Esteem Valley Academy, Ilkeston
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This school specializes in supporting young people who have struggled in mainstream education. It provides excellent pastoral care through personal coaches and creates a 'culture of success' where pupils feel safe, supported and valued. Staff are deeply committed to helping pupils achieve qualifications and progress to their next steps, with improving numbers returning to mainstream schools or moving into further education and employment.
Key Strengths
- Strong pastoral support system with 'personal coaches' helping pupils feel safe and happy
- High-quality teaching in small groups with well-trained staff who know pupils well
- Systematic approach to reading and phonics, with pupils developing increasing fluency
- Growing number of pupils gaining GCSE qualifications and progressing to mainstream schools, further education or employment
- Improving attendance rates through strong encouragement systems
Areas for Improvement
- Checks on pupils' learning do not always fully identify what pupils know and can do, limiting their ability to develop deeper knowledge and skills
- Inconsistent application of behaviour management strategies by staff, which can lead to disruption in some lessons
- Some pupils continue to display challenging behaviours that affect learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
Music and media (evolve curriculum)
Esteem Valley Academy is an alternative provision school for pupils at risk of or excluded from mainstream education. The school maintains high expectations and has strengthened its curriculum since the last inspection, with most pupils responding well to behaviour expectations.
At a Glance
69.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
15 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
0.0
Avg class size
0
Total classes
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
57%
Available places
103 pupils
182 capacity
79 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Ilkeston
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Ilkeston
Admissions Demand - Derbyshire
Places available
8,811
Applications
7,963
Got 1st preference
95.4%
Got preferred school
99.1%
Secondary admissions across Derbyshire (2025/26)
Inspection History(3)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Esteem Valley Academy
Cotmanhay Junior School
Cotmanhay Infant and Nursery School
Charlotte Nursery and Infant School
Granby Junior School
Awsworth Primary and Nursery School
Chaucer Junior School
Chaucer Infant School
Larklands Infant School
Gilthill Primary School
St Thomas Catholic Voluntary Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Nearby Schools
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