When should a child begin to train, and why the old fear was wrong
Most parents think lifting weights is dangerous for children. Twenty years of paediatric consensus disagree, and the reason has more to do with the nervous system than with muscle.
Sheffield
Birley Spa Primary Academy
Academy converter · ages 3–11 · 319 pupils
Part of L.E.A.D. ACADEMY TRUST
43% free school meals 4% English as an additional language (Year 6) 28% SEN support (Year 6)
Year 6 results
Reading, writing and maths
Share of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 2024/25.
| Year | School | Local area | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 41% | – | 60% |
| 2023/24 | 34% | – | 61% |
| 2024/25 | 63% | – | 63% |
| 3-year average | 46% |
54 pupils took the tests in 2025, so each child moves the school's result by about 2 percentage points. Results in small schools swing from year to year; the three-year average is steadier.
Average scaled scores in 2025: reading 103, maths 104 (100 is the expected standard). Higher standard in reading, writing and maths: 6%.
There are no results for 2019/20 or 2020/21, when the tests were cancelled. What do SATs scores mean?
Inspection
What Ofsted found
Requires improvement overall, report published 01/02/2024
Ofsted stopped giving a single overall grade in 2024 and moved to report cards in November 2025. Older grades and new report cards aren't directly comparable.