The Birley Academy

The Birley Academy has improved since its previous inspection, and pupils, staff and parents recognise the change. Inspection findings are positive across the four key areas, with pupils learning effectively in most subjects, published outcomes improving year on year, and behaviour having been reset so that lessons are calmer and bullying has reduced significantly. The school is part of L.E.A.D. Academy Trust, has a relatively new headteacher and senior leadership team, and has an above-average proportion of pupils with SEND, including a specially resourced provision for 20 pupils with autism. Pupils are safe and well cared for, safeguarding is effective, reading support is strong, and the careers programme is a notable strength. Leaders plan improvements systematically, governors are knowledgeable, and the trust has supported the school effectively through staffing challenges. Parents and staff are more positive about the school than previously. There is still work to do. Curriculum implementation varies between subjects, and some teachers do not adapt their teaching well enough to what pupils know and can do, including some pupils with SEND. SEND plans are not used consistently in classrooms, and some parents have concerns about the support their children receive. Attendance remains below the national average despite some signs of improvement, and the personal development programme does not yet ensure all pupils have a secure understanding of democracy and different faiths and religions.

Strengths

• The school has improved since its previous inspection, with pupils, staff and parents recognising the progress.
• Behaviour expectations have been reset, lessons are calm and purposeful, and bullying has significantly reduced.
• The curriculum is well designed to build pupils' knowledge and understanding over time.
• Curriculum delivery is more consistent, supported by a programme of professional development for teachers.
• Reading support is carefully identified and high-quality, helping pupils improve quickly.
• SEND identification has improved, with more precise plans for supporting individual needs.
• The specially resourced SEND provision cares well for pupils pastorally and supports progress towards adulthood goals.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Pupils develop strong knowledge of risks, safety and where to seek support through the personal development programme.
• The careers programme is strong and includes Year 10 work experience.
• Leaders plan improvements systematically and work hard to gain the confidence of the wider community.
• Governors are highly knowledgeable, use strong systems to gather accurate information, and hold leaders to account.
• Trust leaders have supported the school effectively through challenging staffing circumstances.
• Parents, carers and staff are increasingly positive about the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum implementation remains variable across subjects.
• Some teachers do not adapt their teaching based on what pupils know and can do, including for some pupils with SEND.
• The use of SEND plans in the classroom is inconsistent, and some parents have concerns about the support their children receive.
• Behaviour in corridors between lessons is more variable than behaviour in lessons.
• Pupils' overall attendance is below the national average.
• The school's work to improve attendance has had varied impact, and some pupils remain absent too often.
• The personal development programme does not ensure all pupils develop a secure understanding of democracy and different faiths and religions.
• Some pupils are not fully prepared for the next stage of their lives because of gaps in the planned personal development curriculum.

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 The Birley Academy attended 88.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.7% 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, 14.4% of pupils at The Birley Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 13 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 The Birley Academy had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.6% 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, 16.6% of pupils at The Birley Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.9% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 19 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 The Birley Academy received £8,287 and spent £8,462 for each of its 1,110 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £387,000 (£349 per pupil).

Across all 27 schools of L.E.A.D. Academy Trust, income was £8,020 and spending £8,028 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

The Birley Academy is part of L.E.A.D. Academy Trust, which runs 27 schools. The nearest others:

• Birley Primary Academy Sheffield
• Charnock Hall Primary Academy Sheffield
• Birley Spa Primary Academy Sheffield
• Rainbow Forge Primary Academy Sheffield
• Sir Edmund Hillary Academy Worksop
• Warren Primary Academy Nottingham
• Jubilee L.E.A.D. Academy Nottingham
• Da Vinci Academy Derby
• Radford Primary School Academy Nottingham
• St Ann's Well Academy Nottingham

What is The Birley Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Birley Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was The Birley Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Birley Academy was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does The Birley Academy have?

The Birley Academy has 1,061 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Birley Academy cover?

The Birley Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Birley Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 41.5, and 43% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Birley Academy?

The Birley Academy is at Birley Lane, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S12 3BP.