School profile

Alde Valley Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Leiston, IP16 4BG

Requires improvement

Map showing Alde Valley Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

3,167 of 3,312

Worse than 95% of schools in England

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

Ofsted inspection and rating

Alde Valley Academy rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 9 Jul 2024

Ofsted rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Requires improvement
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils645 of 560 places
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherLucie Hernandez
TrustKINGFISHER SCHOOLS TRUST
Local authoritySuffolk
Opened01 Jan 2015
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 141236.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects; Progress 8 compares pupils' progress with pupils who had similar key stage 2 results.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Attainment 8 score33.942.946.2
Grade 4 or above in English and maths49.2%60.7%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and maths28.5%40%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and maths2.3%9.5%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths38.5%55.2%60.2%
Progress 8 scoreNot applicable--
Pupils at the end of key stage 4130--

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

Pupils

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils645
Girls315
Boys330
Eligible for free school meals32.7%
First language not English3.3%
SEN support78
EHC plan48
Average class size23.7

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

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Pupils ethnicity

White British
87.8%
Other mixed
3.7%
Other White
2.8%
African
1.1%
White and Black Caribbean
0.6%
White and Asian
0.6%
Indian
0.3%
Other Black
0.2%
Chinese
0.2%
Irish
0%

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

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed. Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means missing 50% or more.

MeasureThis schoolSuffolkEngland
Overall absence12.4%8.8%8%
Persistent absence32.9%23.3%21.6%
Severe absence8.6%4.4%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 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)95
Applications (Year 7)126
First preference applications (Year 7)93
First preference offers (Year 7)93
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)1

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

Capacity

2024/25
MeasureThis school
School places617
Pupils on roll670
Unfilled places0%
Sixth form pupils on roll2017/183

Source: DfE, School capacity, Academic year 2024/25, published 19 Mar 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26
MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher16.8
Pupils per adult10.5
Teachers (FTE)38.5
Teaching assistants (FTE)21.36
Support staff (FTE)24.68
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2541.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2530.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/258.6

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

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25
MeasureThis school
Suspension rate57.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions14.8%
Permanent exclusion rate0.6%
Permanent exclusions4

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 destination94.4%
Staying in education84.4%
School sixth form43.3%
Further education41.1%
Apprenticeship6.7%
Not sustained4.4%
Employment3.3%
Sixth form college0%

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 Alde Valley Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryLeiston Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.8 miNot applicableSummerhill SchoolOther independent school
Unrated
1.3 miPrimaryColdfair Green Community Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about Alde Valley Academy

What is Alde Valley Academy's Ofsted rating?

Alde Valley Academy is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 9 Jul 2024.

How does Alde Valley Academy rank in England?

Alde Valley Academy ranks 3,167 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 95% of schools).

How many pupils attend Alde Valley Academy?

Alde Valley Academy has 645 pupils aged 11 to 16, with capacity for 560.

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.