Forge Valley School

About Forge Valley School

Forge Valley School was rated Good across all categories in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, a rating it has held consistently since its previous inspection in 2019. The school’s Progress 8 score of -0.18 tells the most informative story about its academic outcomes: this is a school where pupils achieve slightly below the national average of 0, but significantly above the Sheffield local authority average of -0.4. In fact, Forge Valley ranks 9th out of 29 secondary schools in Sheffield on this measure, placing it comfortably in the top third of the city. The school’s Attainment 8 score of 47.4 means the average pupil achieves just under a grade 5 across their best eight GCSE subjects, and 69.1% of pupils secured a grade 4 or above in both English and maths. The sixth form also performs well, with a value-added score of 0.24 — classed as above average — and an average A-level grade of B- per entry.

Digging deeper into the data, Forge Valley’s strengths and areas for development become clearer. In English, pupils make progress in line with the national average (Progress 8 English score of +0.03), while maths progress is slightly below (-0.16). The school enters 43.3% of pupils for the EBacc suite of subjects, and 32.2% achieve a grade 4 or above across all five components. At A-level, the average points per entry is 36.49, equivalent to a B-, and 31% of entries achieved AAB or higher. The sixth form’s progress banding of Above Average is a genuine highlight, suggesting that students who stay on make stronger progress than their peers nationally. Nationally, Forge Valley sits in the 63rd percentile for Progress 8, meaning it outperforms nearly two-thirds of schools across England. Given that 26.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals — well above the national average — these results represent solid academic value.

Forge Valley is a large, oversubscribed secondary school with 1,533 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,350, and for 2025/26 it received 503 applications for 239 places — an oversubscription ratio of 2.1 to one. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a sixth form centre, music rooms, art studios, a gymnasium, sports hall, astro turf and tennis courts. Sports provision covers football, rugby, netball, hockey, dance and cross country, while extracurricular clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, debating, gardening, science club, drama, chess and eco club. SEND provision is comprehensive, with support for autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, speech and language needs, visual impairment, physical disability and social, emotional and mental health needs, plus a resourced provision. This is a school that suits families looking for a large, inclusive community with a strong sixth form and a track record of solid, above-average outcomes relative to the local area.

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