E-Act Parkwood Academy Review 2026: A Sheffield 11–16 academy focused on readiness, respect, and safety

Purpose and structure come through strongly here. The academy is a mixed 11–16 school in north Sheffield, with an intake shaped by local demand and Sheffield’s coordinated admissions process. A significant reset point in leadership arrived in May 2024, when Mr Joel Hinchcliffe took up the headteacher role.

The most recent inspection confirms the school is Good, with effective safeguarding. Academic outcomes are an area families should weigh carefully, because current GCSE indicators sit below England benchmarks in key measures. The picture is more nuanced than a single headline, and day to day systems around behaviour, attendance, and personal development are clearly structured.

The academy’s story is one of evolution rather than heritage. It opened as an E-ACT sponsored academy in September 2009 and moved into new purpose-built accommodation in April 2012, a shift that matters because it underpins today’s facilities and footprint.

Clarity of expectations is a defining feature. The language of being ready, respectful, and safe is used as a practical guide for pupils, not as decorative values. This comes through in the way routines are defined, for example punctuality thresholds, formal registers, and responses to lateness are described with precision rather than ambiguity.

Leadership continuity is also a live topic. Gemma Cottingham was headteacher at the time of the March 2023 inspection; by May 2024 the academy had appointed Mr Joel Hinchcliffe, joining from 25 May. For parents, that matters because it changes how much weight to place on older narratives, and it places extra importance on looking at current priorities, attendance culture, and how standards are being sustained across subjects.

For families comparing schools across Sheffield, the FindMySchool GCSE ranking places the academy at 3,128th in England and 33rd in Sheffield for GCSE outcomes, based on official data. This positioning sits below England average, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure. (FindMySchool ranking).

The underlying GCSE indicators align with that broad picture. The academy’s Attainment 8 score is 36.3, and Progress 8 is -0.42, which indicates pupils, on average, make less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. EBacc outcomes are also comparatively low, with 13.7% achieving grade 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate subjects and an EBacc average point score of 3.28.

What this means in practice is that outcomes are likely to be stronger for pupils whose learning habits are secure, attendance is steady, and who respond well to clear routines and targeted support. Where pupils have gaps in prior learning or inconsistent attendance, the published figures suggest the academy has work to do to close those gaps at the pace families might hope for.

The curriculum intent, as reflected in formal documentation and inspection evidence, is ambitious and inclusive, with structured planning designed to build knowledge over time. The most recent inspection describes an ambitious curriculum and highlights teaching practices that revisit important knowledge early in lessons, supporting recall and confidence.

Consistency is the key variable. Where checking for understanding and feedback are strong, pupils improve work quality and grasp concepts securely. Where those routines are less consistent, the inspection evidence indicates some pupils do not respond to feedback as effectively as they should, and the quality of independent work can slip below capability.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is a significant strand. The inspection evidence indicates that detailed knowledge of individual pupils is used to support learning and that most pupils with SEND meet intended learning goals, while also noting that some barriers to learning were not always removed as effectively as they could be. For parents, the implication is straightforward: if your child relies on consistent adaptive strategies in every lesson, it is worth exploring how those strategies are embedded across departments, not just within the SEND team.

Because the academy is 11–16 with no sixth form, the main transition point is post-16. The most useful question for families is not simply “where do pupils go”, but “how well does the school prepare pupils for the range of realistic pathways”.

Careers education is explicitly referenced within inspection evidence as a well established programme of advice and guidance, which matters in an 11–16 setting where choices at 14 and 16 shape options quickly. The academy also has experience using alternative provision placements for a small number of pupils, with the 2014 inspection listing accredited vocational routes such as motor vehicle maintenance, hair and beauty, and life skills programmes delivered through local providers alongside in-academy study.

For parents, the implication is that the academy is set up to support multiple “next steps”, including college routes, apprenticeships preparation, and work related learning for pupils who need a more applied curriculum alongside GCSEs. The best way to assess fit is to ask specifically how Year 11 guidance is delivered, what local providers are used for transition support, and how pupils are supported to meet entry requirements for their chosen route.

Admissions are coordinated through Sheffield City Council for Year 7 entry. For September 2026 entry, the council’s published timeline states that applications can be made from July while children are in Year 5, with the online deadline at midday on Tuesday 14 October 2025, and paper applications accepted until 31 October 2025. A separate council guide for the same transfer year also reinforces 31 October 2025 as the key deadline.

The academy’s published admission number for Year 7 is 180. Where applications exceed places, the oversubscription criteria set out a clear order, beginning with children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the academy, followed by looked after and previously looked after children, exceptional social or medical reasons, siblings, and then priority groups including named feeder schools, catchment area criteria, and distance as a tie breaker.

A practical point that often gets missed is that the policy contains time anchored criteria in the oversubscription list, so families should read it carefully and compare it to their child’s circumstances, rather than relying on general assumptions about distance alone. If you are shortlisting across the city, FindMySchool’s Map Search is a sensible way to sense check likely travel times and to compare local alternatives side by side.

Pastoral systems lean heavily on routines, clarity, and early intervention. The attendance and punctuality documentation sets out fixed registration windows and a structured response to lateness, including same day consequences for arriving after the start time, and staged escalation based on repeated lateness across a half term. The building is open from 8:00am for pupils eligible for breakfast club, which can be an important support for families managing early work patterns or longer commutes.

The personal development programme is planned as a coherent five year pathway. The published long term plan blends personal, social, health and economic education with citizenship and religious education, and it explicitly includes strands such as self and wellbeing, society and law, beliefs, wider curriculum links, and revision skills. For pupils who need structured guidance around relationships, online behaviour, and decision making, this kind of mapped programme can provide predictability and shared language.

Bullying is described in the most recent inspection evidence as rare, and pupils report that issues are dealt with, alongside a broader message that pupils feel safe and looked after. For parents, the practical test is how quickly concerns are triaged, whether pastoral staffing is stable across year groups, and how communication works when issues arise.

Extracurricular provision is framed as part of the offer rather than an optional extra. The most recent inspection evidence indicates leaders provide extra activities informed by pupil interests, with encouragement for disadvantaged pupils to participate, including support where needed.

The specific examples that emerge from official material are useful because they show range rather than generalities. Sport is not limited to traditional fixtures; boxing is referenced as an example of sporting opportunity, which suggests the academy is willing to provide activities that appeal to pupils who might not engage with mainstream team sports. The inspection evidence also references musical productions, signalling that performing arts are present as a participatory strand, not only as classroom study.

Wider enrichment appears to be organised through structured calendar events as well as weekly clubs. The published academy calendar (for an earlier year) includes a Year 6 open evening, progress weeks across year groups, a futures week, sports day, diversity week, and repeated drop down days, which is consistent with a model where pupils periodically step out of standard timetables for enrichment and personal development work. Parents considering the school should treat dates in older calendars as a pattern indicator rather than a current schedule, and check the latest published events for the current year.

Punctuality expectations are explicit. The school day starts at 8:30am, with morning registration taken at the start time and closing at 9:00am, and afternoon registration windows running from 12:15pm to 12:30pm. The building opens at 8:00am for pupils eligible for breakfast club.

Families should also be aware that the academy has communicated changes to the end of the school day, including a move from 3:10pm to 3:00pm from early September 2024, so it is worth confirming the current finish time when planning travel and childcare.

Transport wise, the school sits in north Sheffield and is served by local bus routes, but travel times vary significantly by neighbourhood and time of day. If you are comparing multiple Sheffield secondaries, use a consistent peak time estimate and then validate with a real journey test before relying on a tight connection.

• Outcomes are currently below England benchmarks. The Progress 8 score of -0.42 and EBacc indicators suggest attainment and progress are areas still in development. If your child needs high academic stretch with minimal scaffolding, you should interrogate subject level consistency and top set pathways.

• Consistency across subjects matters. Inspection evidence highlights variation in how well checking for understanding and feedback routines work across subjects. Families should ask what has changed since 2023 to standardise these practices.

• Punctuality and attendance systems are firm. Start time, registration windows, and staged consequences for lateness are clearly set out. This suits pupils who respond well to structure, but can be challenging for families juggling complex morning logistics.

• Admissions criteria require careful reading. The published admission number is 180 and the oversubscription criteria include defined priority groups and policy details that families should match to their circumstances.

E-Act Parkwood Academy is a structured, expectations led 11–16 academy with firm systems around readiness, behaviour, and attendance, alongside a clearly planned personal development programme. The most recent inspection evidence supports a safe and orderly environment, and leadership has recently transitioned to Mr Joel Hinchcliffe.

Best suited to families looking for a local Sheffield secondary where routines are clear, support is organised, and pupils benefit from predictable structures. The central decision point is whether the current academic outcomes and progress trajectory match your child’s needs, particularly for pupils aiming for higher EBacc attainment and rapid progress across a full subject suite.