School profile

The Dean Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Lydney, GL15 5DZ

Requires improvement

Map showing The Dean Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,167 of 3,312

Worse than 65% of schools in England

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

The Dean Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 27 Jan 2026

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

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils816
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherHannah Rowlands
TrustTHE ATHELSTAN TRUST
Local authorityGloucestershire
Opened01 Nov 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138421.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolGloucestershireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.43.1, worse than England, worse than Gloucestershire50.246.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.56.4%, worse than England, worse than Gloucestershire70.1%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.34.2%, worse than England, worse than Gloucestershire52.7%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.10.3%, worse than England, worse than Gloucestershire17.5%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths49.6%, worse than England, worse than Gloucestershire66.8%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4117--

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 pupils816
Girls405
Boys411
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.34.1%
First language not English4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,095
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.25.5%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.157
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.50
Average class size25.5

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
91.7%
Other White
2.2%
African
1.6%
White and Asian
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.7%
Other mixed
0.7%
White and Black African
0.5%
Indian
0.5%
Caribbean
0.2%
Pakistani
0.1%

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 teacher18.1
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.2
Teachers (FTE)45
Teaching assistants (FTE)16.32
Support staff (FTE)44.17
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2542.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2535.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/253
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253.6

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.165
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.219
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.162
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.161
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)2

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 schoolGloucestershireEngland
Overall absence8.7%, worse than England, worse than Gloucestershire8%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.25.1%, worse than England, worse than Gloucestershire21.2%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.4%, similar to England, similar to Gloucestershire3.5%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 rate21.4%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.3%
Permanent exclusions2

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.90.2%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.74.8%
Further education52.8%
School sixth form18.7%
Employment8.1%
Apprenticeship7.3%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.4.1%
Sixth form college3.3%

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 The Dean Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryLydney Church of England Community SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimarySevernbanks Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.9 miPrimaryAylburton Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.1 miPrimaryPrimrose Hill Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good

Frequently asked questions about The Dean Academy

What is The Dean Academy's Ofsted rating?

The Dean Academy is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 27 Jan 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does The Dean Academy rank in England?

The Dean Academy ranks 2,167 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 65% of schools).

What are The Dean Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 34.2% of pupils at The Dean Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 43.1 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into The Dean Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, The Dean Academy made 165 offers from 219 applications (1.3 per offer), and 161 of 162 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The Dean Academy?

The Dean Academy has 816 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of The Dean Academy?

The Dean Academy had 1,095 school places in 2024/25.

Does The Dean Academy have a sixth form?

No, The Dean Academy teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at The Dean Academy?

At The Dean Academy, the average class had 25.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18.1 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The Dean Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at The Dean Academy missed 8.7% of sessions (England 8%), and 25.1% 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.