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SecondaryState · Community school

Valentines High School

Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex, IG2 6HX ·

Report card: strong areas· 2026
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At a glance

A state secondary school for ages 11–18 in Ilford. Ofsted report card (March 2026): strong areas. GCSE results are well above the England average (Attainment 8: 59.3 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 280 families put it first for 171 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages
11–18
Pupils
1,357
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Non-selective
Local authority
Redbridge
Headteacher
Mr Richard Laws

Inspection

Ofsted report card (renewed framework)

Read reports
Inspected 17 Mar 2026Published 11 May 2026
  • SafeguardingMet
  • InclusionExceptional
  • Curriculum and teachingStrong standard
  • AchievementExceptional
  • Attendance and behaviourExceptional
  • Personal development and well-beingStrong standard
  • Post-16 provisionStrong standard
  • Leadership and governanceExceptional

Report cards grade each area separately on a five-point scale, from Urgent improvement to Exceptional. There is no single overall grade, and results are not directly comparable with earlier grades such as “Good”.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 168 pupils

Attainment 8
59.3
England 46.1
Grade 5+ Eng & maths
76.2%
England 45.4%
Grade 4+ Eng & maths
84.5%
England 64.8%
Progress 8
+0.91
2023/24 · CI 0.7 to 1.12
This school
59.3
Redbridge
53.9
England
46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made
171
1st preferences
280
All applications
1,236
1st prefs per place
1.64
More first choices than places

142 of 280 first-preference applicants were offered a place (51%).

Oversubscribed with first preferences

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils
1,329
Capacity
1,288
105% full
Girls / boys
48/52
Mixed
  • Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)25.1%
  • English as an additional language43.1%
  • SEN support5.2%
  • Education, Health and Care plan4.1%
  • The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.
Valentines High School, Ilford · SchoolPatch