King Ecgbert School

King Ecgbert School is a highly effective, inclusive secondary and sixth-form school where pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve exceptionally well across a broad academic and vocational curriculum. Inspectors found that very high behaviour expectations are met, the school is calm and welcoming, attendance is very high, and pupils feel safe and enjoy attending. The school serves a diverse community and has a strong culture of respect, supported by a wide extra-curricular offer, a carefully considered careers programme and highly effective personal development provision. The curriculum is exceptionally well constructed by subject teams and often extends beyond national curriculum and examination specifications. Support for pupils with SEND is integral to subject work rather than an add-on, and pupils who need help with reading are identified quickly and improve rapidly. Sixth-form students act as positive role models, and leaders, governors and trustees know the school well and prioritise work that makes a difference for pupils. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2013, when it was previously judged outstanding. The school is part of Mercia Learning Trust and has a specially resourced autism provision; the proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is well above the national average, and the sixth form is well above the national average in size. The report identifies no significant weaknesses.

Strengths

• Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve exceptionally well across a wide range of subjects and in the sixth form.
• Very high behaviour expectations are met, creating a calm and welcoming environment.
• Pupils feel safe, enjoy attending school and have very high attendance.
• Curriculum construction is exceptionally strong and often extends beyond national curriculum and examination specifications.
• SEND provision is integral to subject teams’ work and central to the school’s approach.
• Pupils needing reading support are identified quickly and improve rapidly.
• The school celebrates its diverse community through events such as diversity week and KEStival.
• Sixth-form students act as role models and run clubs for younger pupils.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular clubs, with support for those who need help to participate.
• The L@kes curriculum and sixth-form enhancement lessons are highly effective in meeting pupils’ personal development needs.
• The careers programme is carefully considered and provides clear advice, including support for gap-year students.
• Leaders, governors and trustees know the school well and prioritise work that makes a difference, supporting staff well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Academic and vocational courses meet pupils’ interests and ambitions, supported by strong employer links.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at King Ecgbert School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 12.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.2% of pupils at King Ecgbert School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 King Ecgbert School had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 5.1% of pupils at King Ecgbert School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 32 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 King Ecgbert School received £7,727 and spent £7,569 for each of its 1,505 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £505,000 (£335 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Mercia Learning Trust, income was £7,744 and spending £7,540 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Sheffield · Sheffield local authority: places and applications

King Ecgbert School is part of Mercia Learning Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Totley Primary School Sheffield
• Mercia School Sheffield
• Nether Edge Primary School Sheffield
• Newfield Secondary School Sheffield
• Anns Grove Primary School Sheffield
• Woodlands Primary School Sheffield
• Mercia Northridge School Sheffield

What is King Ecgbert School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for King Ecgbert School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was King Ecgbert School last inspected by Ofsted?

King Ecgbert School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does King Ecgbert School have?

King Ecgbert School has 1,575 pupils on roll.

What age range does King Ecgbert School cover?

King Ecgbert School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are King Ecgbert School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 57.7, and 72% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is King Ecgbert School?

King Ecgbert School is at Totley Brook Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S17 3QU.