Fir Vale Academy, Sheffield
Fir Vale Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Sheffield, part of United Learning Trust. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 35th-highest of the 35 schools in Sheffield with published results, and 3,282nd of 3,298 across England.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Sheffield (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Fir Vale Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Fir Vale Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 23.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.6 in Sheffield and 47 across England.
16% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Sheffield and 47% in England.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 18, against 39.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 21.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Fir Vale Academy
For September 2026 entry, 115 families put Fir Vale Academy as their first choice and 190 named it as one of their preferences, for 194 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Fir Vale Academy are Oasis Academy Don Valley (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 34.3); UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.4); Hinde House 2-16 Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 43.7); and Lift Firth Park (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 36.7).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Fir Vale Academy.
Oasis Academy Don ValleyUTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy ParkHinde House 2-16 AcademyLift Firth Park
The trust
Fir Vale Academy is one of 98 schools run by United Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49 in 2024/25.
Who goes there
72.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 85.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (29%), other ethnic groups (11%) and Black (11%).
In 2026, 192 pupils (20.6%) received SEN support and 17 (1.8%) 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
The nearest tram or metro stop is Attercliffe Platform to Meadowhall, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Page Hall Road/Barretta Street (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Fir Vale Academy stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 481 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Sheffield (267), as is usual near a town centre.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Fir Vale Academy are Oasis Academy Fir Vale (under 0.1 miles), Whiteways Primary School (0.2 miles), Owler Brook Primary School (0.2 miles) and Hucklow Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Oasis Academy Fir ValeWhiteways Primary SchoolOwler Brook Primary SchoolHucklow 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 school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
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
Fir Vale Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in July 2025. Before that, as Fir Vale School (URN 138925), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2022.
At a Glance
72.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
23.7
Attainment 8
16.1%
Eng+Maths 5+
2025/26 academic year
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 23.7 | 16.1% |
| Disadvantaged(133) | - | 18.0 | 9% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(47) | - | 39.8 | 36.2% |
| Boys(93) | - | 21.3 | 15.1% |
| Girls(87) | - | 26.2 | 17.2% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(132) | - | 19.1 | 11.4% |
| Non mobile(160) | - | 23.5 | 16.3% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
Exclusions & Suspensions
18
Permanent exclusions
934
Suspensions
296 pupils received one or more suspensions
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Fir Vale Academy
Term dates
Fir Vale Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Sheffield's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Fir Vale Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Fir Vale Academy is in Sheffield; for families living there:
- Sheffield's school travel policy: Home to School Travel and Transport Policy September 2023
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 73
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 21
- Children hurt
- 21
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 73 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 21 serious and 52 slight.
21 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 18 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
22 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 Sheffield is 17 (the median across 193 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 Fir Vale Academy
Will you get a place at Fir Vale Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Fir Vale Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Fir Vale Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Fir Vale Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Sheffield, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Fir Vale Academy for 2026 entry.
- How many families in Sheffield 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
89%
Available places
931 pupils
1,050 places
119 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Sheffield
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Sheffield
Across Sheffield council
Places available
6,421
Applications
6,416
Got 1st preference
88.7%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Sheffield council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
192
SEN Support
17
EHC Plans
22.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
931
Total Pupils
471
Boys
460
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
60
Teachers
15.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,129
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
23.0%
Overall absence
58.7%
Persistent absence
996
Enrolments
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
Fir Vale Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Fir Vale Academy
What are GCSE results like at Fir Vale Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Fir Vale Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 23.7. 16% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Fir Vale Academy's Ofsted rating?
Fir Vale Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in July 2025. Before that, as Fir Vale School (URN 138925), it was rated Requires Improvement in October 2022.
What is the catchment area for Fir Vale Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Fir Vale Academy is oversubscribed, Sheffield allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How big are the classes at Fir Vale Academy?
Classes at Fir Vale Academy average 22.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Fir Vale Academy?
Fir Vale Academy has around 931 pupils on roll. 72% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Fir Vale Academy?
23% of sessions were missed at Fir Vale Academy in 2024/25. 58.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Fir Vale Academy?
Apply through Sheffield's coordinated admissions process, naming Fir Vale 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 Fir Vale Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 73 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 21 serious and 52 slight. 21 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 18 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 22 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 Sheffield is 17 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Fir Vale Academy?
Fir Vale Academy is at Owler Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S4 8GB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)