Monkseaton High School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 May 2025

There is a strong, shared, ambitious vision for all pupils who attend this school. Students choose to study at the sixth form because of its small, supportive atmosphere. Academic and pastoral support for all pupils is of a high quality. Success is regularly celebrated. Staff know pupils as individuals. The school community is tight-knit and resilient. Staff and pupils share warm relationships, which has created a culture of positive behaviour. While the school has many pastoral strengths, currently pupils do not achieve as well as they need to in external tests and assessments. Instability in staffing and changes in leadership have impacted the school's improvement journey. Despite this, the school maintains high expectations for all pupils to succeed. Older students in the sixth form receive targeted support that enables them to achieve well in their qualifications. Numerous opportunities are provided that enrich pupil's educational experience. Work experience, camping trips, visits to London or to the theatre are well received by pupils. Leaders ensure that these opportunities are available to everyone. Regardless of a pupil's background, they are welcomed into the school and supported to succeed. This embodies the school's ethos of equality, opportunity, inclusion and achievement.

What the school should improve

• The activity choices staff make sometimes do not match the intended learning set out in the curriculum. Pupils sometimes do not master the ambitious knowledge and skills that the school intends. The school should ensure that staff understand how to focus activities precisely on the knowledge and skills set out in the curriculum through ongoing professional development and support.
• When staff check what pupils know and can do, they do not consistently ensure that pupils respond to the suggested improvements. This leads to gaps in pupil's understanding of the curriculum and their ability to communicate it clearly. The school should ensure that staff follow a consistent approach when helping pupils to improve their work and that any whole-school policies are understood and adhered to.
• Attendance has not improved in line with national figures and the school's ambitious targets. Rates of persistent absence are still too high. This impacts negatively on how some pupils achieve, especially disadvantaged pupils. The school should continue to refine and embed its approach to securing high rates of attendance and reducing persistent absence, particularly for vulnerable pupils.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)