Springfield School

Inspection of Springfield School Central Road, Drayton, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 1QY

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

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The headteacher of this school is Sara Spivey. This school is part of the De Curci trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Sara Spivey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Susan Hamilton. 23 and 24 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive school, where leaders strive to ensure that every pupil feels valued. Staff recognise the importance of building relationships with families so that pupils can learn well with the support that they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the high quality of pastoral care that they receive in this school. They are well prepared for adult life. Pupils feel safe and know that they can talk to staff if they have any concerns. They are comfortable to talk openly and ask questions when learning about their personal development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the importance of their education. The majority demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. Most pupils achieve well and are successful in accessing their pathways of choice when they leave the school. The school has high expectations for pupils to achieve well and all are committed to raising aspirations further. The school provides valuable experiences for pupils that challenge their thinking around what future opportunities may be possible for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from opportunities to develop their leadership skills both in the school and the wider community. Through their involvement in the school council and opportunities such as the Portsmouth Youth Cabinet, pupils can represent their peers and have their voices heard.

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

Pupils learn a carefully planned and ambitious curriculum. The school offers a broad range of subjects that enable pupils to enjoy their learning and to be successful. Teachers explain content clearly using their secure subject knowledge. There are positive routines in place to ensure that important learning is revisited regularly. This helps pupils to remember more over time and to make important connections in their learning. The school is swift to identify where pupils need additional support in their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well because their needs are met.

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

Reading is a high priority in the school. The school swiftly identifies pupils who need additional help to read and provide targeted support. This helps them to read with increasing confidence and fluency. Across the curriculum, pupils engage positively in regular reading activities that help to develop their vocabulary.

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

Teachers use assessment to check where pupils are in their learning. Mostly this helps to inform teachers’ planning so that pupils learn effectively. However, sometimes this is not used to match activities to what pupils need to learn next. This can result in pupils becoming distracted and losing valuable learning time in lessons. Outside of lessons, the school ensures that pupils benefit from extra support to deepen their learning in readiness for future studies. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education. 23 and 24 April 2025

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The school has set clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour. These are well understood and typically met. Most of the time, pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They build positive relationships and are respectful. Staff are generally quick to address incidents of poor behaviour so that it does not continue. However, sometimes low-level disruption persists, and occasionally staff do not correct inappropriate language choices.

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Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. Where this is not the case, leaders take swift and appropriate action. However, some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, do not attend school as regularly as they should. These pupils are regularly missing valuable learning opportunities.

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The school understands the local context and the needs of pupils well. It has developed a broad personal, social and health education curriculum that is relevant and helpful to pupils. Through lessons and assemblies, pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Pupils recognise the importance of kindness and equality. They support others through peer leadership roles within the school. Pupils receive regular high-quality careers advice. They use this to make informed decisions about their next steps in education, employment or training. Pupils benefit from the many opportunities they have to participate in clubs, visits and extra-curricular activities.

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Governors and trustees know the school well. They understand its strengths and where further improvements could be made. Leaders are considerate of staff workload when making decisions about the school’s work. They provide high-quality professional development for staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teaching activities do not take account of where pupils are in their learning. When this is the case, pupils do not learn as effectively as they could. The school should ensure that assessment is used to inform teaching choices.  Low-level disruption is not consistently addressed in line with the school’s expectations. This means that pupils’ learning can be disturbed. The school should ensure a consistent approach to managing low-level disruption so that this behaviour does not persist.  Some pupils, including the most disadvantaged, do not attend school as regularly as they should. As a result, they miss valuable learning. The school should continue to embed its attendance strategy to ensure rapid improvement in the attendance of these pupils. 23 and 24 April 2025

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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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,119

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School details

Headteacher Sara Spivey (headteacher) Lauren Kelly (head of school) Website www.springfield.uk.net

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the De Curci Trust.  The school uses four registered providers of alternative provision.  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 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). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 23 and 24 April 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, who is also the CEO of the trust. They also met with governors, the vice-chair of the trust, the head of school, members of the senior leadership team and other staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics, modern foreign languages, history, design and technology and science. 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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Inspectors

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met with pupils to consider their views on the education they receive and their wider development.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through Ofsted’s online staff survey. Inspectors also took account of the views of parents and carers expressed through the online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Tash Hurtado, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Beil Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 2025

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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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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