School profile

Don Valley Academy

Secondary · Academy converter · Doncaster, DN5 9DD

Good

Map showing Don Valley Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,185 of 3,312

Better than 64% of schools in England

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

Don Valley Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 2 Apr 2019

Ofsted rating
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,093
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Mat Hicks
TrustDELTA ACADEMIES TRUST
Local authorityDoncaster
Opened01 Sept 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 137472.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolDoncasterEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.48.7, better than England, better than Doncaster45.446.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.73.1%, better than England, better than Doncaster66.5%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.58.9%, better than England, better than Doncaster48.9%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.16.8%, better than England, better than Doncaster12.6%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths67%, better than England, better than Doncaster60.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4197--

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 pupils1,093
Girls544
Boys549
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.40.6%
First language not English12%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,499
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.27.1%
Sixth form places2024/25149
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.144
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.33
Average class size24.4

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
77.8%
Other White
7.8%
African
2.6%
Other mixed
1.1%
Other ethnic group
1.1%
Other Black
0.8%
White and Asian
0.7%
White and Black Caribbean
0.5%
White and Black African
0.3%
Pakistani
0.3%

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 teacher22.8
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.15.1
Teachers (FTE)48
Teaching assistants (FTE)16.31
Support staff (FTE)40.11
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2546
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2542.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252.8

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.222
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.338
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.203
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.203
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

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 schoolDoncasterEngland
Overall absence7.2%, better than England, better than Doncaster7.8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.20.4%, similar to England, better than Doncaster22.5%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.4%, similar to England, better than Doncaster4.2%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 rate78.6%
Pupils with one or more suspensions18.6%
Permanent exclusion rate0.6%
Permanent exclusions7

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.91.5%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.83.6%
Further education40.7%
Sixth form college21.7%
School sixth form21.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.9%
Employment4.2%
Apprenticeship3.7%

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 Don Valley Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryScawthorpe Castle Hills Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimaryRosedale Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.5 miPrimaryScawthorpe Sunnyfields Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miSecondaryRidgewood SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryScawsby Junior AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryScawsby Saltersgate Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miPrimaryHighfields Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryBentley High Street Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.1 miPrimaryKirkby Avenue Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.2 miPrimaryOur Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Don Valley Academy

What is Don Valley Academy's Ofsted rating?

Don Valley Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 2 Apr 2019.

How does Don Valley Academy rank in England?

Don Valley Academy ranks 1,185 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 64% of schools).

What are Don Valley Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 58.9% of pupils at Don Valley Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 48.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Don Valley Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Don Valley Academy made 222 offers from 338 applications (1.5 per offer), and 203 of 203 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Don Valley Academy?

Don Valley Academy has 1,093 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Don Valley Academy?

Don Valley Academy had 1,499 school places in 2024/25.

Does Don Valley Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Don Valley Academy has a sixth form with 149 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Don Valley Academy?

At Don Valley Academy, the average class had 24.4 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 22.8 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Don Valley Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Don Valley Academy missed 7.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 20.4% 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.