Academy slammed by inspectors

Ofsted has criticised Sheffield Park Academy for failing to improve pupil behaviour or the quality of teaching and learning since it was last inspected.

The school – which opened in 2006 – was judged to be failing in a damning Ofsted report last year.

As improvements were not apparent after that , the last Government ordered its managers to develop an urgent action plan.

Its previous inspection in July this year found it be making satisfactory progress and Sheffield Park students celebrated the school's best ever GCSE results in the summer as it passed the Government's target of 30 per cent of pupils achieving five good GCSEs, including English and maths, for the first time.

Now, the schools watchdog has warned that it has made inadequate progress since the July report.

In a letter to the school, inspector Cathryn Kirby said: "The improving trend in behaviour seen on the previous two inspections has not been sustained.

"Inspectors observed more frequent instances of unsatisfactory behaviour.

"Inappropriate language showing disrespect for fellow students and adults was heard in a number of situations, mainly in English but also in some of the Asian languages spoken by the students."

Sheffield Park is one of four academies in the region sponsored by the Christian charity, the United Learning Trust.

Earlier this year it took over Yorkshire's best performing purpose-built academy Trinity in Thorne, which had been set up by car magnate Sir Peter Vardy's Emmanuel Schools Foundation.