Stantonbury School

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met with an open culture of safeguarding.
• Leaders effectively identify barriers to learning and wellbeing.
• Leaders use a research-informed pupil premium strategy, prioritising reading.
• Leaders regularly assess and refine interventions.
• Leaders collaborate effectively with external partners for specialist support.
• Alternative provision is used appropriately.
• Pupils are well supported in personal development, safety and mental health.
• Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils receive additional support.
• The school provides helpful and independent careers advice.
• Pupils have a range of enrichment activities, with increasing participation.
• Post 16 provision is well designed and taught effectively.
• Sixth form students make positive progress and are well prepared for next steps.
• The curriculum is well designed and considers pupils' starting points.
• Reading is prioritised across the curriculum with systems to identify gaps.
• Teachers typically have secure subject knowledge and explain new learning clearly.
• Staff are typically positive, and early career teachers feel supported.
• Leaders are committed to the best interests of pupils and have secure oversight of vulnerable pupils.

Areas for Improvement

• School requires special measures and is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education.
• Leaders lack the capacity to secure necessary improvement.
• Teaching does not consistently check pupils' understanding to match learning.
• Pupils are unclear how to respond to feedback.
• Staff do not effectively adapt teaching for SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Improvements to teaching have not been swift enough.
• Attainment at KS4 is significantly below national average for several years.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve poorly.
• Pupils who miss school do not catch up and lack foundational knowledge.
• Assessment systems are not embedded to address knowledge gaps.
• Catch-up support for maths and reading is not ambitious enough.
• Too many pupils are frequently absent, with persistent absence significantly high.
• Leaders' actions to improve attendance have been insufficiently rapid or sustained.
• Behaviour is variable, with a significant minority persistently breaching expectations.
• High proportion of school time is missed through suspensions.
• Support for pupils struggling with behaviour is not consistently effective.
• SEND and disadvantaged pupils are overrepresented in suspensions.
• Leaders lack clear oversight of behaviour trends, so unkind behaviours are not consistently addressed.
• Leaders do not accurately review the impact of their work, slowing improvement.
• Plans to address priorities lack precision.
• Governors are not sufficiently thorough in challenge and checks.
• Professional development impact is inconsistent.
• Some staff feel workload is not considered when new initiatives are introduced.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools