de Stafford School

De Stafford School has been evaluated as performing well across various domains, maintaining a good overall effectiveness since the previous inspection. The school fosters a welcoming environment where pupils behave well and feel safe. The commitment to high educational standards is evident, with effective curriculum planning and support for pupils, including those with special educational needs. However, challenges remain, particularly regarding attendance, as a portion of pupils miss school regularly, impacting their achievement. The school is actively working to address these issues and improve overall student outcomes.

Strengths

• Positive relationships between teachers and pupils enhance the learning atmosphere.
• Well-planned curriculum that supports knowledge development over time.
• Effective support for pupils needing help to catch up in reading.
• High priority on individual pupil support by leaders and staff.
• Good opportunities for personal, social, health, and economic education.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance rates are below national average, with some pupils missing school regularly.
• Inconsistent support for pupils returning after absences.
• Not all teachers effectively check for pupil understanding before moving on.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at de Stafford School attended 89.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 29.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 7.4% of pupils at de Stafford School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 de Stafford School had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 24.3% of pupils at de Stafford School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 11 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 de Stafford School received £8,722 and spent £8,398 for each of its 816 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £713,000 (£874 per pupil).

Across all 42 schools of Glf Schools, income was £7,514 and spending £7,514 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Caterham · Surrey local authority: places and applications

de Stafford School is part of Glf Schools, which runs 43 schools. The nearest others:

• Hillcroft Primary School & Nursery Caterham
• Marden Lodge Primary School and Nursery Caterham
• Whyteleafe Primary School Whyteleafe
• Warlingham Village Primary School Warlingham
• Merstham Park School Redhill
• Merstham Primary School Redhill
• Lime Tree Primary School and Nursery Merstham
• Meridian High School Croydon
• Banstead Infant School and Nursery Banstead
• The Beacon School Banstead

What is de Stafford School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for de Stafford School is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was de Stafford School last inspected by Ofsted?

de Stafford School was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does de Stafford School have?

de Stafford School has 811 pupils on roll.

What age range does de Stafford School cover?

de Stafford School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are de Stafford School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.3, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is de Stafford School?

de Stafford School is at Burntwood Lane, Caterham, Surrey, CR3 5YX.