Stantonbury School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 March 2026

Pupils in the school do not achieve as well as they should in national examinations by the end of key stage 4. Often, pupils do not secure the knowledge that they need to be well prepared for their next steps. There are too many pupils with high rates of absence. Pupils who miss school regularly achieve far less well than their peers. The school has started to take steps to improve pupils' learning experiences. As a result, pupils typically follow classroom expectations and participate in learning. Pupils have mixed views about school. Some enjoy their studies and are motivated to succeed. Leaders recognise the barriers to learning and or/wellbeing that pupils may face. They provide helpful plans to staff so that there is a common understanding of how best to meet pupils' needs. However, staff do not consistently use this information to adapt their teaching effectively. As a result, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those who are disadvantaged, do not make sufficiently positive progress from their starting points. Behaviour across the school is variable. Leaders do not have an accurate oversight of how frequently different types of behaviour occur. This affects how successful they are at preventing poor behaviour from repeating. A notable proportion of pupils are not respectful and repeatedly breach expectations. As a result, some pupils worry about the behaviour of others. However, many pupils make positive choices and understand the importance of rules. The school takes broadly effective action to address bullying and discrimination where they happen. Pupils are confident that staff provide helpful support. They appreciate wellbeing workshops and the 'focus' space that helps them to manage their emotions. Typically, pupils feel safe and understand how to stay safe. The school provides a range of wider experiences and activities for pupils to participate in. Pupils contribute to the community through a range of leadership opportunities such as those of reading buddies.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that they have an accurate oversight of any poor behaviours that happen in the school so that these are responded to swiftly and effectively. Additionally, leaders should ensure that they accurately measure the impact of their behaviour management strategy so that pupils' unacceptable behaviour rapidly reduces.
• Leaders should ensure that their work to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence is sustainable.
• Leaders should ensure that they improve the consistency of teaching across the school so that pupils achieve more securely and are better prepared for their next steps.
• Governors should ensure that the work of the school is thoroughly checked and challenged so that priorities are sharply focused where they need to be.

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