Newfield Secondary School

Newfield Secondary School is a larger-than-average secondary school in Sheffield, part of Mercia Learning Trust, with a new headteacher since the previous inspection and a resourced SEND provision for pupils with speech, language and communication needs and/or autism. Safeguarding standards are met. Inspectors found strong practice in attendance, behaviour and inclusion: attendance has improved securely, behaviour is calm, orderly and respectful, suspensions have fallen significantly, bullying is rare, and vulnerable and SEND pupils are identified and supported well. Leadership has driven rapid change through clearer routines, systems and expectations, and most staff, governors and trustees support the direction of travel, though some parents remain unhappy with recent changes.

Strengths

• Attendance has improved securely through strategic, persistent work and detailed analysis.
• Behaviour is calm, orderly and respectful, with disruption-free lessons and reduced suspensions.
• Bullying is rare and resolved quickly, and pupils feel safe, known and supported.
• A highly inclusive culture identifies disadvantaged, SEND and social-care pupils quickly and supports them well.
• Specialist SEND provision for speech, language and communication needs and autism is highly effective.
• Pupils’ achievement is improving and is close to national averages across a broad curriculum.
• Leaders have introduced clearer systems and routines that have improved inclusion, attendance, behaviour and achievement.
• Governors and trustees provide clear strategic direction and monitor staff workload and wellbeing.
• Pastoral care is a strength, and pupils develop secure understanding of safety, healthy relationships and British values.
• A wide range of clubs, trips and enrichment activities is well attended by disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils attain below their peers, especially in English and mathematics, and the gap has widened over recent years.
• Achievement is not yet consistent for all groups, despite suitable curriculum changes and improving current progress.
• Teaching is not consistent across all subjects; some teachers do not check pupils’ understanding closely enough before moving on.
• Some lessons move too slowly, which can make pupils passive rather than actively involved.
• Attendance for pupils with SEND remains below that of their peers, although leaders’ actions are securing improvement.
• Not all parents feel positive about recent changes, and leaders need to strengthen relationships with the community.
• Careers education is still developing and needs to be fully embedded so pupils build knowledge year by year.
• Leaders should ensure teaching consistency so all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve well over time.
• Leaders should fully embed the careers programme and provide clear, timely next-step guidance.

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 Newfield Secondary School attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.7% 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, 7.9% of pupils at Newfield Secondary School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 7 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 Newfield Secondary School had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.3% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Newfield Secondary School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 22 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 Newfield Secondary School received £9,089 and spent £8,915 for each of its 1,066 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £467,000 (£438 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.

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

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

• Anns Grove Primary School Sheffield
• Woodlands Primary School Sheffield
• Nether Edge Primary School Sheffield
• Mercia School Sheffield
• King Ecgbert School Sheffield
• Totley Primary School Sheffield
• Mercia Northridge School Sheffield

What is Newfield Secondary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Newfield Secondary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Newfield Secondary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Newfield Secondary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Newfield Secondary School have?

Newfield Secondary School has 1,048 pupils on roll.

What age range does Newfield Secondary School cover?

Newfield Secondary School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Newfield Secondary School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 52.8, and 61% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Newfield Secondary School?

Newfield Secondary School is at Lees Hall Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S8 9JP.