Alde Valley Academy, Leiston
Alde Valley Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Leiston, part of Kingfisher Schools Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 42nd-highest of the 43 schools in Suffolk with published results, and 3,153rd of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 109% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Suffolk (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Alde Valley Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Alde Valley Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 33.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.4 in Suffolk and 47 across England.
29% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 40% in Suffolk and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 33.7.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.33: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 26.8, against 36.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.1 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Health Studies.
Getting a place at Alde Valley Academy
For September 2026 entry, 93 families put Alde Valley Academy as their first choice and 126 named it as one of their preferences, for 95 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
The trust
Alde Valley Academy is one of 7 schools run by Kingfisher Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.7 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 90 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 41% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
3.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 78 pupils (12.1%) received SEN support and 48 (7.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Alde Valley Academy.
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is Alde Valley Academy (outside), 70 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Alde Valley Academy issued 386 suspensions, 57.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 4 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Alde Valley Academy are Leiston Primary School (0.1 miles) and Coldfair Green Community Primary School (1.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Leiston Primary SchoolColdfair Green Community Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
This is a safe place to learn. Pupils are happy here. They like their teachers. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive strong support. However, some pupils do not fully engage with the school's ethos. They get on with things, but not with high levels of motivation.
Behaviour is inconsistent. Expectations have risen recently. This has led to calm classrooms and corridors. Some pupils struggle to follow what the school asks of them. They are not taught enough about how to behave appropriately. These pupils get into trouble, and then repeat these behaviours.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has been through a period of decline. The trust recognises that oversight in the past has not been tight. Historically, there have been low expectations from all levels of leadership. The trust and the school have now undertaken a sober evaluation of the quality of provision, and have accurately assessed areas to improve. They have acted urgently to remedy the situation. The beginnings of improvement are in place. But there is a lot more work to do.
The curriculum aims to meet the needs of pupils. For instance, it is adjusted to support pupils who enter Year 7 with lower writing skills. The curriculum identifies well what knowledge pupils need to succeed. This helps pupils, including those with SEND, make steady progress in most areas. Where the curriculum is effective, pupils develop detailed knowledge, such as rich vocabulary in modern foreign languages.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its July 2024 inspection.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
About
Alde Valley Academy is a secondary school with academy status in Leiston in the English county of Suffolk. It has approximately 500 pupils aged 11 to 16, and a staff count of approximately 82.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
32.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from -0.78 to -0.33 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 35.9 to 33.9 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 16% to 29% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 33.9 | 28.5% |
| Disadvantaged(38) | - | 26.8 | 18.4% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(92) | - | 36.9 | 32.6% |
| Boys(70) | - | 31.0 | 20% |
| Girls(60) | - | 37.3 | 38.3% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(6) | - | 26.7 | 33.3% |
| Non mobile(124) | - | 35.0 | 29.8% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 90 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
4
Permanent exclusions
0.59%
Exclusion rate
386
Suspensions
57.27%
Suspension rate
100 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 674 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Keep up with Alde Valley Academy
Term dates
Alde Valley Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Suffolk's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Alde Valley Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Alde Valley Academy is in Suffolk; for families living there:
Apply to Suffolk for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Alde Valley Academy
Will you get a place at Alde Valley Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Alde Valley Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Alde Valley Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Alde Valley Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Suffolk, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Alde Valley Academy for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Suffolk got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
109%
Over capacity
670 pupils
617 places
53 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Leiston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leiston
Across Suffolk council
Places available
8,475
Applications
7,204
Got 1st preference
92.7%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All secondary applications across Suffolk council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
78
SEN Support
48
EHC Plans
19.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
645
Total Pupils
330
Boys
315
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
41
Teachers
15.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,961
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,169
Per pupil
£5202k
Total funding
£214k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
9.9%
Overall absence
25.5%
Persistent absence
706
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Alde Valley Academy
Questions parents ask about Alde Valley Academy
What are GCSE results like at Alde Valley Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Alde Valley Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 33.9. 29% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Alde Valley Academy's Ofsted rating?
Alde Valley Academy was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Alde Valley Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Alde Valley Academy is oversubscribed, Suffolk allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Alde Valley Academy?
Alde Valley Academy was full in 2025, at 109% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Alde Valley Academy?
Classes at Alde Valley Academy average 23.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Alde Valley Academy?
Alde Valley Academy has around 645 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Alde Valley Academy?
9.9% of sessions were missed at Alde Valley Academy in 2024/25. 25.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Alde Valley Academy?
Apply through Suffolk's coordinated admissions process, naming Alde Valley Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Alde Valley Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Suffolk is 4 (the median across 365 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Alde Valley Academy?
Alde Valley Academy is at Seaward Avenue, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4BG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)