Astrea Academy Sheffield

Overview

Astrea Academy Sheffield provides a “good quality of education” underpinned by an “ambitious curriculum” and “kind teachers.” The school fosters a “strong culture of tolerance and respect,” with pupils generally behaving well and feeling safe. However, the report highlights significant concerns regarding the application of the behaviour policy in the secondary phase, which has strained relationships with parents and resulted in excessive sanctions for minor infractions.

Strengths

• Leaders deliver an “ambitious curriculum” that ensures pupils, including those in the early years, build subject-specific knowledge and vocabulary effectively.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are “well supported” by an expert team, allowing them to access the same curriculum as their peers.
• Early readers are “well supported by trained staff,” enabling them to learn to read with “confidence and fluency.”
• Governors and trustees provide “effective support,” rigorously checking that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND receive necessary help.
• Staff well-being and workload are considered by leaders, who value support from external partners.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must work more closely with parents and carers to develop positive relationships, as the current behaviour policy is negatively affecting community relations.
• The behaviour policy should be adjusted to ensure consequences are “fair and proportionate,” preventing secondary pupils from missing learning due to suspensions for accumulated low-level poor behaviour.
• Leaders must ensure teachers receive support and training to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, particularly in the primary phase where subject knowledge is not consistently strong.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff receiving regular training and promptly reporting concerns to ensure all pupils are kept safe.