Sheffield Springs Academy is an 11-16 secondary school serving the Park, Manor and Castle wards of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The academy is part of United Learning, a national group of schools whose motto is 'the best in everyone'. It opened in September 2006 on the site of the predecessor school, moving into a £30 million, purpose built facility in 2008. Over the past three years, the academy has emerged from an Ofsted category. The most recent Ofsted inspection judged the school as a good provider and agreed that the school has benefited directly from a secure, highly experienced senior leadership team alongside the support of United Learning. As part of this, the school has innovated its curriculum offer, as well as improving areas such as pupils' transition from primary to secondary. For instance, its 'Early Risers' initiative, run in conjunction with Sheffield Park Academy, has set a trail for other schools to follow.
Academic achievements
In 2017, Sheffield Springs Academy achieved its best ever GCSE results, with a number of pupils scoring the top grade '9' in English and mathematics. The academy's Progress 8 score was +0.68, placing it in the top 10% nationally. This year was the first that English and maths grades were awarded a numeric value, with 9 being the new top grade, representing the best performance.
Standards
Following a visit from Ofsted in October 2016, inspectors noted how "the principal's appointment in January 2016 and the executive headteacher's arrival in April have strengthened leadership. Leaders and governors have left no stone unturned in identifying and then tackling weaknesses. Pupils and most staff welcome the changes and tangible improvements." Key findings of the inspection report were as follows:
"Improved teaching and better use of funding for disadvantaged pupils are helping to tackle differences between their rates of progress and those of other pupils effectively."
"Recent strategies to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are hastening their rates of progress well."
"Leaders are tackling robustly historic negative attitudes of some pupils and families where school is not valued and absence is condoned. Consequently, attendance rates, although below average, are improving rapidly this term."
"High-quality transition work with primary schools ensures that pupils now settle quickly into school life."
"Pupils are safe. Partnership working between the school's safeguarding team and the local authority's multi-agency support team is strong. This ensures that pupils at risk or facing challenges in their lives are identified and supported as soon as concerns arise and before things can take a turn for the worse."
