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State secondary · 11 to 18 · Mixed · 1,357 pupils

Valentines High School

Cranbrook Road, Ilford, IG2 6HX · Redbridge
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COULD YOUR CHILD GET IN? · YEAR 7 2027

Offers reached between 0.94 and 1.15 miles in the last 4 years we hold. Enter your postcode to see where your home falls.

Bars: how far the last place offered reached each year. Check your postcode and each year turns green where a place reached your home. Source: London Borough of Redbridge offer-day figures, 2023 to 2026.

Free, no account needed. Your postcode is used for this check and not kept.
Ofsted report card · March 2026Top 27% (5/19)Oversubscribed · 1.6 first choices per place (2026)

Summary

The key facts, in one place
GCSE (key stage 4) The league rank: the school's place among its council's schools of the same phase on the newest year's DfE results, the same rank as on the Schools map. In England: 356th of 3,223 on the same figure. Band: Top 27%.
Top 27% (5/19)Rank among 19 Redbridge secondaries with results, 2026 results (Attainment 8)
Inspection
Ofsted report card, March 2026
Getting in
Oversubscribed; last offer 1.15 mi (2026)
Results
+0.91 progress 8; 57.3 attainment 8
Size
1,357 pupils; 171 places a year; classes of 26
Run by
Redbridge council
Type
Community school
Ages
11 to 18 · Mixed
Ofsted, March 2026The judgements from the school's latest inspection. Reports from November 2025 use Ofsted's new report card, with different headings; we show whichever the latest report uses.Read the report ↗
AchievementExceptional
Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
Attendance and behaviourExceptional
Personal development and wellbeingStrong standard
Leadership and governanceExceptional
InclusionExceptional
Safeguarding standardsMet
Strengths, and things to check
  • Progress 8: +0.91, against +0.55 in Redbridge.
  • English and maths, grade 5+: 70%, against 63% in Redbridge.
  • Oversubscribed: 1.6 first choices for each place (Year 7 2026).
Schools for usRank every school near you by the measures that matter to your family, each reason shown.Rank schools →

At a glance

Against Redbridge and England
This schoolRedbridgeEnglandHover or tap a bar for the figures
Academic
Progress 8How far pupils progressed between the end of primary school and GCSEs, against pupils across England who started at the same level. 0 is average; +0.5 means half a grade better in each subject.
+0.91
Better than Redbridge
Attainment 8The average GCSE score across eight subjects, including English and maths counted twice. A grade 5 in all eight would score 50.
57.3
In line with Redbridge
English and maths, grade 5+The share of pupils with grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE (a strong pass).
70%
Better than Redbridge
Attendance and behaviour
Sessions missedHalf-day sessions missed, authorised or not, as a share of all sessions in the school year (DfE pupil absence). Lower is better.
6.1%
Better than Redbridge
Persistently absentPupils who missed one session in ten or more. Lower is better.
16.5%
Better than Redbridge
Suspensions per 100 pupilsSuspensions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. Lower is better; one or two incidents move a small school a lot.
5.1
Better than Redbridge
Pupils and classes
Average class sizeAverage pupils per class, from the school census. Shown for context, not as a score.
25.9
Context
Free school mealsPupils eligible for free school meals. Context for reading the results, not a measure of the school.
30%
Context
Pupils for each teacherPupils on roll for each full-time teacher, from the school workforce census. Shown for context.
20.8
Context
Demand for places
First choices per placeFamilies who put this school first, for each Year 7 place in 2026 (DfE applications and offers). Above 1 means more first choices than places.
1.6
More sought after than Redbridge
Redbridge and England: DfE's own averages for results. For the rest, the middle state secondary school of the same phase, from every school we hold, since DfE publishes no council figure we hold.Where these figures come from →

Overview

Getting in

  • 280 families put it first for 171 places; 142 of them got in DfE, school applications and offers · Year 7 2026
  • We hold a catchment map for this school.

Quality

  • Ofsted report card (Achievement: Exceptional; Curriculum and teaching: Strong standard; Attendance and behaviour: Exceptional; Personal development and wellbeing: Strong standard; Leadership and governance: Exceptional; Inclusion: Exceptional; Safeguarding standards: Met) Ofsted · inspected 17 March 2026
  • Progress 8: +0.91 (England +0.01) (county +0.55) DfE school performance tables · 2023/2024
  • Attainment 8: 57.3 (England 47.4) (county 55.6) DfE school performance tables · 2025/2026
  • English and maths grade 5 or above: 70% (England 48%) (county 63%) DfE school performance tables · 2025/2026
  • Progress, set against pupils who started with the same results: well above average DfE school performance tables · 2023/2024

Daily life

  • Absence: 6.1% of sessions missed; 17% of pupils miss 1 in 10 or more. Schools with a similar intake: 9.0% and 27% DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level · 2024/25
  • Suspensions: 5 per 100 pupils (schools with a similar intake: 20); 0 permanent exclusions DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level · 2024/25
  • Classes average 25.9 pupils; 17% of classes have more than 30 DfE, school workforce and pupil census · 2025/26
  • 20.8 pupils for each teacher DfE, school workforce · November 2025
  • Nearest stops, in a straight line: bus 156 m, tram or metro 257 m DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes) · within 800 m
  • 143 police-reported road collisions within 500 m (1 fatal, 20 serious) DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years · 2021 to 2025
  • Air: nitrogen dioxide 17.3 µg/m³, PM2.5 9.2 (1 km square, background level) DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps · 2024

Who runs it

  • Community school is run by its local council (Redbridge), not by an academy trust. DfE, Get Information about Schools

Getting in

How far offers reached

How far away the last child offered a place under the distance rule lived, as the council measures it. It changes every year with who applies: a record, not a promise. Children with a higher priority can be offered places from further away.

Year 7. Distance of the last child offered a place on offer day. What the last distance means →

Last distance offeredAdd your home to this chart
1.5 mi0.750
2023202420252026

Offer day, year by year

EntryYearPlacesApplicationsOfferedRefusedLast distance (miles)
Year 72026————1.15
Year 72025————0.98
Year 72024————0.94
Year 72023————1.1

Source: Council offer-day figures: London Borough of Redbridge, 2023 to 2026. A dash is a figure the council does not publish, not nought. Distances are straight lines from the school.

Applications and offers, DfE

EntryYearPlacesFirst choicesAny choiceFirst choices offered
Year 720261712801,236142
Year 720251702901,313135
Year 720241723661,502141
Year 720231782841,328140
Year 720221772591,355138
Year 720211702391,251127
Year 720201782571,531123
Year 720191762581,533130
Year 720181802751,582127
Year 720171751681,346111

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school level, Open Government Licence), 2014 to 2026. Families name up to three schools, so most applications are somebody's second or third choice.

Feeder school rules

We found no priority for named primary schools in the arrangements for 2027/28 (the document). Our tools read it, but nobody has read it line by line.

Quoted word for word from the arrangements the school or council published. Check the quote against the school's own current admission policy before you rely on it: rules change each year.

Could you get in?Enter a home or postcode: we set it against every year's last offer and this school's rules.

Results

Results

MeasureThis schoolEnglandCouncilYear
Progress 8+0.91+0.01+0.552023/2024
Attainment 857.347.455.62025/2026
English and maths grade 5 or above70%48%63%2025/2026
Average A level gradeB-——2024/2025

Source: DfE school performance tables, 2023/2024, 2024/2025, 2025/2026.

League table place

TableLeague rank
GCSE (key stage 4)Top 27% (5/19)
A level (16 to 18)Top 42% (7/17)

Source: DfE school performance tables: the newest year's results, place among the council's schools of the same phase.

Inspections

DateKindOutcome
17 March 2026Report card7 areas graded
5 October 2021Graded inspectionOutstanding

Source: Ofsted, 2026.

Where leavers go

StageLeavers inPupilsIn a sustained placeOf which
After GCSEs2023/2417697%In education 97%; Apprenticeship 0.0%; Employment 0.6%
After GCSEs2022/2317997%In education 96%; Apprenticeship 0.6%; Employment 0.6%
After GCSEs2021/2217297%In education 95%; Apprenticeship 0.6%; Employment 1.2%
After sixth form2023/2421986%Further education 0.5%; Apprenticeship 5.0%; Employment 4.6%
After sixth form2022/2321989%Further education 0.0%; Apprenticeship 3.2%; Employment 4.6%
After sixth form2021/2220088%Further education 0.5%; Apprenticeship 6.0%; Employment 8.0%

Source: DfE, destination measures. A figure DfE hides for a small group is left out, not shown as nought. The newest year may be provisional.

Redbridge league tableEvery school of this phase in the council on these results.See the table →

Daily life

Absence

YearSessions missedAuthorisedUnauthorisedPupils missing 1 in 10Pupils missing 1 in 2
2024/256.1%5.1%0.9%17%0.9%
2023/245.6%4.8%0.9%15%1.3%
2022/237.3%6.4%0.9%25%1.8%
Schools with a similar intake9.0%27%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level, 2024-25. Similar intake: state schools of the same phase with free school meals in the same band (30-40%), the median of 654 schools.

Suspensions and exclusions

YearSuspensions per 100 pupilsPupils suspendedSuspensionsPermanent exclusions
2024/255.13.8%680
2023/245.04.0%683
2022/237.15.7%961
Schools with a similar intake19.7

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level, 2024-25.

Class sizes and staff

MeasureFigureYear
Average class size25.92025/26
Classes over 30 pupils17%2025/26
Pupils for each teacher20.8November 2025

Source: DfE, school workforce; school census, 2025/26.

Stops nearby

KindNearest (metres, straight line)
bus156
tram or metro257

Source: DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes), current. A stop across a railway or main road may be a long walk. Bus frequency is not held.

Road collisions within 500 m

YearCollisions
202520
202437
202329
202235
202122

Source: DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years, 2021 to 2025. 20 serious and 1 fatal in all; 38 involved a pedestrian, 7 a cyclist. Only collisions with an injury reported to police are counted.

Air quality

PollutantAnnual mean (µg/m³)Year
NO217.32024
PM1015.22024
PM259.22024

Source: DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps. A 1 km background figure: not the air at the school gate beside a busy road.

Pupils

Who goes there

MeasureShare of pupilsYear
Eligible for free school meals30%2025/26
First language other than English41%2025/26
SEN support5.2%2025/26
Education, health and care plan4.2%2025/26
Girls48%2025/26

Source: DfE, schools, pupils and their characteristics; special educational needs, 2025/26.

Who runs it

Who runs it

  • Community school is run by its local council (Redbridge), not by an academy trust. DfE, Get Information about Schools

Area

Homes in reach of this schoolLook up any home near here: its sales, an open-data valuation, and which schools it keeps in reach.Search homes →

Sources

  • Council offer-day figures: London Borough of Redbridge
  • DEFRA, Pollution Climate Mapping (PCM) 1 km background maps
  • DfE school performance tables
  • DfE school performance tables: the newest year's results, place among the council's schools of the same phase
  • DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school level, Open Government Licence)
  • DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England: absence rates by school level
  • DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England: school level
  • DfE, destination measures
  • DfE, school workforce; school census
  • DfE, schools, pupils and their characteristics; special educational needs
  • DfT, NaPTAN (National Public Transport Access Nodes)
  • DfT, Road safety data (STATS19): collisions and casualties, last five years
  • Ofsted
  • School register: DfE Get Information about Schools (this school)
  • How we check these figures: How we know

More in schools in Ilford and the Redbridge league table. School register: DfE Get Information about Schools, updated 17 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources are named beside each figure. How we know · All sources.