Sheffield Springs Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

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 nation...al 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 does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has designed the curriculum so that pupils' knowledge builds step by step over time. The school has thought carefully about the vocabulary pupils need to know and makes sure that they learn this.

Pupils revisit this key knowledge in lessons and this helps them remember it well. For example, in English Year 11 pupils learn to understand how concepts, such as 'patriarchy', inform their understanding of social structures in 'An Inspector Calls'.

The school effectively checks what pupils remember.

Any gaps in knowledge are noted on 'precision seating plans'. These identify the exact area of help that pupils need to help them to progress. Strategies to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well established.

For example, pupils are given help to build sentences in extended responses to more complex geography questions. Such tailored support helps pupils access the ambitious curriculum.

The recently developed 'The Blue Zone' gives all pupils dedicated time in every lesson to apply their learning to an independent task.

This is still embedding. For many pupils, it is helping them develop vital examination skills. However, some pupils, particularly those with SEND, are not currently able to work independently without additional scaffolding or support.

Pupils enjoy daily opportunities to read. During tutor time, pupils read interesting texts that broaden their insights into important themes. For example, Year 8 pupils enjoy 'Noughts and Crosses' and Year 11 read 'The Hate U Give'.

These texts are carefully selected to explore themes, such as racism. Pupils respect difference and have a mature understanding of these topics. Pupils also enjoy using the library during lunchtime to read their favourite books.

The school identifies pupils who are at the early stages of reading. There is targeted support for these pupils, for example phonics catch-up classes. This help pupils to become accurate and fluent readers so they can access the ambitious curriculum.

Pupils benefit from a range of experiences to support their personal development. Pupils in Year 8 visit a local university. Pupils in Year 10, develop interview skills when meeting with local community employers.

Pupils learn about risks such as knife crime. These varied experiences help prepare pupils for both the opportunities and challenges of aspects of life in modern Britain.

The school is relentless in its pursuit of securing high attendance for all pupils.

Pupils who attend the school on a regular basis progress well. However, some pupils do not attend often enough, particularly those who are most disadvantaged. These pupils miss out on the increasingly positive education the school provides.

As a result, the most disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

Leaders, including governors and trustees, work together to ensure high school standards. Adults in the school commit to providing pupils with a positive school experience.

They appreciate that their workload and well-being matter to leaders. A small number of parents and carers feel that the school does not engage with them enough. This means they do not feel as included in the school as they could be.

The school recognises that this is an area they need to develop further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• 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.