Alde Valley Academy

Alde Valley Academy has been rated as 'Requires Improvement' overall, reflecting a decline in its standards since the previous inspection where it was considered 'Good'. The interim leadership and actions by the Kingfisher Schools Trust are beginning to take effect, but there remains significant work to enhance the quality of education, behaviour management, and personal development of pupils. While the school is recognized for providing a safe learning environment and strong support for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), various areas require urgent attention to ensure that all students achieve their full potential.

Strengths

• Pupils with SEND receive strong support.
• The school promotes a safe environment for learning.
• There are a variety of extracurricular opportunities for pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent behaviour management leading to repeat misbehaviour.
• Curriculum delivery is uneven, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge.
• Lack of effective support for weaker readers and those disengaged with learning.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Alde Valley Academy attended 90.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 14.8% of pupils at Alde Valley Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Alde Valley Academy had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 26.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 12.1% of pupils at Alde Valley Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 7.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Alde Valley Academy received £8,327 and spent £7,515 for each of its 674 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £201,000 (-£298 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Kingfisher Schools Trust, income was £7,914 and spending £8,139 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in East Suffolk · Suffolk local authority: places and applications

Alde Valley Academy is part of Kingfisher Schools Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Snape Primary School Saxmundham
• Sir John Leman High School Beccles
• Roman Hill Primary School Lowestoft
• Stowmarket High School Stowmarket
• Southtown Primary School Great Yarmouth
• Northgate Primary School Great Yarmouth

What is Alde Valley Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Alde Valley Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Alde Valley Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Alde Valley Academy was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Alde Valley Academy have?

Alde Valley Academy has 645 pupils on roll.

What age range does Alde Valley Academy cover?

Alde Valley Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Alde Valley Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 33.9, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Alde Valley Academy?

Alde Valley Academy is at Seaward Avenue, Leiston, Suffolk, IP16 4BG.