Lowedges Primary Academy

Lowedges Junior Academy has demonstrated significant improvements since its previous inspection, moving from requiring improvement to a 'Good' rating across all domains. The school fosters a positive environment where pupils are happy, feel safe, and are encouraged to engage positively with their learning. The curriculum is coherently sequenced, and there are effective systems in place to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. However, there are some areas for further development, particularly regarding the consistency of assessing pupils' knowledge retention over time.

Strengths

• High expectations for all pupils
• Positive attitudes and respect among pupils
• Coherently sequenced curriculum
• Effective phonics and early reading program
• Inclusive support for pupils with SEND
• Engaging extracurricular activities for pupils
• Strong emphasis on personal development and well-being

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent identification of gaps in pupils' knowledge
• Need for better adaptation of the curriculum delivery to address knowledge gaps

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 Lowedges Primary Academy attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 10.2% of pupils at Lowedges Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Lowedges Primary Academy had 22.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 37.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 22.3% of pupils at Lowedges Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Lowedges Primary Academy received £7,747 and spent £7,539 for each of its 323 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £690,000 (£2,135 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Aston Community Education Trust, income was £7,762 and spending £7,726 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

Lowedges Primary Academy is part of Aston Community Education Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Waverley Primary Academy Rotherham
• Aston Academy Sheffield
• Aughton Primary Academy Sheffield
• Springwood Primary Academy Sheffield
• Temple Normanton Primary Academy Chesterfield
• Listerdale Primary Academy Rotherham
• Thurcroft Junior Academy Rotherham
• Swinton Academy Mexborough
• Shirebrook Academy Mansfield
• Langwith Bassett Primary Academy Mansfield

What is Lowedges Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lowedges Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Lowedges Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Lowedges Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Lowedges Primary Academy have?

Lowedges Primary Academy has 314 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lowedges Primary Academy cover?

Lowedges Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Lowedges Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lowedges Primary Academy?

Lowedges Primary Academy is at Lowedges Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S8 7JG.