Outwood Academy Valley

About Outwood Academy Valley

Outwood Academy Valley, a large mixed secondary in Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, was rated Good by Ofsted in its most recent inspection in 2024. This represents a change from its previous Outstanding rating in 2017, with the school now judged Good across all categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. The most telling academic metric is the school’s Progress 8 score of 0.05, which is above the local authority average of -0.11 and places it 15th out of 46 similar schools in Nottinghamshire. While this score is described as ‘Average’ nationally, it shows pupils at Outwood Academy Valley make slightly more progress than the typical student in the area, particularly in English where the Progress 8 score is a strong 0.42. The school’s Attainment 8 score stands at 48.1, and 56.7% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths.

At Key Stage 5, the sixth form has 118 students and the average A-level grade is a C, with 29.13 points per student across their best three A-levels. However, the value-added score is -0.66, which is banded as ‘Well below average’, suggesting that students at this stage do not make as much progress as might be expected given their prior attainment. The school’s EBacc entry rate is 57.8%, with 38.8% of pupils achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. In terms of local rankings, Outwood Academy Valley is ranked 1st out of 6 schools in Bassetlaw when measured by Progress 8, though this is a small local pool. Nationally, it sits in the 45th percentile, meaning it performs better than just under half of all schools in the country.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 565 applications for 295 places, with 288 first-preference applications and 285 first-preference offers. This gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.92, so competition for places is significant. Facilities include science labs, art studios, a theatre, tennis courts, playing fields, a gymnasium, a chapel, and a sixth-form centre. The school offers a wide range of sports including rowing, swimming, and athletics, plus clubs such as chess, debate, coding, and Model UN. SEND provision is extensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate to severe learning difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder, and speech, language and communication needs. With 22.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake and will suit families looking for a large, well-resourced secondary with strong English outcomes and a busy extracurricular programme.

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