Rainbow Forge Primary Academy

Rainbow Forge Primary Academy has demonstrated significant improvement since its last inspection, now rated as good across all key areas including the quality of education, behaviour, and leadership. The school fosters a positive environment where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to participate in various roles and responsibilities. A strong curriculum that prioritizes reading ensures that pupils are engaged in their learning, particularly in the early years where children thrive in a stimulating environment. However, there remains a need for consistency in teaching practices across mixed-age classes to ensure all pupils, particularly older ones, are given equal opportunities to build upon their knowledge effectively.

Strengths

• Pupils show high levels of respect and courtesy towards each other and adults.
• The curriculum allows pupils to build knowledge effectively over time.
• Strong emphasis on reading, supported by effective phonics training for staff.
• Pupils with SEND receive tailored support to help them succeed.
• The school community actively engages parents in their children's learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching and assessment in some foundation subjects, particularly in mixed-age classes.

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 Rainbow Forge Primary Academy attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.5% 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, 3.4% of pupils at Rainbow Forge 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 Rainbow Forge Primary Academy had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.8% 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, 17.6% of pupils at Rainbow Forge Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 Rainbow Forge Primary Academy received £7,994 and spent £7,716 for each of its 339 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £118,000 (£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

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

• Birley Spa Primary Academy Sheffield
• Birley Primary Academy Sheffield
• The Birley Academy Sheffield
• Charnock Hall Primary Academy Sheffield
• Sir Edmund Hillary Academy Worksop
• Warren Primary Academy Nottingham
• Jubilee L.E.A.D. Academy Nottingham
• Radford Primary School Academy Nottingham
• St Ann's Well Academy Nottingham
• Sycamore Academy Nottingham

What is Rainbow Forge Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rainbow Forge Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Rainbow Forge Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Rainbow Forge Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Rainbow Forge Primary Academy have?

Rainbow Forge Primary Academy has 347 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rainbow Forge Primary Academy cover?

Rainbow Forge Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rainbow Forge Primary Academy?

Rainbow Forge Primary Academy is at Beighton Road, Hackenthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S12 4LQ.