The Springfields Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 April 2026

The school's motto, 'Building safe independent lives', is more than words. It is the driving force behind everything leaders and staff do. With an unrelenting focus on pupils' next steps, employability and readiness for adulthood, the school leaves nothing to chance. Pupils gain the skills, confidence and resilience they need to flourish in modern Britain. Pupils are welcomed with friendliness and care as they arrive at school each morning. A culture of trust and respect permeates every aspect of school life. Meaningful relationships lie at the heart of the school's commitment to provide pupils with the help they need to progress and thrive. The bonds formed between pupils and staff mean pupils feel safe, valued and confident. A deep culture of belonging ensures pupils feel motivated and eager to attend school regularly. Pupils live up to and embody the school's guiding values of 'resilience, respect and reflection'. A predictable daily routine and well-established high expectations help pupils to behave well. This helps them to develop extremely positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils feel safe and secure at school. Bullying is not a concern, and pupils are confident that any issues would be dealt with promptly and effectively. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school is expert in understanding barriers to learning and implementing helpful strategies and interventions to overcome these. Across the different curriculum pathways, the school is relentless in its commitment to ensuring education is precisely matched to pupils' needs. As a result, pupils achieve very well from their differing starting points. They make notable gains in their learning, communication skills and independence. Communication is central to pupils' independence. From the early years onwards, children use symbols, pictures or Makaton to express themselves and make choices. These approaches help pupils participate fully in school life.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should sustain the high standards in the curriculum and teaching so that children and pupils consistently achieve exceptionally high standards, detailed knowledge and skills in all elements of their learning.

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