Archway Learning Trust

On the evening of Monday December 1st, our Archway Learning Trust family came together for something truly special, our first collaborative Carol Concert: Voices of the Nativity.
Hosted at the historic St Mary’s Church in the Lace Market, the evening was a beautiful celebration of the Christmas story, brought to life through scripture, spoken word, poetry, and music performed by our talented students.
A heartfelt thank you to our Church of England academies and everyone who joined us for this memorable night of festive spirit and faith-filled reflection.
Proud to be part of this incredible family of schools.

Bluecoat Aspley Academy Bluecoat Wollaton Academy The Nottingham Emmanuel School
Photo credits Sandra Stapleton and Victoria Jones

📣 Celebrating Success Across Archway Learning Trust 📣

Yesterday was a proud day across our schools as hundreds of students from Nottingham and Derby opened their GCSE results. From record breaking numbers of top grades at Bluecoat Beechdale Academy, best results since before covid at The Nottingham Emmanuel Schoolto incredible stories of resilience and determination at Lees Brook Academy, and joyful celebrations at Bluecoat Aspley Academy, Bluecoat Wollaton Academy, Alvaston Moor Academy, and The Long Eaton School – every single student has achieved something to be proud of.

👏 We are inspired by the hard work, perseverance, and character our young people have shown. These results are not just grades, they are stepping stones to bright futures in further education, apprenticeships, and careers.

💙 A huge thank you also goes to our dedicated staff teams across the Trust. Your commitment, encouragement and belief in every student has helped make these successes possible.

✨ To all our families, carers, and communities who stood alongside our students every step of the way – this is your celebration too.

Congratulations Class of 2025 – the future is yours! 🎉🎓

A Derby student with a six hour round commute is marking his exam success this GCSE results day 🎉
Steve Gourgel, originally from Angola, has shown peers and staff at Lees Brook Academy, part of the Archway Learning Trust, that determination knows no boundaries, after completing 9 GCSE and Vocational exams this summer despite a lengthy commute and language barrier 👏
Steve, aged 16, is now set to continue in education and will start his Level 3 BTEC in Business Studies. The youngster first came from Angola to Derby in December 2023, speaking only Portuguese and limited English when he enrolled at the Chaddesden school.
After moving to Leicestershire in March 2025, Steve was keen to stay at Lees Brook Academy, on Morley Road, to sit his exams due to the high standard of teaching and strong relationships he’d built with his teachers. He decided to take on the six hour round commute, leaving the house around 6am and embarking on a lengthy walk, two buses and a taxi to get to and from school 😲
Alongside the gruelling journey, adapting to a new way of life and making new friends, Steve never let this impact his attendance or punctuality. He has now secured his predicted grades in his exams – a culmination of an extraordinary journey marked by perseverance, grit, and resilience.
Well done to Steve and also other students celebrating their results 🥳

Congratulations to everyone at The Nottingham Emmanuel School

The Nottingham Emmanuel School celebrates GCSE success | West Bridgford Wire Results from The Nottingham Emmanuel School in West Bridgford.

Huge Congratulations Steve - such dedication and determination, we are all very proud of you.

GCSE success for Angolan asylum seeker who didn't speak English two years ago - Latest From ITV News Watch the latest from ITV News - Steven Gourgel came to the UK in 2023 with almost no English. He made a six-hour roundtrip from Leicestershire to Derby to get his GCSE results today

Congratulations to everyone at Bluecoat Aspley Academy

Congratulations to everyone at Lees Brook Academy

Our teacher training programme offers a great alternative to university-level routes to teaching. Our Bluecoat SCITT Alliance (School-Centred Initial Teacher Training) programme provides a vital pathway for aspiring primary and secondary educators, equipping trainees with practical, hands-on experience in classrooms while ensuring they achieve the same professional qualifications.

If you’re interested in becoming a teacher, please take a look at our SCITT website: https://www.bluecoatscittalliance.uk.com/

Pupils and staff at Bluecoat Trent Academy have been celebrating after receiving a prestigious Silver Artsmark Award.
Artsmark is the only creative quality standard for schools, accredited by Arts Council England. It transforms teaching through creativity, empowering teachers with the skills they need, and is proven to support pupil outcomes and wellbeing.
The school opened at its new site in September 2024 after being based at a different academy, and as a new school a bronze award might have been expected, but they were delighted to achieve a silver award.
The assessors said: “What a fantastic opportunity to open a new school and embark on an Artsmark journey in your second year of opening. You have successfully overcome the many challenges of not having a school site to achieve your goals now that you have moved into your new building. Appointing the right calibre of arts staff has been key and it was great to read they have had a significant influence in the design and resourcing of their teaching and exhibition spaces giving them ownership of the arts.”

Congratulations to you all!

Today is World Refugee Day, which is an opportunity to show solidarity with refugees, honouring their stories and showing unwavering support to their plight. One of our core values is inclusion and we're really proud that several of our academies have achieved School of Sanctuary accreditation, which recognises schools that welcome and support people seeking sanctuary, including refugees and asylum seekers, to become part of a wider community. We work hard to ensure that all our children are made to feel that they belong, and that feeling of inclusion extends to our local communities too.