Yate Academy

Yate Academy is a school performing strongly across almost all areas, with inspectors finding the quality of education, leadership, inclusion, and personal development to be of a high standard. Pupils, including those who face barriers to learning, achieve very well, and outcomes at the end of Year 11 are strong, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, whose attainment is significantly above national averages. The curriculum is highly ambitious and well planned, teaching is consistently effective, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those in the specially resourced hearing impairment provision, are well supported. Pupils behave well, feel safe, and benefit from a coherent personal development programme and a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school's work is strengthened by effective leadership and governance within the Greenshaw Learning Trust. Two areas require continued attention. Although leaders have worked hard to improve attendance and reduce absence, some pupils remain persistently absent and miss out on the school's wider offer. In the sixth form, historic outcomes have been less strong than the rest of the school, particularly in A-level examinations, though leaders have identified the weaknesses and are making rapid improvements to the curriculum and provision. Inspection data shows that A-level average point scores and value added remain below national averages, and inspectors have asked leaders to ensure that sixth-form achievement continues to improve. The school has undergone significant recent change, including a new headteacher and the opening of post-16 provision that is no longer shared with other local schools. Yate Academy has a higher-than-average proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans and makes use of eight alternative provisions, seven of which are unregistered. Overall, this is a school with many considerable strengths and a clear capacity to improve further, particularly in attendance and post-16 outcomes.

Strengths

• Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve very well and make strong progress.
• The curriculum is highly ambitious, well sequenced and consistently implemented across subjects.
• Teaching is very effective, with clear explanations, strong subject expertise and regular checks on understanding.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported, including in the specially resourced hearing impairment provision.
• Leaders and trustees have a meticulous understanding of the school's work and provide effective support for improvement.
• Staff are well supported, including through shared ‘intellectual preparation’ time that develops teaching expertise.
• Personal development is coherent and well designed, helping pupils understand safety, relationships, values and cultures.
• Behaviour and conduct are excellent, with positive relationships between staff and pupils and rare disruption.
• Pupils feel safe and valued, and bullying is uncommon and dealt with promptly.
• Pupils benefit from an extensive range of enrichment, clubs, trips and leadership opportunities.
• Careers education is effective and prepares pupils and students well for their next steps.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils remain persistently absent and miss out on the full offer of the school.
• Sixth-form outcomes in A-level examinations have historically been less strong than the rest of the school.
• A-level average point scores and value added remain below national averages.
• Leaders should ensure that sixth-form achievement continues to improve.
• Leaders should further develop work to improve pupils' attendance so that absence continues to reduce.
• Leaders should ensure continued improvement to curriculum implementation to sustain exceptional teaching standards.

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 Yate Academy attended 90.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.9% 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, 12.7% of pupils at Yate Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 Yate Academy had 16.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.0% 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, 9.7% of pupils at Yate Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 3 pupils.

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 Yate Academy received £8,339 and spent £8,211 for each of its 801 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £661,000 (£825 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Greenshaw Learning Trust, income was £8,062 and spending £7,907 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 South Gloucestershire · South Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

Yate Academy is part of Greenshaw Learning Trust, which runs 39 schools. The nearest others:

• Woodlands Primary School Bristol
• Tyndale Primary School Yate
• Blaise High School Bristol
• Hunts Grove Primary Academy Gloucester
• Five Acres High School Coleford
• Waterwells Primary Academy Gloucester
• Holmleigh Park High School Gloucester
• Grange Primary Academy
• Hillside Primary School Gloucester
• Gloucester Academy Gloucester

What is Yate Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Yate Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Yate Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Yate Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Yate Academy have?

Yate Academy has 804 pupils on roll.

What age range does Yate Academy cover?

Yate Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Yate Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 55.1, and 58% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Yate Academy?

Yate Academy is at Sundridge Park, Yate, South Gloucestershire, BS37 4DX.