Springwell Community College Review 2026: A rebuilt 11–16 academy with clearer routines and a stronger curriculum

Springwell Community College is an 11–16 secondary academy in Staveley, within Derbyshire local authority, serving a mixed intake and operating as part of The Two Counties Trust. The most recent Ofsted inspection (5–6 November 2024) judged quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management as Good.

A defining theme here is improvement through consistency. Clear behaviour routines, a more structured approach to teaching, and a deliberate strengthening of subject curricula have been central to the school’s recent direction. That matters because the published end of Year 11 outcomes have lagged behind the pace of change, so parents should read results as a snapshot of a journey rather than the final destination.

Leadership continuity supports that approach. Mr Ian Wingfield is the headteacher; he has held the post since September 2013.

The tone is purposeful, with a strong emphasis on routines and predictability. Expectations for conduct are explicit and consistently reinforced, and the environment is described as calm and orderly, with respectful relationships between students and staff. Bullying is framed as uncommon, with systems in place that students trust.

The school’s values language is used as practical shorthand in daily life. The wider trust frames its values as Ambition, Teamwork, and Honesty, while Springwell also sets out Ambition, Commitment, and Kindness in its own culture statements. In practice, families can expect an emphasis on visible effort, participation, and recognition for meeting behavioural and learning expectations, rather than a laissez-faire approach.

Physical layout is part of the school’s identity. Earlier official reports describe a modern building design with separate “pods” named Perform, Energise, Create, Discover, and Inspire, a useful detail for parents because it signals that specialist spaces and zoned movement are embedded into the site’s organisation.

FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking places Springwell at 3,381st in England and 10th in Chesterfield. This sits below England average, within the lower-performing band overall. (These are FindMySchool rankings based on official data.)

The underlying metrics reinforce that picture. The school’s Progress 8 score is -0.56, indicating that, on average, students have made less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. Average Attainment 8 is recorded as 36.7, and the average EBacc APS is 3.21.

The most useful way to interpret these figures is alongside the improvement narrative: the current leadership and trust have focused heavily on curriculum strengthening and consistent classroom practice, while published outcomes have not yet fully caught up with those internal changes. For parents, that means two parallel questions matter. First, whether your child will thrive with clear structures and repeated practice. Second, whether the school’s trajectory aligns with your tolerance for some results volatility during improvement.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to place these results next to other Chesterfield-area secondaries, then weigh that against travel time and the realities of admissions priorities.

Curriculum design is deliberately traditional in breadth at Key Stage 3, with all students studying English, mathematics, science, computing, religious education, physical education, history, geography, a language (currently Spanish), and PSHE in Years 7 to 9. In Year 9, students can specialise in two creative subjects, with options including art, drama, music, product design, food, and dance, alongside an alternative curriculum for a small number of students needing additional support.

A distinctive feature from the latest inspection is a defined teaching model described as the “Springwell lesson”, with an emphasis on revisiting key content so learning sticks. That tends to suit students who benefit from routine, frequent retrieval, and clear sequencing. The main teaching-and-learning caveat flagged in external evaluation is assessment use: some lessons do not consistently use checking for understanding to close gaps quickly enough. For families, the practical implication is that progress can vary by subject and teacher, so it is worth asking how departments share assessment information and how interventions are targeted.

With no sixth form, the key transition is post-16. The school’s stated approach is to provide careers education and guidance, to run events such as careers fairs, and to monitor Year 11 destinations to reduce the proportion of students not in education, employment, or training.

For families, the right focus is practical readiness. Ask what impartial guidance looks like for different routes, including A-level study elsewhere, technical qualifications, and apprenticeships. Also ask how the school supports students who are undecided in Year 10 and early Year 11, and how it builds employer encounters and workplace experiences into the calendar.

Springwell’s Year 7 admissions are coordinated by Derbyshire County Council up to the start of the academic year. For September 2026 entry, the school publishes a clear timeline: applications open 8 September 2025, the on-time deadline is 31 October 2025, offers are released 2 March 2026, and on-time appeals close 27 March 2026, with on-time appeals heard by 15 June 2026.

For in-year admissions, applications are made directly to the school, with decisions typically communicated within school-published timeframes.

If you are weighing the likelihood of admission based on where you live, use the FindMySchoolMap Search alongside the school’s published catchment materials and Derbyshire’s coordinated admissions criteria. Even where catchment maps are available, application patterns and oversubscription fluctuate year to year.

Pastoral work here is closely connected to behaviour systems. The school’s approach puts a premium on clear expectations, consistent responses from adults, and recognition for meeting values-based standards. The latest external evaluation also highlights diversity education and a structured personal development programme, with students taught how to stay safe and healthy.

Attendance is an explicit priority, but still a live issue. Attendance has been improving gradually, yet persistent absence remains a concern, especially among pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. Suspensions were reported as higher than national figures historically, with a noted reduction during the current academic year linked to consistent policy application and reflective work with students. These are meaningful signals for parents: the school appears more stable than in the past, but families should still ask how attendance support is personalised, and what reintegration looks like after any sanction.

Safeguarding is treated as a clear non-negotiable, and Ofsted confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Springwell’s enrichment offer is unusually transparent, with a published schedule that helps parents see what is available on which day. A good sign is the mix of access clubs, subject support, and performance or competition options.

Two distinctive strands stand out.

First, structured academic extension and catch-up. Examples include Masters of Maths for Year 7, subject sessions such as History Club, and dedicated support groups such as a Quiet Study Group at lunchtime. There is also subject revision provision for Year 11 in several areas across the week. The implication is that students who need scaffolding or who respond well to additional structured practice can access extra time with staff in a predictable format.

Second, culture and contribution. The Anti-Bullying Team is working towards the National Diana Award and has run community-facing initiatives such as a foodbank collection, which points to a student leadership model that goes beyond token roles. For parents, this often correlates with a clearer reporting route for concerns and a peer culture that is encouraged to intervene early, provided the adult system remains consistent.

Performing arts and physical activity are visible too, with options including Harmonise Vocal Group, Musical Theatre Group, Dance, and sports sessions scheduled in Energise, alongside clubs such as Chess Club and Eco Club. Rather than simply “lots of clubs”, the schedule suggests a school that is using enrichment as an extension of daily routine.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual associated costs such as uniform, trips, and optional activities where applicable.

The college day runs 08:30 to 15:05 Monday to Thursday, and 08:30 to 14:40 on Fridays.

Transport information is published through the school’s travel guidance, including references to school bus services and contingency arrangements during adverse weather.

• Results profile remains a constraint. The GCSE outcomes ranking and Progress 8 score indicate that results have been weaker than many parents would want, even if the internal improvement story is credible.

• Attendance is still an improvement focus. Persistent absence, particularly for pupils with additional needs, is specifically highlighted as an area requiring continued work; ask what the school will do if attendance starts to slip.

• Consistency can vary between lessons. The teaching model is clear, but assessment use is not always as strong as it needs to be; subject-to-subject variation may be noticeable for some students.

• No sixth form on site. Post-16 planning needs to start earlier because students will move elsewhere after Year 11; ask how the school supports applications and taster experiences.

Springwell Community College is best understood as a school that has put the basics back in place: stronger routines, clearer expectations, and a more deliberate approach to curriculum and teaching consistency. It will suit students who respond well to structure, predictable systems, and a school day where behaviour expectations are explicit. The limiting factor is outcomes, which remain below where the school wants them to be, so families should weigh the improvement trajectory against their child’s academic needs and confidence level.