Spark Vale Academy, Leicester
Spark Vale Academy is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Leicester. It was rated Inadequate at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2025. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2026 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Inadequate (2025)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Spark Vale Academy in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Spark Vale Academy are Indie Education (1.4 miles); ALP Leicester (2 miles, Good); Leicester Therapeutic School (2.1 miles); and The Children's Hospital School (2.1 miles, Outstanding).
Indie EducationALP LeicesterLeicester Therapeutic SchoolThe Children's Hospital School
Who goes there
Almost every pupil at Spark Vale Academy has an education, health and care plan (4 of 4 in 2026).
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Leicester North (Great Central Railway), about 1 mile away in a straight line.
21 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Moores Road (opposite), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Spark Vale Academy stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 8 months agoOverall
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: not effective
Independent school standards
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
- Part 1: quality of educationNot met
- Part 2: pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmentMet
- Part 3: welfare, health and safetyNot met
- Part 4: suitability of staff and proprietorsMet
- Part 5: premises and accommodationNot met
- Part 6: information for parentsMet
- Part 7: handling of complaintsMet
- Part 8: leadership and managementNot met
Progress-monitoring inspection, 11 February 2026: The school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Source: Ofsted, non-association independent schools inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Spark Vale Academy excels at understanding each child's individual needs and personalising learning to help them succeed. Teachers provide tailored teaching with appropriate support and explanations matched to each pupil's starting point. The school has also created an ambitious 'future path' curriculum for post-16 students, ensuring young people develop not just academic skills but also practical life skills like job applications, time management and travel planning.
Key Strengths
- Strong leadership that has systematically addressed all previously unmet standards with rigour and determination
- Well-designed curriculum tailored to pupils' individual needs, including strong phonics and reading programmes
- Secure safeguarding culture with knowledgeable staff and proactive leaders who work with external agencies
- Clear behaviour management systems and comprehensive first-aid recording procedures
- Safe premises with proper fire safety measures and secure exits
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - the school has a secure safeguarding culture with knowledgeable staff, regular training, and leaders who proactively work with external agencies to keep pupils safe.
Spark Vale Academy is an independent school that was previously found to not meet all standards. This progress monitoring inspection confirms the school has successfully addressed all previously unmet standards and now meets all independent school standards that were checked.
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Spark Vale Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 41
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 41 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 8 serious and 32 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
9%
Available places
4 pupils
45 places
41 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Leicester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leicester
Across Leicester council
Places available
4,570
Applications
4,613
Got 1st preference
83.9%
Got preferred school
94.9%
All secondary applications across Leicester council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(3)
Independent school Progress Monitoring inspection
Outcome: the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
Independent school standard inspection - first
Did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management).
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Spark Vale Academy is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
4
Total Pupils
3
Boys
1
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Spark Vale Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Spark Vale Academy
What is Spark Vale Academy's Ofsted rating?
Spark Vale Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2026, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2025, it was rated Inadequate.
Does Spark Vale Academy meet the independent school standards?
At its most recent standard inspection, in June 2025, Spark Vale Academy did not meet the independent school standards in Part 1 (quality of education), Part 3 (welfare, health and safety), Part 5 (premises and accommodation) and Part 8 (leadership and management). At a later progress-monitoring inspection in February 2026, the school met all the standards Ofsted checked.
How many pupils go to Spark Vale Academy?
Spark Vale Academy has around 4 pupils on roll.
Does Spark Vale Academy have specialist SEN provision?
Spark Vale Academy is not approved under Section 41 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
How do I apply to Spark Vale Academy?
Spark Vale Academy is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Spark Vale Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 41 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 8 serious and 32 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Leicester is 24.5 (the median across 142 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Spark Vale Academy?
Spark Vale Academy is at Crt House, 176 Melton Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE4 5EE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)