily structure makes expectations explicit, and attendance and punctuality are treated as foundational rather than secondary issues. The inspection narrative also flags attendance and suspension as areas that still affect learning time for too many students, which is a useful prompt for parents to ask about current trajectories and support plans.

The school presents wellbeing support as a set of named teams and routes rather than a generic promise. The Belonging area signposts dedicated strands including safeguarding and wellbeing, SEND, young carers, and a reading team, which implies a more organised approach to targeted support.

One practical example is the library and reading interventions offer. Students can use the library for homework, reading, and structured intervention groups, which can serve both academic and emotional regulation needs, especially for students who find busy social spaces challenging at break or lunch.

You should still stress test pastoral experience with the questions that matter to your child. How quickly are concerns escalated, how are families kept informed, and how are behaviour incidents managed so that learning time is protected for students who want to get on.

The school’s co curricular offer has an identifiable structure, and it is more specific than many families may expect. Bulwell Boost provides both lunchtime clubs that require no sign up and after school clubs that typically run 2.50pm to 3.50pm, with parental consent managed through the school’s systems.

Reading and writing are a standout pillar. The school runs the Hooked on Books reading club and a First Story creative writing club, and it has worked with professional author Paula Rawsthorne since October 2022 to support students to write and publish an anthology. The programme links to external events such as Poetry By Heart, and the school reports national competition wins through First Story, including a national 100 Word Story competition (2023) and an Eco Poetry competition (2024).

This matters because it offers a different route to confidence and achievement for students who are not naturally drawn to sport. The implication is that a student can build identity around writing, performance, and public presentation, and those experiences often translate into stronger oracy, greater resilience with feedback, and better engagement across the curriculum.

The library extends that offer in a practical way. It hosts reading intervention groups and Bulwell Boost clubs such as Board Games Club, alongside activities like chess and access to computers for homework. For students who prefer quieter social spaces, this is a meaningful provision, not a footnote.

Performing arts also has visible momentum. The school has staged productions such as Legally Blonde JR, paired with a festive choir showcase, and it publishes subject level guidance for drama and music pathways, which tends to correlate with a department that is actively building participation.

The school also references a self defence option in its wider activities list, and reward structures link Bulwell Boost participation to Bulwell Bucks, which is a strong nudge for students who need encouragement to try something new.

The school week is structured as 31 hours 40 minutes, Monday to Friday, running 8.30am to 2.50pm, with arrival from 8.00am and a line up at 8.25am. Free breakfast is available in the morning window. After school clubs typically run until 3.50pm.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual extras, especially uniform and optional activities. The school explicitly signposts support for affordable uniform, including recycled or free uniform routes, which is a practical advantage for many households.

For food, the school publishes a meal deal price of £2.61 (noting an increase in October 2025).

Transport links are workable. Nottingham City Transport highlights nearby bus services including Brown 17 and Turquoise 79 and 79A providing links towards Hucknall Road, the city centre, and surrounding areas. Nottingham’s tram network also serves the Bulwell area, which can support independent travel for older students depending on route and family preferences.

• Academic outcomes are still a challenge. The GCSE ranking and Progress 8 measure in the available data suggest the school remains below England average on attainment and progress. For some students this will be manageable with strong family support and good engagement, but it is a key factor to weigh if you are prioritising high attainment trajectories.

• Consistency has improved, but change has been real. The school has been through significant staffing and leadership change. Improvements are noted, yet the impact on student experience is something families should probe, particularly around consistency of teaching and behaviour management across subjects.

• Post 16 planning needs extra attention. With the sixth form temporarily closed, families should treat Year 11 as the main exit point and explore local college and training routes early, ideally from Year 10.

• The day is tightly structured. The school’s approach to punctuality, routines, and a defined timetable can suit students who benefit from clear expectations. Students who struggle with highly structured environments may need careful transition support and close communication with pastoral teams.

The Bulwell Academy is a school in a serious phase of improvement, with clearer routines, a more organised enrichment programme, and some genuinely distinctive strengths in reading and creative writing. Outcomes remain the central concern, and families should be realistic about where the school currently sits relative to England averages on the available GCSE measures.

It suits students who respond well to structure, want a broad set of clubs and enrichment routes, and whose families value a school that is explicit about routines and belonging. For shortlisting, the Saved Schools feature can help you keep Bulwell alongside nearby alternatives, and revisit the decision after open events, transport trials, and a close look at curriculum support.