Sheffield Springs Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 October 2024

Pupils experience a culture that stresses the importance of positive relationships. They recognise the recent improvements in the school. The school has high expectations for their behaviour. Many pupils rise to these. Pupils show respect for each other. They feel safe in the school. Pupils enjoy their learning and are keen to learn about their local area. For example, pupils learn about the city's industrial heritage and recent actions to stimulate regeneration. Pupils explore these themes culturally in visits to the theatre. The school has high expectations for pupil achievement. This is not currently reflected in recent outcomes in national tests. However, the school's actions to improve the curriculum are reflected in the much stronger impact on what current pupils know and remember. Pupils benefit from high-quality careers guidance in the school. They are encouraged to explore a wide range of aspirations for their future employment. The school's careers programme supports pupils to move on to their chosen next step when they finish Year 11. Pupils get involved in a wide range of clubs, including the 'Nebula' programme. Here, pupils develop interests in engineering through robotics, such as how this is used in medicine to restart a heart. These high-quality experiences ensure pupils enrich their learning beyond the curriculum.

What the school should improve

• Some pupils cannot consistently apply their knowledge independently. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could, particularly pupils with SEND. The school should further refine strategies to enable pupils to learn well when working independently.
• Some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have persistently high levels of absence. This means that pupils develop gaps in their knowledge that prevents them from accessing more complex ideas as they progress through the curriculum. This affects their achievement in school. The school should further develop their work with pupils, parents and external agencies to improve the attendance for these pupils.
• Some parents have concerns that the school does not communicate with them effectively. This means that they do not feel listened to or as included in the life of the school as they would like. The school should develop communication strategies so that the school and parents work more closely together.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)