Yewlands Academy

Inspection of Yewlands Academy Creswick Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire S35 8NN

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Inspection dates: 1 and 2 October, and 19 November 2024

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The executive principal of this school is Victoria Simcock. This school is part of Brigantia Learning Trust Limited, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Michael Westerdale, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Julie Edwards. 1 and 2 October, and 19 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and well cared for at this school. Pupils are confident they can share any worries with trusted adults in school. Pupils are certain that they will be listened to and supported due to strong relationships with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should. Since the previous inspection, the school has made significant improvements to the curriculum to address this. The school’s work has resulted in improvements to outcomes over time. However, there is more to be done in this area.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s effective work to promote their personal development. Many pupils attend clubs such as those in sports or gaming. During the inspection, Year 7 pupils attended the school’s residential trip to a local scout camp. Other pupils participate in visits and enrichment, including the school ski visit and visits to Rother Valley. This reflects the school’s commitment to broaden pupils’ horizons. The school’s effective careers programme helps pupils to progress successfully to appropriate next steps in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils routinely meet the school’s high expectations for behaviour. However, a minority continue to challenge the school and its expectations.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Those responsible for leadership at Yewlands Academy know their school well. The school has been on a considerable journey of change over the last few years, leading to an improved experience for pupils in all aspects of school life.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school, working with the trust, has designed an ambitious curriculum that clearly sets out what pupils should learn. It has thought carefully about the order pupils need to develop their knowledge. Staff are beginning to identify key gaps in pupils’ knowledge evident in formative assessments. However, this is less secure where teaching does not delve deeply enough to question how well pupils have understood the content being taught.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff benefit from a comprehensive and targeted programme of professional development. Pupils learn most effectively when teachers consistently apply this training. For example, in English, teachers use their strong knowledge of the subject to ask questions that extend pupils’ understanding. New knowledge is modelled clearly and supports pupils to make progress through the curriculum. However, these experiences are not consistent across all subjects.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified effectively by the school. The school works with external agencies, such as educational psychologists, to access additional help for these pupils. Staff use the information they receive to successfully support pupils with SEND, particularly pupils with social emotional and mental health needs. 1 and 2 October, and 19 November 2024

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The school identifies and supports those pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read. The school gives these pupils additional help, which enables some to catch up quickly. Leaders are working with primary colleagues in the trust to make further improvements to the support for these pupils. The school provides pupils with opportunities to read widely. This includes reading texts that are specific to the subjects they are studying.

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Pupils’ attendance is increasing. Leaders have raised the expectation and importance of regular attendance. Tutors support this through discussions with pupils and families. However, pupils who do not attend regularly achieve less well than their peers. Attendance continues to be an important area of focus for the school.

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The school has implemented processes to support pupils in managing their behaviour. Despite this, lessons are disrupted occasionally by poor behaviour. Added to this, a few pupils do not behave as they should during social times. This is because some staff do not consistently apply the behaviour policy in the way that it was designed.

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The school’s personal development programme is ambitious. It has equal importance with other subjects. Leaders use it well to respond to local issues and teach pupils to keep safe. For example, pupils talk confidently about staying safe online. Pupils also learn about relevant and up-to-date issues in society. This helps them to be well prepared for life beyond school.

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The trust works in close collaboration with the school. Trustees and the local governing body have established suitable systems to check on the work of the school. They have identified appropriate improvement priorities that the school is in the process of addressing, including the consistent delivery of the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not consistently enforce the clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour that the school’s policy requires. When this happens, some pupils do not behave as well as they should. The school should ensure that its behaviour policy is implemented consistently and effectively so it has the intended positive impact.  The school has not ensured that gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ learning are identified and addressed consistently in some subjects. This means some pupils’ knowledge does not build in a logical way over time in these subjects. The school should ensure that pupils’ prior knowledge is secure before moving on to new learning. 1 and 2 October, and 19 November 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 1 and 2 October, and 19 November 2024

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School details

Principal Victoria Simcock (Executive Principal)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 and 30 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Brigantia Learning Trust Limited.  A significant proportion of the senior leadership team are newly appointed to their roles.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through pupil premium funding is well above the national average.  The school uses two registered and two unregistered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 1 and 2 October, and 19 November 2024

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2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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The inspection started on 1 October 2024. Inspectors returned on 19 November 2024 to gather additional evidence in line with Ofsted inspections and visits: Deferring, pausing and gathering additional evidence policy.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with members of the trust board and the trust’s chief executive officer.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the executive principal and associate principal. They also met with other senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, geography and

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design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited lessons in some other subjects.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation regarding the support pupils with SEND receive. They looked at the quality of the provision for pupils with SEND in lessons.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour. They observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and at social times.  The views of pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Elaine Mawson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 October, and 19 November 2024

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Gordon Watts Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October, and 19 November 2024

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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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