Bradfield Secondary School

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

p.1

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

p.1

The executive headteacher of this school, who also has responsibility for one other school in the trust, is Dale Barrowclough. This school is part of INOVA multi-academy 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), Lee Barber, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tom Ashford. There is also a head of school, Anna Hughes, who shares responsibility for this school. 3 and 4 June 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is rapidly improving. After a difficult period of change, things are now much more stable and settled. Pupils are developing trust in the new leaders and staff who have recently joined the school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ conduct, and pupils typically rise to meet them. Behaviour in lessons is calm and focused. At social times, pupils get along well. Bullying is extremely rare. The school has effective strategies to respond to incidents of poor behaviour.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum has been redesigned, which has strengthened the quality of education. Staff have received highly effective training from the school and the trust. They have high expectations for what pupils can achieve, and pupils are rising to these. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including those in the resourced provision, has improved. Pupils with SEND receive effective support and learn well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s new framework for personal development ensures that pupils have a wide range of experiences. There are lots of clubs and regular sporting competitions. There are exciting residential trips on offer, including one to Kenya.

p.2

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

The curriculum offer is now strong. The school has identified the key learning that pupils need. Important knowledge is revisited to help pupils to remember it. Where there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge, leaders have identified them. Subject leaders prioritise the highest value knowledge and skills so that pupils secure what they need to be ready for their next stage of learning.

p.2

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

The trust has provided strong support to help the school develop. Staff receive high- quality, ongoing training. Teachers have a strong subject knowledge. They regularly check what pupils are learning and, if required, adapt the lesson to respond to gaps or misconceptions. Sometimes, adaptations are not thought through carefully enough to ensure that all pupils fully secure the intended learning.

p.2

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

There is an effective reading strategy in place. The school has identified pupils who need support with reading. It ensures that each pupil gets the right intervention to meet their needs. Staff read to pupils regularly. There is a diverse range of authors and themes. This supports pupils to celebrate difference and develop empathy.

p.2

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

The school has recently introduced a new framework to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils develop skills in leadership, organisation, resilience, initiative and communication. This programme will take time to fully embed but pupils’ experiences are much improved since the school’s previous inspection. The careers offer is strong. All pupils take part in work experience in Year 10. Some pupils with SEND need support to participate in the world of work. The school ensures that they do not miss out by working with local companies to create bespoke projects so that pupils’ needs will be well met. 3 and 4 June 2025

p.2

3

The school’s curriculum for personal, social and health education has been redesigned. It is well thought through. It prepares pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils remember some aspects, such as keeping safe and healthy relationships, well. One or two areas, such as democracy and the rule of law, are less well remembered, particularly in key stage 4.

p.3

3

The school’s approach to behaviour is based on mutual respect. Pupils are guided to reflect on their actions. The school puts effective strategies in place to support pupils’ behaviour, such as mental health support.

p.3

3

Historically, there were too many pupils who were not attending school regularly. Pupils with poor attendance tended to underachieve in the 2024 examination series. The school’s work to improve attendance this year, including for disadvantaged pupils, has been highly effective. Far more pupils are in school regularly and learning the curriculum.

p.3

3

Those with responsibility for governance understand and carry out their responsibilities well. There is a robust oversight of the school’s work, which is helping the school to rapidly improve. Some stakeholders, including a small number of pupils and staff, continue to have some worries about the school’s effectiveness. School leaders are using a range of strategies, including regular communication with parents and carers, to improve this. This is beginning to have a positive impact.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some lesson activities are not as effective as they could be in ensuring that pupils fully secure the intended learning. This tends to happen when teaching identifies a gap in knowledge, but does not address it quickly and effectively. When this happens, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should make sure that teaching uses knowledge of what pupils should know to anticipate who might struggle so that it consistently maximises all pupils’ learning.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 3 and 4 June 2025

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 3 and 4 June 2025

p.4

School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,024

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 December 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school has a resourced provision for pupils with cognition and learning needs. Eight pupils, aged between 11 and 16, currently attend.  A new executive headteacher and a new head of school have joined the school since its previous inspection.  The school is part of INOVA multi-academy trust.  The school makes use of four unregistered alternative providers.  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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 and 4 June 2025

p.5

6

 This was the second 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 senior leaders, including the executive headteacher, head of school and assistant headteachers. The lead inspector also met with the CEO, the chair of the trust and representatives from the local governing body.  Deep dives were carried out in these subjects: English, science, design technology and history. 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 discussed and reviewed the curriculum in some other subjects.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about their learning and their experiences at school. An

p.6

6

inspector also spoke to parents as they dropped their children off at school.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including at social times. Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour at the school.  Inspectors reviewed the responses received through Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors also considered the responses received to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

p.6

Inspection team

Zoe Helman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Richard Crane Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7