Fir Vale School
Fir Vale School is a comprehensive secondary school in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.
| Fir Vale School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
Owler Lane , , S4 8GB England | |
| Coordinates | 53.407293°N 1.447256°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Academy |
| Motto | Making dreams a reality |
| Established | 1998 |
| Closed | Open |
| Local authority | City of Sheffield |
| Department for Education URN | 138925 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Head teacher | Rachel Smith |
| Staff | ~115 |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age | Year 7 Age 11 to Year 11 Age 16 |
| Enrolment | ~1018 |
| Publication | Fir Vale Newsletter |
| Website | Fir Vale School |
History
The previous Fir Vale School was opened in 1998 and formally opened in 2004 by the Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[1] The present converted Academy School was formed in 2012, and accepts approximately 1000 pupils from the local area.
The present Fir Vale academy school was judged Grade 2 'Good' in its 2015 Ofsted report following a Grade 3 'Requires Improvement' judgement in 2013.[2]
Fir Vale is one of 300 national Leading Edge schools in the country. A new building project began in December 2010 which was finished in December 2011; a new teaching block was constructed and existing spaces were converted, allowing the annual intake to increase from 150 to 210 students. The main school is a PFI build.
In September 2018 a large fight outside the school gates required more than 15 police vehicles, dog teams and a police helicopter to disperse. Two people were injured.[3]
Academic performance
In 2015 the school Progress 8 figure was +0.2; 78% of pupils made 3 or more Levels of Progress in English and 23% A*-A grades, some of the highest figures in Sheffield. In 2016, Progress 8 was just below national in 2016 with a P8 figure of -0.17. This placed the academy in the top 40% of secondaries in Sheffield.
Admissions
The school refused places to 91 children in 2015.[4]
The school has received publicity for work with Romani pupils.[5][6]
Specialism
The school is a Business and Enterprise College, and uses the Master Cutlers Curriculum started in 2014 to give pupils a skill set for employment.
The school is a Microsoft Academy running courses for staff, pupils and the local community.
In 2013 Fir Vale pupils successfully bid for a Fir Vale radio station which they now run under their director of specialism.
References
- "Queen visits fresh start school". 22 May 2003. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
- "Fir Vale School", Ofsted reports 2013 and 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2018
- "Two injured in fight at school gates". BBC News. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- Sam Jackson (18 April 2015). "Hundreds of children refused secondary school places in Sheffield". The Star. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- "A Sheffield school turns to martial arts training to help Roma pupils integrate in classroom". The Star. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- Helen Ward (27 March 2015). "Boxing clever to improve Roma pupils' behaviour".