SchoolScoresIndependent school guide

Fir Vale Academy

Academy · Secondary, ages 11 to 16

Part of UNITED LEARNING TRUST

Owler Lane, Sheffield, S4 8GB

0114 243 9391 · School website · Map and directions

OfstedNo overall gradeInspected 25 February 2025, before conversion
Pupils931Room for 1,050
First-choice applications per place0.6115 for 194 places, September 2026

Ofsted inspection

At the inspection that started on 25 February 2025, Ofsted graded each area separately. It stopped giving an overall grade in September 2024.

This inspection used Ofsted's older format with four grades: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement and Inadequate. Newer inspections use report cards. What changed.

AreaGrade
Quality of educationRequires improvement
Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementRequires improvement
SafeguardingEffective

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

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Results

GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25

MeasureThis schoolSheffieldEngland
Grade 5 or above in English and maths Not published 42% 45%
Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. Not published 43.2 46.1
EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. Not published 3.8 4.1

"Not published": No figure published.

Grade 5 or above in English and maths, over time
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% England 2022/23: 45%England 2023/24: 46%England 2024/25: 45% This school 2022/23: 17%This school 2023/24: 11% This school England 45% 2022/23 17% 2023/24 11% 2024/25 –

Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.

Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

180 pupils in this year group.

These results were published under the school's previous registration (URN 138925), before it changed to its current form.

67% — 22 points below the Sheffield average, and 25 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolSheffieldEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 67% 89% 92%
School sixth form 9% 36% 34%
Sixth form college 37% 8% 13%
Further education college 18% 38% 37%
Apprenticeship 1% 3% 3%
Work 2% 2% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
68%67%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Sheffield. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

How hard is it to get in?

For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.

Places offered194
Families who put it first115
Of those, offered a place115 (100%)
Families who listed it at all190

First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.8 · 2025: 0.8 · 2026: 0.6

This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.

Admissions dates and schools in Sheffield

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolSheffieldEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years
 72.2% 34.1%* 28.9%
With an education, health and care plan
 2.4% 2.9%* 3.1%
Receiving special educational needs support
 19.5% 14.1%* 13.4%
English as an additional language
 83.4% 22.7%* 19.2%
Overall absence (sessions missed)
 23.0% 9.3%* 8.4%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
 58.7% 24.9%* 23.4%
Suspensions per 100 pupils
 49.7 35.9 21.2
Pupils suspended at least once
 22.9% 10.6% 7.3%
Pupils permanently excluded7 pupils 0.71% 0.43% 0.23%
Pupils per teacher
 16.3 17.6 16.7
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff)
 10.9 12.1 11.8
Teachers who left during the year
 18.1% 15.6%* 14.2%*

Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

Nearby secondary schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Fir Vale Academy's Ofsted rating?

At its inspection in 25 February 2025, Ofsted graded each area separately; it stopped giving an overall grade in September 2024.

How did Fir Vale Academy do in its GCSEs?

DfE didn't publish this figure for 2024/25. No figure published.

Is Fir Vale Academy oversubscribed?

For the September 2026 intake, 115 families put Fir Vale Academy as their first choice for 194 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 115 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.