Stannard School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 February 2025

Pupils at Stannard School have previously had negative experiences of school, which can make it hard for them to adjust to a new school setting. Staff show kindness and compassion. They build respectful and trusting relationships, which means pupils feel safe and secure. As a result, many are now settled and learning successfully every day. Staff create engaging lessons that capture pupils' interests. This motivates them to want to learn more. Many pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge. Knowing this, staff design tasks that build on pupils' existing understanding. As a result, pupils achieve well, which in turn boosts their self-confidence. Teachers have high expectations, and generally pupils are well mannered. Many are clear on the school rules and boundaries. When some pupils find this challenging, teachers offer extra support and guidance. Pupils know this and they trust the adults to help them. Pupils learn important skills to help them stay safe at home, in the community and online. They learn to express themselves and to understand that their thoughts and opinions matter. Staff listen to pupils' points of view at every opportunity. This growing school is a positive learning environment where pupils thrive.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the school has not fully evaluated how teachers adjust the curriculum to meet the needs of the pupils. As a result, teaching methods can sometimes be inconsistent and not the most effective way to help pupils remember new concepts. This slows down pupils' knowledge development. The school needs to evaluate how teachers adapt the curriculum to ensure it has the most positive impact on pupils' retention of knowledge.

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