What this means: The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers employed at the school. Part-time teachers are counted proportionally (e.g. a teacher working 3 days counts as 0.6 FTE).

Teacher numbers typically reflect the size and funding of the school. A school with 8 FTE teachers is relatively small. Changes over time may indicate growth, budget pressures, or restructuring.

What this means: The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching assistants employed at the school, including higher-level teaching assistants (HLTAs).

Teaching assistant numbers vary widely between schools. The number of TAs usually depends on the school's SEN population, funding, and teaching model.

What this means: The pupil-to-teacher ratio (PTR) divides the total number of pupils by the number of FTE teachers. It indicates how many pupils each teacher is responsible for on average, though actual class sizes may differ.

A lower pupil-to-teacher ratio often indicates smaller class sizes, which usually allows for more individualised attention.

📊 📊 Unity Academy is ranked 22,991st out of 23,374 schools nationally

What this means: Teacher turnover rate shows the percentage of teachers who left the school during the academic year. This includes retirements, resignations, and transfers.

A lower turnover rate usually indicates good staff retention, which often correlates with strong school culture and leadership stability.

📊 📊 Unity Academy is ranked 1st out of 20,327 schools nationally

What this means: The teacher sickness absence rate shows the percentage of possible teaching days lost to sickness absence across all teachers during the academic year.

A teacher absence rate above 5% is higher than the national average and may indicate workforce wellbeing challenges or an above-average level of long-term sickness.

📊 📊 Unity Academy is ranked 16,057th out of 18,810 schools nationally

What this means: The average number of days lost to sickness absence per teacher during the academic year. This includes both short-term and long-term absences.

This level of teacher absence days is within or below the typical range for most schools.

📊 📊 Unity Academy is ranked 3,180th out of 18,799 schools nationally

What this means: The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM). FSM eligibility is widely used as a proxy indicator for socio-economic disadvantage.

An FSM rate above 30% is significantly above the national average and typically indicates a school serving a community with higher levels of deprivation.

What this means: The percentage of pupils identified as having Special Educational Needs (SEN), including both SEN Support and those with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.

An SEN rate above 20% is higher than the national average and may indicate strong SEN identification practices or a school that attracts families seeking good SEN provision.

📊 📊 Unity Academy is ranked 1st out of 27,368 schools nationally

What this means: The percentage of pupils receiving SEN Support — the first tier of SEN provision, where additional help is provided within the school without an EHC plan.

This level of SEN Support is below the national average. The proportion often reflects how the school identifies and categorises additional needs.

What this means: The percentage of pupils with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan — the highest level of SEN support, involving a legally binding document specifying the provision required.

An EHC rate above 5% is higher than typical and may indicate the school has specialist provision or a strong reputation for supporting complex needs.