Fir Vale School is a comprehensive secondary school in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.

Fir Vale School
Address
Map
Owler Lane

, ,
S4 8GB

England
Coordinates53°24′26″N 1°26′50″W / 53.407293°N 1.447256°W / 53.407293; -1.447256
Information
TypeAcademy
MottoMaking dreams a reality
Established1998
ClosedOpen
Local authorityCity of Sheffield
Department for Education URN138925 Tables
OfstedReports
Head teacherRachel Smith
Staff~115
GenderCoeducational
AgeYear 7 Age 11 to Year 11 Age 16
Enrolment~1018
PublicationFir Vale Newsletter
WebsiteFir Vale School

History

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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[further explanation needed] 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.[citation needed]

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

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In 2015 the school Progress 8 figure was +0.2;[further explanation needed] 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.[citation needed]

Admissions

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The school refused places to 91 children in 2015.[4]

The school has received publicity for work with Romani pupils.[5][6][failed verification]

Specialism

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The school is a Business and Enterprise College, and uses the Master Cutlers Curriculum[clarification needed] started in 2014 to give pupils a skill set for employment.[citation needed]

The school is a Microsoft Academy running courses for staff, pupils and the local community.[citation needed]

In 2013 Fir Vale pupils successfully bid for a Fir Vale radio station which they now run under their director of specialism.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ "Queen visits fresh start school". 22 May 2003. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Fir Vale School", Ofsted reports 2013 and 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2018
  3. ^ "Two injured in fight at school gates". BBC News. 25 September 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  4. ^ Sam Jackson (18 April 2015). "Hundreds of children refused secondary school places in Sheffield". The Star. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  5. ^ "A Sheffield school turns to martial arts training to help Roma pupils integrate in classroom". The Star. 12 May 2015. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
  6. ^ Helen Ward (27 March 2015). "Boxing clever to improve Roma pupils' behaviour".
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