Holgate Meadows: Sheffield SEND school 'now a pleasant' place two years on from 'Inadequate' Ofsted rating

It has been two years since Holgate Meadows Community School, in Parson Cross, was sent reeling by a damning report that rated it ‘Inadequate’ in all areas and dropped it into special measures.

The blistering write-up by inspectors in June 2022 criticised seemingly every aspect of the school’s ability to care for its SEND children, who said they “did not feel safe”, with reports of bullying, racial abuse and too many incidents of staff using physical restraint on students.

Now, two years on, Holgate Meadows is on a something of a positive streak with the watchdog, with a new report saying better days are ahead.

Where the report in 2022 opened with “some pupils at this school do not feel safe,” the newest report - published June 21, 2024 - starts with: “Your school is now a pleasant environment where pupils feel safe...”

“Pupils receive valuable pastoral support to meet their social, emotional and mental health needs.

“Your school has remained resolute in its determination to ensure that the school is a safe and calm place for pupils to learn in.”

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It comes after the school was also called a “calm place to learn” in February, putting Holgate Meadows on a streak of positive reports from Ofsted.

However, the check-in by Ofsted in May was only a ‘monitoring visit’ and the school formally is still rated Inadequate. It has also been told more work is needed to shake off its special measures status.

Improvements include an interim lesson plan ahead with “suitably ambitious plans” to introduce a new curriculum.

The report was not without criticisms. Pupil absence was highlighted in February, and once again in the new report it was called “an ongoing and significant concern,” although work is underway to address this.

However, the report closes with: “Staff are overwhelmingly supportive of your leaders. They appreciate that leaders listen to them and are considerate of their welfare. They also appreciate that the school is improving, and they enjoy working as part of the close-knit staff team.”

Inspectors also made passing reference to NEXUS MAT, a multi-academy trust specialising in SEND schools, which Holgate is attempting to join.

In the February report, Ofsted noted efforts for Holgate to join NEXUS had been delayed due to the school’s “significant financial difficulties.”

It comes after The Star in 2023 reported how Holgate Meadows and its sister school, Heritage Park, were reportedly in over £5m of combined debt, a figure that a source close to the school called “unpayable.” and led to a raft of redundancies for teaching assistants.

Sources say Sheffield City Council is planning to write off the multi-million-pound figure for both schools, with no guidance yet if it will be reimbursed by central Government.

£5m is more than the council's entire annual school maintenance budget. It is not known which trust Heritage Park could join.

It comes four years after an 'Interim Executive Board' was appointed to both schools by the city council in 2019 - when both schools were rated 'Good' and Holgate Meadows even had a surplus of £350,000.

In the four years since then, Holgate Meadows has not only spent that £350,000 and gone into the red by £3m.

Read more about the reported causes for Holgate Meadows “significant financial difficulties”.