Park Vale Academy, Nottingham
Park Vale Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Nottingham, part of Redhill Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 24th-highest of the 43 schools in Nottingham with published results, and 1,588th of 3,298 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Nottingham (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Park Vale Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Park Vale Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 44.4 in Nottingham and 47 across England.
43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Nottingham and 47% in England.
That is up from 42.8 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.06: pupils made about 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 41.1, against 49.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 8.4 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Geography and Combined Science.
Getting a place at Park Vale Academy
For September 2026 entry, 168 families put Park Vale Academy as their first choice and 341 named it as one of their preferences, for 186 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 Park Vale Academy are The Oakwood Academy (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 44.7); The Bulwell Academy (0.9 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 39.6); Redhill Academy (1.9 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 49.1); and Ellis Guilford School (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.5).
Park Vale Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
The Oakwood AcademyThe Bulwell AcademyRedhill AcademyEllis Guilford School
The trust
Park Vale Academy is one of 21 schools run by Redhill Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.9 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 168 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 48% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
44.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 128 pupils (14.5%) received SEN support and 15 (1.7%) 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 Bulwell Forest Tram Stop, about 1020 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Verder Grove, 130 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Park Vale Academy issued 206 suspensions, 22.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 13 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Park Vale Academy are Rise Park Primary and Nursery School (0.1 miles), Westglade Primary School (0.2 miles), Stanstead Flying High Academy (0.3 miles) and Southglade Primary and Nursery School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Rise Park Primary and Nursery SchoolWestglade Primary SchoolStanstead Flying High AcademySouthglade Primary and Nursery 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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
44.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.06 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 40.3 to 46.2 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 29% to 43% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 46.2 | 42.5% |
| Disadvantaged(63) | - | 41.1 | 39.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(97) | - | 49.5 | 44.3% |
| Boys(93) | - | 44.1 | 41.9% |
| Girls(67) | - | 49.1 | 43.3% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(32) | - | 54.0 | 56.3% |
| Non mobile(148) | - | 46.8 | 42.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 168 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
13
Permanent exclusions
1.45%
Exclusion rate
206
Suspensions
22.94%
Suspension rate
71 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 898 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Park Vale Academy
Term dates
Park Vale Academy is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Nottingham's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Park Vale Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Park Vale Academy is in Nottingham; for families living there:
Apply to Nottingham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 14 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 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 Nottingham is 37 (the median across 119 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 Park Vale Academy
Will you get a place at Park Vale Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Park Vale Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Park Vale Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Park Vale Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Nottingham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Park Vale Academy for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Nottingham 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
99%
Near capacity
893 pupils
900 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Nottingham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Nottingham
Across Nottingham council
Places available
3,708
Applications
3,688
Got 1st preference
80.3%
Got preferred school
94.1%
All secondary applications across Nottingham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
128
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
880
Total Pupils
491
Boys
389
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
56
Teachers
15.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,951
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,879
Per pupil
£7641k
Total funding
£420k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.2%
Overall absence
31.8%
Persistent absence
949
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
Park Vale Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Park Vale Academy
What are GCSE results like at Park Vale Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Park Vale Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 46.2. 43% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Park Vale Academy's Ofsted rating?
Park Vale Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Park Vale Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Park Vale Academy is oversubscribed, Nottingham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Park Vale Academy?
Park Vale Academy was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Park Vale Academy?
Classes at Park Vale Academy average 22.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Park Vale Academy?
Park Vale Academy has around 880 pupils on roll. 45% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Park Vale Academy?
11.2% of sessions were missed at Park Vale Academy in 2024/25. 31.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Park Vale Academy?
Apply through Nottingham's coordinated admissions process, naming Park 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 Park Vale Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 14 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 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 Nottingham is 37 (the median across 119 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Park Vale Academy?
Park Vale Academy is at Top Valley Drive, Top Valley, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 9AZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)