Axe Valley Academy

Axe Valley Academy has demonstrated significant improvements since its previous inspection, moving from a grade of Requires Improvement to Good across all areas evaluated: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The school's community ethos is strong, and relationships between staff and pupils are built on respect, contributing to a safe and supportive environment. The curriculum is ambitious and well-implemented, preparing pupils effectively for future academic pursuits. Furthermore, there is a notable emphasis on reading, and the school has successfully increased participation in academic programs.

Strengths

• Strong community ethos and supportive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Ambitious curriculum that extends beyond national requirements.
• Effective implementation of curriculum preparing pupils for key stage 4 qualifications.
• Strong values placed on reading and support for weak readers.
• High-quality professional development opportunities for staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment practices do not accurately identify gaps in pupils' knowledge.
• Teaching approaches are not always adapted to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND.

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 Axe Valley Academy attended 88.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 33.1% 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, 7.9% of pupils at Axe Valley Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Axe Valley Academy had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.3% 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, 26.9% of pupils at Axe Valley Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.5% 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 Axe Valley Academy received £7,619 and spent £7,499 for each of its 757 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £241,000 (£319 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Blackdown Education Partnership, income was £7,733 and spending £7,770 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 Axminster · Devon local authority: places and applications

Axe Valley Academy is part of Blackdown Education Partnership, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Holyrood Academy Chard
• Neroche Primary School Ilminster
• Orchard Grove Primary School Taunton
• Wellesley Park Primary School Wellington
• Uffculme Primary School Cullompton
• Court Fields School Wellington
• The Castle School Taunton
• Uffculme School Cullompton
• Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School Wellington
• Bishops Hull Primary School Taunton

What is Axe Valley Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Axe Valley Academy is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.

When was Axe Valley Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Axe Valley Academy was last inspected in October 2023.

How many pupils does Axe Valley Academy have?

Axe Valley Academy has 741 pupils on roll.

What age range does Axe Valley Academy cover?

Axe Valley Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Axe Valley Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.7, and 33% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Axe Valley Academy?

Axe Valley Academy is at Chard Street, Axminster, Devon, EX13 5EA.