Avon Valley Academy, Salisbury

In its own words: "Avon Valley Academy is a thriving co-educational 11-16 comprehensive academy within the Acorn Education Trust. We pride ourselves on being a centre of excellence and a place where young, enthusiastic children enter in Year 7 and leave us at the end of Year 11 as fully rounded young adults. We aim for every lesson, every day to be exceptional."

From the headteacher's welcome: "As the new Headteacher of Avon Valley Academy, I am delighted and incredibly proud to join such a special school community. I am continuously struck by the warmth of relationships, the strength of our values and the genuine sense of belonging that makes Avon Valley unique."

In 2026, pupils at Avon Valley Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.9 in Wiltshire and 47 across England.

19% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 44% in Wiltshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 34.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.18: 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 31.7, against 36.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 5.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 14 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Statistics and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 99 families put Avon Valley Academy as their first choice and 179 named it as one of their preferences, for 107 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Avon Valley Academy is one of 21 schools run by Acorn Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.9 in 2024/25.

68 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Avon Valley Academy (as of September 2025): 78% would recommend the school, 75% say their child is happy there and 65% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (82%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (65%).

Of the 73 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 89% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 67% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

Avon Valley Academy has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disability and moderate learning difficulties: 20 places, 5 pupils on roll.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Avon Valley Academy.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Avon Valley Academy (ne-bound), 140 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Avon Valley Academy stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, Avon Valley Academy issued 428 suspensions, 82.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Avon Valley Academy are Durrington All Saints Church of England Voluntary Controlled Infants' School (under 0.1 miles), Durrington Church of England Controlled Junior School (0.3 miles), Bulford St Leonard's C of E (VA) Primary School (0.9 miles) and St Michael's Church of England Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.