Thrybergh Academy, Rotherham

Ofsted's report card from its 7 July 2026 inspection grades Thrybergh Academy on 6 areas: 2 expected standard, 2 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.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "New leaders have established clear systems to identify pupils who need extra support when they join the school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The personal development programme is well thought out and comprehensive."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders have started to improve the curriculum and teaching, but these changes are still at an early stage."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "The school has seen declining outcomes in key areas for pupils, including attendance and achievement, over the past 3 academic years."

Achievement - Urgent improvement. "Pupils do not achieve as well as they should, and their achievement has declined over time."

Attendance and behaviour - Urgent improvement. "Pupils' attendance has decreased significantly over time."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders must ensure that their actions to improve attendance for all pupils are effective, especially for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders must ensure that they take highly effective action to improve achievement so that pupils leave school with the knowledge, skills and qualifications that they need for their next steps in education or training"; "Leaders should further refine the curriculum so that it is sufficiently ambitious and meets the needs of all pupils"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers identify gaps in pupils' knowledge quickly and resolve them promptly so that pupils make appropriate progress"; "Leaders should make sure that they have an accurate understanding of the effectiveness of their actions to improve the school so that they know what is working well and what strategies need to change if they are to have the desired impact".

In its own words: "We aim to send every young person into the world able and qualified to play their full role in it. To be an outstanding school which gives its young people the best life chances through academic success; develops them into excellent members of the community and builds resilience, adaptability and aspiration to equip them with the skills to be successful."

From the headteacher's welcome: "It is our vision to be an outstanding school which gives its young people the best life chances through academic success, develops them into excellent members of the community and builds resilience, adaptability and aspiration to equip them with the skills to be successful."

In 2026, pupils at Thrybergh Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 34.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.9 in Rotherham and 47 across England.

23% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 41% in Rotherham and 47% in England.

That is up from 28.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.67: 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 28.5, against 43 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Statistics, Biology and Physics.

For September 2026 entry, 64 families put Thrybergh Academy as their first choice and 104 named it as one of their preferences, for 83 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 Thrybergh Academy are Clifton Community School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37); St Bernard's Catholic High School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 50.3); Wickersley School and Sports College (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.8); and Rawmarsh Community School (2.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 40.1).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Thrybergh Academy.

Thrybergh Academy is one of 13 schools run by Wickersley Partnership Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.5 in 2024/25.

Of the 107 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 73% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 51% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

62.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 141 pupils (26.9%) received SEN support and 36 (6.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest tram or metro stop is Parkgate, about 2 miles away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Doncaster Road/Park Lane (adjacent), 160 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 79 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Rotherham (146).

In 2024/25, Thrybergh Academy issued 453 suspensions, 83.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 6 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Thrybergh Academy are Thrybergh Fullerton Church of England Primary Academy (0.1 miles), St Gerard's Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles), Thrybergh Primary School (0.4 miles) and Foljambe Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.