In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are below England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Missing school is a bigger problem than across England.
Nuneaton at a glance
Behind England on results at 11
How Nuneaton's schools compare with England, area by area.
Schools and nurseries6423 primary · 7 secondary · 29 nurseries
Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
Met the standard at 1157%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths47%Attainment 8 47.0, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary29%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school20%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Nuneaton
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.
Numbers that sum up Nuneaton
NuneatonEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 13 primaries with one.
100%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
3 of the 4 with a grade.
75%
England 93%
Below England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
57%
England 62%
Below England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
47%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
20%
England 18%
Worse than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
29%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 21 schools that have one.
95%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding1
Good19
Requires improvement1
Inadequate0
How it has changed
Nuneaton in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1157% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths47% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school20% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here
What it's like for families
Nuneaton has 64 schools and nurseries.
There are 10% more pupils than in 2018.
29% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Nuneaton's state schools each January.
13.5k2018
13.7k2019
14.0k2021
14.2k2022
14.4k2023
14.5k2024
14.7k2025
14.8k2026
Up 10% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Nuneaton29%
Dates to know
Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.
31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.
Keep up with schools in Nuneaton
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Nuneaton has 64 schools, including 26 primary schools, 10 secondary schools, 29 nurseries, 1 independent school, 4 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Nuneaton?+
The highest-ranked schools in Nuneaton on Eduscope are Our Lady & St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Higham Lane School, St Thomas More Catholic Academy and Sixth Form College. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Nuneaton are rated Good or Outstanding?+
95% of inspected schools in Nuneaton hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 1 school rated Outstanding and 19 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Nuneaton perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Nuneaton, 57% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Nuneaton?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Nuneaton is 18.8:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Nuneaton schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Nuneaton is 19.7%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Nuneaton?+
There are 14,783 pupils enrolled across schools in Nuneaton, with 7,722 in primary and 6,957 in secondary. 29.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Nuneaton?+
There is 1 independent school in Nuneaton, a special school for children with special educational needs, where councils usually pay the fees. You can compare it on Eduscope, including inspection reports where available.
How do I choose the right school in Nuneaton?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 64 schools in Nuneaton by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.