Nether Stowe School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 March 2026

Nether Stowe Academy is a school that is improving. However, these improvements are recent. Many pupils have had a range of negative experiences in the recent past. These have included school closures for a range of reasons, some changes in staff and unkindness between pupils. Some pupils lack confidence in the school. The majority of pupils feel safe and enjoy their time at Nether Stowe, building good relationships with staff. However, some pupils do not feel confident in asking for help if they need it, and a significant minority of pupils do not enjoy school. Leaders deal better with bullying than they did in the past, and pupils are reporting issues more often so the school can help them. Leaders have recently raised their expectations of pupils' behaviour. For example, they have introduced new ways of making sure that the day starts and ends calmly. It is taking some time for pupils to understand and become used to these new expectations. However, pupils are responding positively. They move around the school calmly and are proud to behave well in their lessons. Generally, they have a positive attitude to learning. The school prepares pupils well for their life after school. Many pupils take part in the wide range of interesting activities that the school offers. Over time, pupils have not attended school well enough and their achievement has been very weak. This is starting to change. Pupils' attendance is improving. Staff are becoming more skilled in breaking down barriers to pupils' learning. Pupils are beginning to achieve better. Disadvantaged pupils are also achieving better than they have in the past. Students in the sixth form do not achieve as well as they need to. However, they appreciate the care their teachers take in supporting them to learn, develop and take their next steps.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to improve the quality of teaching across all key stages so that pupils achieve well. They should ensure that professional learning is sharply focused on identified weaknesses in practice and evaluated rigorously so that it leads to clear improvements in teaching and outcomes, including for post-16 students.
• Leaders should strengthen the support for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other vulnerabilities. This should include improving the precision with which pupils' plans are reviewed and evaluated and developing the confidence of the small minority of pupils who do not feel able to seek help when they need it.
• Leaders should continue to improve pupils’ attendance so that they are able to benefit fully from the school's provision.
• Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that their systems enable improvement. This includes strengthening communication and engagement with parents, addressing staff workload more effectively, and ensuring that resources required to improve the school are provided swiftly.

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