Mercia Academy
Sunnyside, Swadlincote, DE11 0TL
592 pupils · 79% of 750 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Does not apply
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- LIONHEART EDUCATIONAL TRUST
- Local authority
- Derbyshire
- Free school meals
- 48.3%
Ofsted
No overall grade (2025) — Inspected 2024–2025 — no overall grade under the interim framework
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 1 July 2025, published 16 September 2025. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 32.6 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 23.2% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 36.6% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 5.4% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.83 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 138 | 114 | 217 | 124 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 103 | 77 | 161 | 86 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 107 | 79 | 188 | 94 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 128 | 78 | 241 | 98 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- The Pingle Academy 1.3 km · Most areas: Needs attention (2026)
- Blessed Robert Sutton Catholic Voluntary Academy 2.4 km · Outstanding (2023) · previous system
- Paulet High School 2.5 km · Good (2024) · previous system
- Granville Academy 3 km · No overall grade (2024)
- Abbot Beyne School 3.4 km · Good — confirmed 2022 · previous system
- Paget High School 5.3 km · Good (2022) · previous system
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.