Stocksbridge High School, Sheffield

Ofsted's report card from its 12 May 2026 inspection grades Stocksbridge High School on 6 areas: 4 needs attention and 2 urgent improvement. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The recently enhanced curriculum is not fully embedded across the school."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Disadvantaged pupils are now much better supported than they were in the past."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "In recent years, leadership at the school has been turbulent."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "The personal, social and health education curriculum at the school has been significantly strengthened of late."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils, notably those who are disadvantaged or who face barriers to their learning, achieve significantly less well than they should."

Attendance and behaviour - Urgent improvement. "Attendance has declined significantly over time."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders must ensure that their attendance strategy leads to increased rates of attendance and reduced persistent absence, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance must ensure that highly effective action is taken to increase pupils' achievement and ensure that pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education, employment or training"; "Leaders must ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, so that gaps in foundational knowledge are addressed and pupils achieve well"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils' barriers to learning are identified precisely and that staff make effective use of information and strategies to support pupils' learning and adapt their teaching"; "Leaders should ensure that staff consistently model and maintain high expectations for behaviour so that pupils develop the resilience and self-discipline to thrive"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of the personal development curriculum, particularly knowledge of those who are different and of fundamental British values".

From the headteacher's welcome: "We warmly welcome you to Stocksbridge High School, an 11-16 comprehensive school proud to serve our community and the surrounding areas. With a wealth of experience, a fresh perspective, and a positive outlook for the future, we are excited about the journey ahead - both for our pupils and our school."

In 2026, pupils at Stocksbridge High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 40.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.6 in Sheffield and 47 across England.

39% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 47% in Sheffield and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 39.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.77: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 29.1, against 45.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 16.1 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 137 families put Stocksbridge High School as their first choice and 331 named it as one of their preferences, for 141 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Stocksbridge High School are Penistone Grammar School (4.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.4); Bradfield Secondary School (4.2 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 49.4); Yewlands Academy (5.4 miles, Inadequate, Attainment 8 39.9); and Mercia Northridge School (5.7 miles).

Stocksbridge High School's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

Stocksbridge High School is one of 10 schools run by Minerva Learning Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45 in 2024/25.

Of the 174 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 64% to a further education college, 8% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

3.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Stocksbridge High School.

13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Shay House Lane/Kenworthy Road (adjacent), 40 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Stocksbridge High School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 61 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, vehicle crime and other crime. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sheffield (267).

In 2024/25, Stocksbridge High School issued 506 suspensions, 64.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Stocksbridge High School are St Ann's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy (under 0.1 miles); Stocksbridge Junior School (0.2 miles); Stocksbridge Nursery Infant School (0.2 miles); and Royd Nursery and Infant School (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.