The Sir Donald Bailey Academy

Newark and Sherwood · NG24 4EP

General information Primary School · 2-11 years Who goes here 507 pupils, 58.6% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 15.8% on SEN support Behaviour 6.0% absence rate Staff 15.6% turnover Financials £6,999 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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The Sir Donald Bailey Academy

General Information

Address: Bailey Road, Newark, NG24 4EP – View on map
Phone: 01636680142
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Joanne Knapp
Age range: 2-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 48 families put it first for 49 places – 10 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 9 · 2025 9 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

507 pupils out of 585 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 267
% eligible for free school meals: 58.6%
Pupil mix: 3 in 10 (more mixed than the Newark and Sherwood average)
English as an additional language: 14% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 15.6% a year (Newark and Sherwood 14.8%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 50% moved to another school, 50% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Nottinghamshire: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 11 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 12 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 7 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in Nottinghamshire (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 6.0%
Persistently absent pupils: 19.2%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 15.8%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 1.2%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Speech, language and communications needs: 26 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 25 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 11 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 7 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 3 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Autistic spectrum disorder: 3 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 2 pupils
Physical disability: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2023 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 75% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 0% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 13 percentage points above the Newark and Sherwood average (62%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well above (3-year average 74% against an expected 58%)
3-year average (expected standard): 74%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 76% · Writing 76% · Maths 80% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 78%
Average test scores: reading 105, maths 105
Based on: 55 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolNewark and Sherwood averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 13 percentage points above the Newark and Sherwood average (62%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 3rd of 31 junior and primary schools in the area

#2Halam Church of England Primary School77%
=3The Python Hill Academy75%
=3The Sir Donald Bailey Academy75%
=5Gunthorpe CofE Primary School71%
=5King Edwin Primary and Nursery School71%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Lowdham CofE Primary School79%
#2Halam Church of England Primary School77%
=3The Python Hill Academy75%
=3The Sir Donald Bailey Academy75%
=5Gunthorpe CofE Primary School71%
=5King Edwin Primary and Nursery School71%
=5The Forest View Academy71%
=8John Blow Primary School70%
=8St Peter's Crosskeys CofE Academy70%
=8The Parkgate Academy70%
#11Bleasby Church of England Primary School68%
=12Blidworth Oaks Primary School67%
=12Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School67%
=12Queen Eleanor Primary School67%
=12St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe67%
=12Winthorpe Primary School67%
=17Chuter Ede Primary School64%
=17Sutton-On-Trent Primary and Nursery School64%
=19Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy63%
=19Newlands Junior School63%
=21All Saints Anglican/Methodist Primary School62%
=21Barnby Road Academy Primary and Nursery school62%
#23Bilsthorpe Flying High Academy59%
#24Walesby CofE Primary School58%
#25St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School50%
#26John Hunt Academy45%
#27The King's Church of England Primary Academy42%
#28Holy Trinity Catholic Voluntary Academy33%
=29Christ Church C of E Primary School31%
=29Samuel Barlow Primary Academy31%
#31Mount CofE Primary School24%

View full Ofsted inspection report

23rd of 25 primary schools in Newark and Sherwood for Ofsted rating

#21The Parkgate AcademyGood
#22The Python Hill AcademyGood
#23The Sir Donald Bailey AcademyGood
#24Winthorpe Primary SchoolGood
#25Newark Flying High AcademyRequires improvement

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Lowdham CofE Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2All Saints Anglican/Methodist Primary SchoolGood
#3Barnby Road Academy Primary and Nursery schoolGood
#4Bilsthorpe Flying High AcademyGood
#5Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. AcademyGood
#6Bleasby Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#7Christ Church C of E Primary SchoolGood
#8Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#9Halam Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#10Holy Trinity Catholic Voluntary AcademyGood
#11John Blow Primary SchoolGood
#12John Hunt AcademyGood
#13King Edwin Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#14Kirklington Primary SchoolGood
#15Kneesall CofE Primary AcademyGood
#16Norwell CofE Primary SchoolGood
#17St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#18St Mary's Church of England Primary School, EdwinstoweGood
#19Sutton-On-Trent Primary and Nursery SchoolGood
#20The King's Church of England Primary AcademyGood
#21The Parkgate AcademyGood
#22The Python Hill AcademyGood
#23The Sir Donald Bailey AcademyGood
#24Winthorpe Primary SchoolGood
#25Newark Flying High AcademyRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,999 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

15th of 35 primary schools in Newark and Sherwood for spending per pupil

#13Bilsthorpe Flying High Academy£7,176
#14Winthorpe Primary School£7,148
#15The Sir Donald Bailey Academy£6,999
#16Blidworth Oaks Primary School£6,985
#17St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School£6,965

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Caunton Dean Hole CofE Primary School£17,012
#2North Clifton Primary School£14,622
#3Queen Eleanor Primary School£8,364
#4Walesby CofE Primary School£8,353
#5Halam Church of England Primary School£8,000
#6Bishop Alexander L.E.A.D. Academy£7,963
#7Gunthorpe CofE Primary School£7,945
#8All Saints Anglican/Methodist Primary School£7,771
#9The Parkgate Academy£7,698
#10Mount CofE Primary School£7,658
#11The King's Church of England Primary Academy£7,548
#12Christ Church C of E Primary School£7,180
#13Bilsthorpe Flying High Academy£7,176
#14Winthorpe Primary School£7,148
#15The Sir Donald Bailey Academy£6,999
#16Blidworth Oaks Primary School£6,985
#17St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School£6,965
#18Sutton-On-Trent Primary and Nursery School£6,942
#19Holy Trinity Catholic Voluntary Academy£6,777
#20St Peter's Crosskeys CofE Academy£6,754
#21Samuel Barlow Primary Academy£6,678
#22Barnby Road Academy Primary and Nursery school£6,637
#23King Edwin Primary and Nursery School£6,389
#24St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Edwinstowe£6,387
#25John Blow Primary School£6,277
#26Farnsfield St Michael's Church of England Primary School£6,228
#27Bleasby Church of England Primary School£6,206
#28John Hunt Academy£6,164
#29Lowdham CofE Primary School£6,133
#30The Python Hill Academy£6,124
#31Chuter Ede Primary School£6,066
#32Newark Flying High Academy£5,258
#33Coddington CofE Primary and Nursery School£3,142
#34Lake View Primary and Nursery School£2,372
#35Kirklington Primary School£1,391

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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