School Chooser

The Lea Valley Academy

Secondary · ages 11-18MixedAcademy830 pupilsSixth formEnfield
School Chooser Score
13
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 9 to 18
Out of 100. Better than 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, October 2022
Strong pass in English and maths20%England 46%
Attendance89.0%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families54%Far more than most schools
Places570 spare830 pupils, 1,400 places
Pupils per teacher15.8School workforce census

The Lea Valley Academy is a converter academy in Enfield for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 830 pupils and room for 1,400. About 54 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 13 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, EN3 6TW01992 763666leavalley.org.ukMr David Bucho principalAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 5 October 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Sixth formOfsted calls this “post-16”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

142 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score33.3
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths20%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths45%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-0.68In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 38.038.020182019: 37.137.120192022: 34.634.620222023: 36.936.920232024: 33.133.120242025: 33.333.32025
Since 2018: -4.7Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018†EnfieldEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11142164147162169178
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 833.333.136.934.637.138.046.946.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-0.68-0.34-0.74-0.23-0.30
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths20%26%27%23%21%20%46%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths45%42%47%44%42%42%66%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score2.872.923.232.993.403.484.334.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry19%18%22%28%76%73%60%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged30.831.231.330.734.135.6
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged36.134.240.238.340.241.2
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers20.426.321.823.824.3
Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers51.568.356.654.355.2

† These results are for Lea Valley High School, the school this one replaced in May 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Subjects

Results came out for 14 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Art and Design (9% here, 58% across England), Geography (18% here, 51% across England), Mathematics (24% here, 53% across England), Computer Science (27% here, 56% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, 2 languages, computer science.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics142 entries · 21st of 21 in Enfield
24%England 53%
English Literature141 entries · 20th of 21 in Enfield
40%England 58%
English Language141 entries · 16th of 21 in Enfield
39%England 54%
Combined Science112 entries · 20th of 20 in Enfield
9%England 36%
Art and Design66 entries · 16th of 16 in Enfield
9%England 58%
History53 entries · 16th of 21 in Enfield
36%England 52%
Geography51 entries · 20th of 21 in Enfield
18%England 51%
Other Modern Languages28 entries · 14th of 16 in Enfield
61%England 49%
Chemistry25 entries · 12th of 15 in Enfield
76%England 81%
Biology25 entries · 11th of 15 in Enfield
80%England 82%
Spanish25 entries · 5th of 16 in Enfield
60%England 54%
Physics25 entries · 11th of 15 in Enfield
84%England 82%
Computer Science22 entries · 15th of 16 in Enfield
27%England 56%
French10 entries
80%England 60%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics1427%24%49%53%3,111 of 3,211
English Literature14113%40%55%58%2,716 of 3,202
English Language14116%39%53%54%2,617 of 3,210
Combined Science1121%9%21%36%3,007 of 3,084
Art and Design662%9%30%58%2,795 of 2,818
History5319%36%40%52%2,495 of 3,126
Geography518%18%31%51%3,020 of 3,116
Other Modern Languages2854%61%64%49%250 of 454
Chemistry2524%76%96%81%1,733 of 2,537
Biology2524%80%96%82%1,643 of 2,570
Spanish2536%60%76%54%794 of 1,941
Physics2520%84%100%82%1,434 of 2,546
Computer Science2214%27%46%56%1,642 of 1,861
French1030%80%90%60%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

A level and sixth-form results, 2025

64 students finished sixth-form courses.

Average A level gradeC-25.3 points per entry
A level progress-0.13Against students elsewhere with the same GCSE grades. 0 is average.
AAB or better0%with two subjects universities favour
Stayed and finished91%of students who started
All sixth-form measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320222019
Students64837583245
Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry25.2526.2829.7728.2521.60
Average A level gradeC-C-CC-D
Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS28.7234.1728.3330.3321.71
AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects0%13%0%0%0%
A level progressA level value added-0.13+0.11-0.39
Applied general courses: points per entry27.4526.4935.1336.58
Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed91%87%100%93%98%

A level subjects

5 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.

A levels taught hereThe small number is how many students sat each one in 2025.
SubjectsSociology9Psychology9English Literature7Biology7Economics6
Every A level subject against England, 2025
Sociology9 entries · 11% A* or A · 100% passed
44%England 49%
Psychology9 entries · 11% A* or A · 100% passed
22%England 46%
English Literature7 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
14%England 52%
Biology7 entries · 0% A* or A · 100% passed
14%England 49%
Economics6 entries · 17% A* or A · 100% passed
17%England 57%

A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
30.836.1
Gap 5.3England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
20%21%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
32.534.1
Gap 1.6England 3.0
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places843 pupils for 1,398 places, 2024/25
60% full

555 places were empty (40% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 3% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Enfield council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll830Census January 2026
Places1,40059% full
Pupils from low-income families52%54% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English57%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%147 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%23 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.036 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils3%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)55%£381,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls399 / 431
White British pupils15%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (56), emotional and mental health (41), language and communications needs (31), Autistic spectrum disorder (17), Specific learning difficulty (11), Other difficulty or disability (8).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll830848871855871934
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals52%47%42%39%38%35%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language57%56%55%52%48%47%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%10%12%13%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%2%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 89.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance89.0%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school37.2%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils12.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission6.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence11.0%10.7%9.6%8.8%6.9%8.1%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%3.7%3.8%3.3%3.3%3.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence6.5%7.0%5.7%5.5%3.6%4.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence37.2%36.4%35.7%28.0%20.6%25.1%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate12.612.47.619.126.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00003

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 147 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training89%and stayed there for at least six months

Among pupils from low-income families it was 87%, compared with 90% for everyone else.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training89%88%88%92%
Education87%85%84%91%
Apprenticeship0%1%2%0%
Work2%3%2%1%
Not in education, work or training5%7%7%6%

After sixth form

Where the 66 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training97%and stayed there for at least six months

Where the ones heading for university went

Went on to degree-level study or training81%England 72%
Top-third universities7%England 22%. The universities that ask for the highest grades
Higher or degree apprenticeship2%England 6%
Higher technical course0%Level 4 or 5, such as an HNC or HND

Among students from low-income families, 81% went on to degree-level study or training.

Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training97%90%91%
Education74%77%74%
Apprenticeship2%1%4%0%
Work21%12%13%
Not in education, work or training3%7%7%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers52.6full-time equivalent, 54 people
Pupils per teacher15.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers96%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants5.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,710
Teachers who left in the year21%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.82024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£9,341England £7,965. Total £7.9m
Income per pupil£11,560England £8,423. Total £9.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,809England £4,444
Money in reserve15%A healthy amount put by: £1.5m, £1,729 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£1.9mit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£9,341spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m47412 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate77 per 1,000 people15% lower than the England average
Typical house price£475,000Enfield
Nearest bus stop80 mLea Valley High School, 8 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Ignatius CollegeRoman Catholic0.8 miles972No overall grade 202592Compare
Oasis Academy EnfieldAcademy1.0 miles690No overall grade 202537Compare
Ark John Keats AcademyFree school1.0 miles1,732Good 202372Compare
St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)Academy1.2 miles911Good 202353Compare
Goffs - Churchgate AcademyAcademy1.4 miles582Report card 202643Compare
Bishop Stopford's SchoolChurch of England1.7 miles554Good 202416Compare
Goffs AcademyAcademy1.9 miles1,574Good 202366Compare
Chace Community SchoolCouncil2.0 miles880Good 202226Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares The Lea Valley Academy with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats22%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 13 is 21 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 34 · highest 89100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than The Lea Valley Academy, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Chace Community SchoolCouncil2.0 miles880Good 202226Compare
Heron Hall AcademyFree school2.4 miles1,161Not inspected40Compare
Lift AylwardAcademy4.7 miles1,324Report card 202537Compare
ClarionAcademy10.6 miles689Good 202260Compare
Royal Greenwich Trust SchoolFree school13.5 miles871Good 202219Compare
Addey and Stanhope SchoolVoluntary14.2 miles589Good 202324Compare
Harris Academy PeckhamAcademy14.4 miles458No overall grade 202563Compare
Leigh Academy HalleyAcademy15.0 miles987Report card 202583Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 13 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 13% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 9 to 18. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years20%well below
-0.24
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 142 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.22
DfE progress measure; 142 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.03
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.09
2024/25; 716 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.17
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 142 pupils
What pupils do next5%below
-0.03
147 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is The Lea Valley Academy a good school?

The figures are weak. The Lea Valley Academy scores 13 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 22% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 9 to 18, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is The Lea Valley Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated The Lea Valley Academy good at its last full inspection on 5 October 2022.

How good are The Lea Valley Academy's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 20% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 33.3, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished most of a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How many pupils does The Lea Valley Academy have?

830 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,400 places, so it is 59% full.

Is The Lea Valley Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 555 places were empty in 2024/25 (40% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at The Lea Valley Academy?

Pupils were in school 89.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 37% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at The Lea Valley Academy?

The average class had 21.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 3% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does The Lea Valley Academy have a sixth form?

Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C-. 5 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Bullsmoor Lane, Enfield, EN3 6TW
Telephone
01992 763666
Website
www.leavalley.org.uk
Principal
Mr David Bucho
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Edact (3 schools)
Local authority
Enfield
Ward
Bullsmoor
Constituency
Enfield North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2018 (academy converter)
URN
144084 · LAESTAB 3084038 · UKPRN 10063064
Formerly
Lea Valley High School

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from