Valley Academy
| Type | Secondary / Free schools |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Cliffe Terrace Bradford West Yorkshire BD8 7DX |
| Phone | 01274723439 |
| Reference Number | 139474 |
Valley Academy demonstrates a strong overall performance focusing on the learning and development of its pupils. The school has made notable progress since its last inspection, with improvements in English and mathematics, while the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers continues to close. Despite some challenges, particularly with attendance that remains a priority area for improvement, the school provides a safe and nurturing environment where pupils feel valued and supported. The changes instituted by leadership have fostered better teaching practices and staff development, ensuring that the academic and personal needs of students are met effectively.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 364 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 59.07%
Girls: 40.93% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 51.1% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 65.7% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 21.7 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 37 | 33 | 70 |
| 8 | 44 | 25 | 69 |
| 9 | 43 | 30 | 73 |
| 10 | 42 | 32 | 74 |
| 11 | 49 | 29 | 78 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Pakistani | 43.4% |
| African | 7.4% |
| White, Other | 6.6% |
| White, British | 5.8% |
| Indian | 4.1% |
| Asian, Other | 3.3% |
| White & Asian | 3% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.8% |
| Unclassified | 0.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.5% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.3% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 14 May 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 17 Mar 2026 | School inspection |
| 13 Jun 2023 | School inspection |
| 20 Mar 2018 | Full inspection |
| 30 Jun 2015 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Strong focus on safeguarding, creating a safe environment for pupils.
- Significant improvements in pupil achievement, especially in English and mathematics.
- Proactive monitoring and interventions for improving attendance.
- High expectations for behaviour and effective management strategies.
- Broad and balanced curriculum with effective teaching practices.
- Supportive environment for vulnerable pupils and those with special educational needs.
Areas for Improvement
- Consistency in curriculum delivery across all subjects needs to be improved.
- Attendance rates, while improving, still require focused strategies to reach expected standards.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 38.7 | Unlock | Unlock |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Sample
Unlock| Name | Distance |
|
Midland Road Nursery School
Bateman Street, Bradford, BD8 7DJ |
0.09 miles |
|
Abbey Green Nursery School
Green Lane, Bradford, BD8 8HT |
0.32 miles |
|
Green Lane Primary School
Green Lane, Manningham, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 8HT |
0.32 miles |
|
Dixons Manningham Academy
Wood Street, Manningham, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 8HY |
0.38 miles |
|
Islamic Tarbiyyah Preparatory School
Ambler Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 8AW |
0.42 miles |
|
Atlas Community Primary School
Lincoln Close, Manningham, Atlas Community Primary School, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 8DL |
0.48 miles |
|
Iqra Primary Academy
Drummond Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 8DA |
0.51 miles |
|
Westminster Church of England Primary Academy
Westminster Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 0HW |
0.54 miles |
|
Westbourne Primary School
Skinner Lane, Manningham, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7PL |
0.58 miles |
|
Miriam Lord Primary School
Bavaria Place, Manningham, Bavaria Place, Manningham, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 8RG |
0.59 miles |
|
Lilycroft Primary School
Lilycroft Road, Manningham, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD9 5AD |
0.79 miles |
|
Lilycroft Nursery School
Lilycroft Road, Bradford, BD9 5AD |
0.83 miles |
|
Poplars Farm Primary School
Poplars Park Road, Off Kings Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 1LQ |
0.93 miles |
|
St Philip's CofE Primary School
Whitby Terrace, Girlington, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 9JL |
0.96 miles |
|
Whetley Academy
Whetley Lane, Girlington, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 9HZ |
0.98 miles |
|
St Cuthbert and the First Martyrs' Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy
Scotchman Road, Heaton, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD9 5AT |
1.04 miles |
|
Carlton Mills
Scotchman Road, Manningham, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD9 5AT |
1.04 miles |
|
Peel Park Primary School and Nursery
Peel Park Drive, Undercliffe, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 4PR |
1.05 miles |
|
Grove House Primary School
Myers Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 4ED |
1.09 miles |
|
Girlington Primary School
Girlington Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 9NR |
1.1 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Al Mumin Primary and Secondary School
Clifton Street, Manningham, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7DA |
0.08 miles |
|
The Home Study Project Co Pakistan Community and Neighbourhood Assoc
White Abbey Road, Bradford, BD8 8EJ |
0.48 miles |
|
Feversham Girls' Secondary Academy
158 Cliffe Road, Undercliffe, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 0LT |
0.63 miles |
|
Oasis Academy Lister Park
North Avenue, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 7ND |
0.67 miles |
|
Bradford Grammar School
|
0.76 miles |
|
Carlton Bolling
Undercliffe Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD3 0DU |
0.91 miles |
|
Prism Independent School
Walker Drive, Girlington, Bradford, BD8 9ES |
0.92 miles |
|
Bradford College
Great Horton Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1AY |
0.98 miles |
|
Eden Boys' Leadership Academy, Bradford
Syedna Way, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD8 9AR |
1.01 miles |
|
Bradford Christian School
Livingstone Road, Bolton Woods, Bradford, BD2 1BT |
1.02 miles |
|
Hanson Academy
Sutton Avenue, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD2 1JP |
1.16 miles |
|
New College Bradford
Nelson Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 0DX |
1.16 miles |
|
Dixons McMillan Academy
Trinity Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 0JD |
1.28 miles |
|
Dixons Trinity Academy
Trinity Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 0BE |
1.3 miles |
|
St Bede's and St Joseph's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy
Highgate, Heaton, Bradford, BD9 4BQ |
1.3 miles |
|
Bronte Girls' Academy
Bolling Road, East Bowling, Bradford, BD4 7EB |
1.46 miles |
|
Bradford Girls' Grammar School
Squire Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD9 6RB |
1.46 miles |
|
Dixons Kings Academy
Northside Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 2AN |
1.51 miles |
|
Dixons Sixth Form, Bradford
Bowling Old Lane, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 7JR |
1.57 miles |
|
Dixons City Academy
Ripley Street, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD5 7RR |
1.7 miles |