Esteem Valley Academy
Bennerley Avenue, Cotmanhay, Ilkeston, DE7 8PFOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Esteem Valley Academy is an alternative provision school in Ilkeston for ages 5 to 16. It is one of the 449 schools in Derbyshire. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 8 July 2025, report published 10 September 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 8 July 2025
The school caters for pupils who are at risk of being, or have already been, excluded from mainstream education. All pupils have experienced significant disruption to their education. The school is ambitious for pupils to embrace a new challenge and learn from past mistakes. This ambition is reflected in the school's vision to create a 'culture of success'. The school has high expectations for pupils to achieve as well as possible. These expectations are realised through the increasing number of pupils who gain GCSE and other qualifications by the end of Year 11. A growing number achieve a successful return to mainstream schools or progress to further education, training or employment. Positive, trusting relationships are at the heart of the school. The system of pastoral support, provided through 'personal coaches', is a notable strength. The care and support provided by the school enable pupils to feel safe and happy. Pupils' social and emotional needs are very well understood and nurtured. The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Most pupils live up to these expectations. The school provides support for behaviour through the trained staff engagement team.
What the school should improve
- On occasion, the school's checks on pupils' learning do not fully identify the security of some pupils' knowledge and understanding. This limits some pupils' ability to embed and apply a depth of knowledge and skills. The school should ensure that checks on pupils' understanding enable pupils to be secure in their learning so that they can develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum.
- Sometimes, there are inconsistencies in how the school applies its strategies for managing pupils' behaviour. On such occasions, some pupils do not live up to the school's high expectations for behaviour. The school should ensure that staff receive support to consistently apply the agreed approach to behaviour incidents, so that all pupils are able to demonstrate the positive behaviours that the school expects of them.
Pupil numbers and mix
103 pupils on roll, with places for 182
Schools near Esteem Valley Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|
| Denewood Academy | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good |
| Unity Academy | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good |
| Nottingham HOPE Academy | 7 miles | Ofsted: Good |
| CP Riverside School | 7 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard |
| Stone Soup Academy | 7 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding |
School details
- School type
- Academy alternative provision converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- ESTEEM MULTI-ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 5 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Headteacher
- Mr Kevin Wildrianne
- Phone
- 01158500820
- Address
- Bennerley Avenue, Cotmanhay, Ilkeston, DE7 8PF
- Local authority
- Derbyshire
- URN
- 146055
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.