School profile

Spen Valley High School

Secondary · Foundation school · Liversedge, WF15 7LX

Requires improvement

Map showing Spen Valley High School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#3,044 of 3,312

Worse than 91% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Spen Valley High School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 2 Jun 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Needs attention
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Needs attention
Personal development and wellbeing
Needs attention
Leadership and governance
Needs attention
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFoundation school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils958
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Kyle Audsley
TrustThe Spenborough Co-operative Trust
Local authorityKirklees
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 107778.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolKirkleesEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.36.3, worse than England, worse than Kirklees4646.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.43.7%, worse than England, worse than Kirklees63.6%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.27.9%, worse than England, worse than Kirklees46.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.4.7%, worse than England, worse than Kirklees14.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths40%, worse than England, worse than Kirklees59.6%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4190--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils958
Girls463
Boys495
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.35.5%
First language not English8.8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.966
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0.8%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.217
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.33
Average class size23

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
81%
Pakistani
7.9%
White and Asian
2.6%
Other White
1.9%
White and Black Caribbean
1.5%
Other mixed
0.9%
African
0.8%
Other Asian
0.6%
Indian
0.4%
Other ethnic group
0.4%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher15.5
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.9
Teachers (FTE)62
Teaching assistants (FTE)15.37
Support staff (FTE)55.62
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2560.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2549.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/253
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/257.9

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.179
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.527
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.167
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.159
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)3

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolKirkleesEngland
Overall absence10.3%, worse than England, worse than Kirklees7.5%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.28.9%, worse than England, worse than Kirklees19.8%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.3%, worse than England, worse than Kirklees3.2%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate18.5%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.5%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.90.4%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.81.4%
Further education52.1%
Sixth form college22.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.7.4%
Apprenticeship6.9%
School sixth form5.9%
Employment2.1%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Spen Valley High School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.3 miPrimaryHeadlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior, Infant and Nursery SchoolVoluntary controlled school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryNorristhorpe Junior and Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryRoberttown CofE Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryMillbridge, A Share Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.8 miPrimaryLittletown Junior Infant and Nursery SchoolFoundation school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryHartshead Junior and Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.1 miPrimaryHightown Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
1.1 miPrimaryHoly Spirit Catholic Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miSecondaryHeckmondwike Grammar SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.2 miNot applicableBrian Jackson CollegeOther independent school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Spen Valley High School

What is Spen Valley High School's Ofsted rating?

Spen Valley High School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 2 Jun 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Spen Valley High School rank in England?

Spen Valley High School ranks 3,044 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 91% of schools).

What are Spen Valley High School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 27.9% of pupils at Spen Valley High School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 36.3 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Spen Valley High School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Spen Valley High School made 179 offers from 527 applications (2.9 per offer), and 159 of 167 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Spen Valley High School?

Spen Valley High School has 958 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Spen Valley High School?

Spen Valley High School had 966 school places in 2024/25.

Does Spen Valley High School have a sixth form?

No, Spen Valley High School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Spen Valley High School?

At Spen Valley High School, the average class had 23 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.5 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Spen Valley High School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Spen Valley High School missed 10.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 28.9% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.