Bradfield School

Inspection of Bradfield School Kirk Edge Road, Worrall, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S35 0AE

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Sixth-form provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 26–27 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

A significant minority of pupils do not feel safe at Bradfield School. The risks to pupils in school are not managed well. A significant number of pupils say that bullying happens more than it should. Not all pupils are confident that staff are quick to sort bullying out so that it stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Too many disadvantaged pupils do not come to school often enough. Not all pupils achieve as they should. Disadvantaged pupils do not get the support they need in the classroom to achieve well. School leaders have identified the needs of those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). But these needs are not met in the classroom. Pupils with SEND say they are not getting the support they need to achieve as well as others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Classrooms are orderly places to learn. Staff and pupils get on well together. Pupils have positive attitudes in lessons. If poor behaviour happens, teachers deal with it so that other pupils can get on with their learning. But behaviour during social times is not as good. Silly behaviour around the school site is not dealt with by staff as it should be.

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better?

The quality of education is inadequate. Disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as they should. They are now achieving better than in the past, but their achievement has not improved enough to catch up with others.

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better?

Pupils with SEND do not receive the support they need to enjoy lessons in the same way as other pupils. Because of this, they are not achieving to the levels they are capable of. Inspectors observed several examples of low expectations of pupils with SEND. As a result, they do not receive the guidance and support they need to improve their work. Pupils with SEND who inspectors spoke to have much higher expectations of themselves and feel let down by the school.

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better?

Leaders are now changing the way learning is planned so that pupils use the knowledge they have already learned to help them understand their future work. Planning to make sure pupils learn and remember their learning is at different stages in the different subjects. In science, assessment does not routinely link to next steps in learning. It is not always clear to pupils how current learning fits in with what they have learned so far. In English and mathematics, leaders are further along with this sort of planning. In design and technology, and geography, planning is in a logical order. Pupils are clear about the learned knowledge they need to use to improve their current work. Teachers in design and technology and geography are better at identifying gaps in knowledge too. 26–27 November 2019

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Disadvantaged pupils’ attendance is not improving. Leaders have not focused on this group of pupils enough. Actions which would improve their attendance have not taken place or have not had the impact required.

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In general, most pupils enjoy their lessons. They behave and work well with each other in classrooms. During break and lunchtimes, pupils have more freedoms. School staff are not effective at supervising these social times. As a result, a significant number of pupils say they do not feel safe. Pupils report that verbal and physical bullying happens a lot at these times. They say that staff do not always sort it out so that it does not happen again.

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The school provides pupils with a range of after-school activities. Recently, some older pupils in the main school have become prefects. They told inspectors they enjoy the sense of responsibility of the prefect role. Pupils discuss beliefs and opinions which are different from their own in some of their lessons. However, opportunities are missed to develop this work. A significant number of pupils commented on the lack of careers advice and guidance. School leaders acknowledge that this has been the case and that it is a weakness.

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The school’s sixth form is closing at the end of the academic year. Regardless of this, staff and leaders provide students with high-quality teaching and learning. Students told inspectors that last year they experienced disruption to learning due to staff changes. This year, there has been more stability. Students also told inspectors that they have not received high-quality careers advice. They would like this to improve. Not all students stay for their entire A-Level courses. In part, this has been due to the restructure of the sixth form. Sixth-form students are positive role models for younger pupils and are a credit to their school.

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Trustees have not been effective in holding leaders to account since the last inspection. However, interim school leaders know they need to improve the quality of education for all pupils. Leaders have already acted to identify and assess the needs of those pupils with SEND. But these actions are recent. They have not been in place long enough to improve the quality of education for these pupils. Disadvantaged pupils are now a focus too. However, improvements to their quality of education have been too slow.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

School leaders do not protect pupils against all risks. Not all staff have taken on board the culture of safeguarding which protects pupils from risks whilst they are in school. The level of supervision around the school site during social periods is not enough. Nor is it proactive in identifying where pupils may come to harm. Pupils in unsupervised areas do not always feel safe. Leaders have not taken the appropriate actions to safeguard pupils in the large open site. Outside supervision during breaks and lunchtimes is not effective. The register which records the checks on all adults 26–27 November 2019

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in school is thorough and compliant with all the legal requirements. These checks make sure that the adults employed by the school are suitable to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The culture of safeguarding is not embedded across the school and has not been taken on board by all staff. Consequently, a significant number of pupils do not feel safe during social periods and leaders and staff do not mitigate against possible risks through their plans and actions. Leaders should ensure that safeguarding arrangements are improved urgently so that they are effective, and pupils feel safe and are guarded against potential risks.  Although leaders have taken the appropriate actions to identify and assess the special educational needs of pupils, these needs are not consistently met in lessons. Pupils with SEND do not, therefore, benefit from a good quality of education and this in turn has a negative impact on their learning and progress. Leaders should ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are consistently met in lessons, and they receive the support and guidance they need to make the

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

progress of which they are capable.  Trustees have not, in the past, held leaders to account effectively for the use of the additional funding the school receives for those pupils who are disadvantaged and those with SEND. As a result, the impact of these funds on the progress of pupils has not been substantial. Although disadvantaged pupils are now making improved progress, there are still significant gaps between their achievement and the achievement of others. Trustees should rigorously hold leaders to account for the use and impact of the additional funds the school receives.  The way in which learning is sequenced and planned in order to build upon key concepts and components is inconsistent across the subjects. So is the use of assessment to inform learning plans. Consequently, the quality of education which pupils receive varies from subject to subject, which, in turn, impacts upon their progress. Leaders should develop further the sequencing of the curriculum and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

the effective use of assessment so that the quality of education in all subjects is improved.  The quality of independent advice and guidance for pupils in relation to next steps and future careers is weak. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, do not feel they have received enough support to make informed choices at key points in their school career. For example, when choosing options into Year 10 and when deciding the next steps after A level. As a matter of urgency, leaders should plan actions so that pupils from Year 8 onwards have access to the independent careers and pathways advice and guidance to which they are entitled.  The systems which the school employs to improve attendance do not have the appropriate focus on the key groups of pupils who do not attend school regularly. A significant number of those pupils who are disadvantaged do not attend school often enough and overall the attendance of disadvantaged pupils has declined.

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Leaders should ensure that the attendance of all pupils and those who are disadvantaged improves.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 26–27 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10121718 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,143

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sixth form

Website https://www.bradfield.sheffield.sch.uk

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 27–28 September 2017

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection in September 2017, the school has undergone a significant number of leadership changes, including the appointment of new trustees, the recruitment of an interim headteacher in May 2019 and changes in leadership at all levels.  The school receives external support from The Tapton School Academy Trust.  A small number of pupils attend alternative provision. The school makes use of Syreetas Makeup Academy, On Board Sheffield Skate Park, Hillsborough Boys and Girls Club, SWFC and Moncriefe Centre.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 26–27 November 2019

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In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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 Discussions were held with the headteacher, the supporting headteacher, senior leaders and curriculum leaders for English, mathematics, science, design and technology and geography.  The lead inspector met with members of the board of trustees, including the chair of the trust.  The subjects which were considered as part of the inspection through the deep dive methodology were English, mathematics, science, design and technology and geography. As part of the deep dive methodology, we visited lessons, talked to the curriculum leader for each subject, held discussions with the teachers and pupils from the lessons visited and scrutinised pupils’ work.  To inspect safeguarding in the school, we scrutinised the school’s single central register relating to the safe recruitment of those adults who work with pupils, along with records relating to safeguarding. We observed supervision arrangements around the school site and also held discussions with staff and

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pupils as well as with the designated safeguarding leader for the school.

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Inspection team

Barry Found, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michael Cook Ofsted Inspector 26–27 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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