Park Vale Academy

Park Vale Academy has demonstrated significant improvement since its previous inspection, moving from a status of Requires Improvement to Good overall. The school maintains high expectations for its pupils, which has fostered a positive and orderly environment. Relationships between staff and students are strong, contributing to a calm atmosphere conducive to learning. The school has made strides in its leadership and management, with staff feeling well-supported. There is an effective safeguarding culture, and the school prioritizes student well-being and personal development through various programmes.

Strengths

• High expectations for pupil achievement and behaviour
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils
• Broad and ambitious curriculum accessible to all pupils, including those with SEND
• Effective prioritization of reading support
• Good use of assessment to identify and address learning gaps
• Calm and orderly school environment with clear routines

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of agreed curriculum delivery approaches by some staff
• Lack of precise understanding of effective strategies to improve attendance

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 Park Vale Academy attended 88.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.8% 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 Park Vale Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 13 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 Park Vale Academy had 16.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.2% 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, 14.5% of pupils at Park Vale Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% 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 Park Vale Academy received £9,027 and spent £8,795 for each of its 902 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,685,000 (£1,868 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of Redhill Academy Trust, income was £7,880 and spending £7,947 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 Nottingham · Nottingham local authority: places and applications

Park Vale Academy is part of Redhill Academy Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• The Oakwood Academy Nottingham
• Redhill Academy Nottingham
• Robert Mellors Primary Academy Nottingham
• Carlton Academy Nottingham
• The Carlton Junior Academy Nottingham
• The Carlton Infant Academy Nottingham
• Colonel Frank Seely Academy Nottingham
• Hall Park Academy Nottingham
• South Nottinghamshire Academy Nottingham
• Farmilo Primary School and Nursery Mansfield

What is Park Vale Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Park Vale Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Park Vale Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Park Vale Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Park Vale Academy have?

Park Vale Academy has 880 pupils on roll.

What age range does Park Vale Academy cover?

Park Vale Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Park Vale Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.2, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Park Vale Academy?

Park Vale Academy is at Top Valley Drive, Top Valley, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 9AZ.