Reddish Vale High School

Reddish Vale High School has improved substantially since its previous inspection. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school no longer requires special measures. Leaders have put in place a broad and ambitious curriculum, raised expectations and created an inclusive school where pupils feel they belong. Teaching is generally effective, support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils is strong, and personal development is well designed. The school is part of the Achieve and Learn Trust, and inspectors found that trust and local governance arrangements are working well. Two important areas still need work. Published GCSE results from 2025 remain below national averages in many subjects, including English and mathematics, and some pupils have gaps in writing, spelling and number that slow their learning. Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are in line with disadvantaged pupils nationally, but the gap to non-disadvantaged pupils widened. Attendance is also below national rates, with high persistent absence, and some pupils need more help to attend regularly. Behaviour is generally positive, and pupils feel safe and well supported. Current pupils are learning better than the published data suggests, and leaders are taking action. The next steps are to ensure all teachers consistently identify and close gaps in pupils' knowledge and to continue removing barriers to attendance.

Strengths

• Broad and ambitious curriculum offering academic and vocational subjects.
• Leaders use curriculum checks to improve teaching and support staff.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and appropriate expectations.
• Inclusive culture with strong identification of SEND and disadvantaged pupils' needs.
• Effective use of pupil premium and emerging-needs systems to support disadvantaged pupils.
• Trust and school leaders have raised expectations and improved the learning culture.
• Local governing body provides effective challenge and support.
• Staff feel well supported and leaders consider workload.
• Strong personal development curriculum covering health, citizenship and British values.
• Wide range of clubs, pupil leadership roles and enrichment activities.
• Careers education and targeted guidance prepare pupils for next steps.
• Good pastoral support, including counselling and adjustments for individual needs.
• Typically positive behaviour culture with decreases in poor conduct and bullying.
• Pupils feel safe, behave well and have positive relationships.

Areas for Improvement

• 2025 KS4 attainment in many subjects, including English and mathematics, is below national average.
• Disadvantaged pupils' gap compared with non-disadvantaged pupils widened in published data.
• Some pupils have gaps in writing, spelling and mathematical knowledge that hinder learning.
• Not all teachers consistently identify and address gaps in pupils' prior knowledge.
• Support for pupils who struggle with reading, writing or number is not consistently effective.
• Overall attendance is lower than national rates.
• Persistent absence is well above national average.
• Some pupils need more help to avoid routine absence from school.
• Destinations after 16 are below national average.
• Historically published Progress 8 and attainment were below national, although current pupils are improving.

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 Reddish Vale High School attended 87.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 31.6% 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, 9.6% of pupils at Reddish Vale High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 11 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 Reddish Vale High School had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 19.7% 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, 16.3% of pupils at Reddish Vale High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.5% 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 Reddish Vale High School received £8,655 and spent £8,333 for each of its 1,027 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,020,000 (£1,967 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Achieve and Learn Trust, income was £8,190 and spending £8,343 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 Stockport · Stockport local authority: places and applications

Reddish Vale High School is part of Achieve and Learn Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Altrincham College Altrincham

What is Reddish Vale High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Reddish Vale High School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Reddish Vale High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Reddish Vale High School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Reddish Vale High School have?

Reddish Vale High School has 999 pupils on roll.

What age range does Reddish Vale High School cover?

Reddish Vale High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Reddish Vale High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 37.9, and 28% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Reddish Vale High School?

Reddish Vale High School is at Reddish Vale Road, Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire, SK5 7HD.