Jamestown Elementary vs Nottingham Elementary

Jamestown Elementary and Nottingham Elementary sit 2.8 miles apart in Arlington, Virginia, but their state rankings tell a sharply different story. Jamestown Elementary sits at #52 of 1,850 Virginia schools — a strong result by any measure — while Nottingham Elementary ranks #7 of 1,850, placing it among the top fraction of a percent statewide. That gap corresponds to an overall rating difference of half a point: Jamestown Elementary at 8.9/10 versus Nottingham Elementary at 9.4/10. Both schools serve PK–05, so families with children at any elementary grade level are comparing like for like.

On academic output, the spread is narrower than the ranking gap might suggest. Jamestown Elementary earns an academic score of 8.9/10 against Nottingham Elementary's 9.2/10 — a 0.3-point difference. The growth score tells a wider story: Nottingham Elementary's 9.3/10 outpaces Jamestown Elementary's 8.4/10 by nearly a full point. Growth scores measure how much students advance relative to peers with similar starting points, so Nottingham Elementary is not only serving a high-performing population but also accelerating students meaningfully year over year.

Both schools serve nearly identical socioeconomic populations — free and reduced-price lunch eligibility sits at 3% at both Jamestown Elementary and Nottingham Elementary — so the academic and growth differences are not explained by differing student need profiles. Where the schools diverge on demographics is size and staffing. Jamestown Elementary enrolls 465 students compared to Nottingham Elementary's 374, a 24% larger student body. That translates directly to classroom ratios: Jamestown Elementary runs at 11.9 students per teacher versus Nottingham Elementary's 14.4:1. Parents who prioritize small-group instruction will find more of it at Jamestown Elementary; those focused on outcomes and school-wide momentum will find the edge at Nottingham Elementary.

Both schools cover the same grade span, PK through fifth grade, so neither offers a structural program advantage in terms of grade range. The differentiator lies in the growth and ranking data: Nottingham Elementary's #7 statewide finish and 0.9-point growth score advantage over Jamestown Elementary reflect a school consistently outperforming similar demographic peers across Virginia, not just its immediate Arlington neighbors.