School profile

Axe Valley Academy

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Axminster, EX13 5EA

Good

Map showing Axe Valley Academy

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,693 of 3,312

Worse than 81% of schools in England

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

Axe Valley Academy Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 19 Sept 2023

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

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils741
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Robert Crocker
TrustBLACKDOWN EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP
Local authorityDevon
Opened01 Apr 2017
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 144392.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolDevonEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.39.7, worse than England, worse than Devon45.646.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.55.6%, worse than England, worse than Devon65.3%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.32.5%, worse than England, worse than Devon45.3%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.4.3%, worse than England, worse than Devon12.4%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths47%, worse than England, worse than Devon60%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 pupils741
Girls377
Boys364
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.29.7%
First language not English5.8%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.900
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.17.7%
Sixth form places2018/19110
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.199
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.48
Average class size24.5

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
86.6%
Indian
3.9%
Other White
1.6%
White and Asian
1.6%
Other ethnic group
1.5%
Other mixed
0.9%
White and Black Caribbean
0.8%
African
0.8%
Other Asian
0.7%
Irish
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 teacher16
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.9
Teachers (FTE)46.45
Teaching assistants (FTE)6.39
Support staff (FTE)33.88
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2541.9
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2538
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/251
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/252.9

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.166
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.231
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.157
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.157
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)38

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 schoolDevonEngland
Overall absence11%, worse than England, worse than Devon9.4%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.31.4%, worse than England, worse than Devon24.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.5.2%, worse than England, similar to Devon5.1%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 rate34.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions7.9%
Permanent exclusion rate0.1%
Permanent exclusions1

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.88.7%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.68.7%
Further education60.9%
Apprenticeship14.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.1%
Employment5.2%
Sixth form college3.5%
School sixth form2.6%

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 Axe Valley Academy
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryAxminster Community Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good
0.2 miPrimarySt Mary's Catholic Primary School, AxminsterAcademy converter
Good
1.6 miPrimaryAll Saints Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.7 miPrimaryKilmington Primary SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Axe Valley Academy

What is Axe Valley Academy's Ofsted rating?

Axe Valley Academy is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 19 Sept 2023.

How does Axe Valley Academy rank in England?

Axe Valley Academy ranks 2,693 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 81% of schools).

What are Axe Valley Academy's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 32.5% of pupils at Axe Valley Academy got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 39.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Axe Valley Academy?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Axe Valley Academy made 166 offers from 231 applications (1.4 per offer), and 157 of 157 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Axe Valley Academy?

Axe Valley Academy has 741 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Axe Valley Academy?

Axe Valley Academy had 900 school places in 2024/25.

Does Axe Valley Academy have a sixth form?

Yes, Axe Valley Academy has a sixth form with 110 places in 2018/19.

How big are classes at Axe Valley Academy?

At Axe Valley Academy, the average class had 24.5 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Axe Valley Academy?

In 2025/26, pupils at Axe Valley Academy missed 11% of sessions (England 8%), and 31.4% 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.