Oasis Academy Don Valley

About Oasis Academy Don Valley

Oasis Academy Don Valley is a popular choice among Sheffield families, with 168 first-preference applications for just 150 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, resulting in an oversubscription ratio of 1.93. Of those 289 total applications, 142 received a first-preference offer, indicating strong local demand. The school, led by headteacher Nichola Smith, is a mixed, state secondary for pupils aged 2 to 16, and it does not have a sixth form. With 57.2 per cent of its 1,138 pupils eligible for free school meals, the academy serves a community with significant socioeconomic need. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2023, rated the school Good overall, with an Outstanding mark for early years provision. Behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and quality of education were all judged Good. The previous inspection, in June 2018, also rated the school Good overall, so the school has maintained a consistent standard.

Academically, the school's Progress 8 score for 2023/24 was -0.59, which is below the Sheffield local authority average of -0.4 and places it 20th out of 29 secondary schools in the area. Nationally, it ranks in the bottom 50 per cent, at 2,722 out of 3,141 schools. The Attainment 8 score sits at 36.1, and 42 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs. The English Baccalaureate entry rate is high at 69.7 per cent, though only 26.1 per cent achieved a strong pass in the EBacc subjects. Progress in English is the strongest of the core subjects at -0.31, while open subjects show the weakest progress at -0.95. The school's EBacc average point score is 3.42. These results suggest that while the school is inclusive and serves a disadvantaged intake, academic outcomes are below both local and national averages.

The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, music rooms, and science labs, plus a sixth form centre despite not having a sixth form. Sports on offer include hockey, gymnastics, tennis, martial arts, football, and basketball, and there are clubs such as gardening, debate, Young Enterprise, drama, choir, science club, orchestra, and chess. For pupils with special educational needs, the school provides support for a broad spectrum of needs, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. With nursery provision available from age 2, the school suits families looking for continuity from early years through to GCSEs, particularly those in the Sheffield area who value a well-equipped, inclusive environment with strong pastoral care.

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