The Deanery Church of England High School and Sixth Form College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 9 June 2026

Pupils enjoy their time in school. They live by the school mantra to 'work hard, be kind, make a difference'. They link this seamlessly with the Christian values and ethos. Pupils play their part in ensuring school is a safe haven for everyone. They know they are safe and know how to keep themselves and others safe in the wider community. This includes the understanding pupils demonstrate to stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Pupils behave with maturity and a quiet confidence that they can be themselves at this school. They make sure that their peers can focus on their learning in quiet and purposeful classrooms. At social times, pupils treat each other with respect and tolerance in abundance. Generally, pupils and students achieve well, increasingly so. They benefit from effective teaching. This includes pupils who may find learning difficult. Pupils have warm and caring relationships with staff. Bullying and unkindness are not tolerated here. Any incidents are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Staff know pupils very well. They use their knowledge of pupils to give them the help they need to strive to meet their potential. Indeed, the school’s 'Flourish Award' encourages pupils to do so. Many pupils achieve this. Pupils benefit from the expansive opportunities to develop their skills beyond the classroom. For instance, there are programmes to help older pupils to enhance their leadership skills by supporting younger pupils. Younger pupils say they see older pupils and students as role models. Pupils can develop their talents and interests here, and most do. For example, the Year 7 rugby league team recently played at Wembley Stadium. Many pupils complete the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. This helps them to become well-rounded young people ready to take their place in society.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should refine the processes in place to evaluate the impact of their actions. They should use this information to continue to drive improvements across all areas of the school.
• Leaders should sharpen the systems that they have in place to improve attendance to ensure that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, attend school more often.

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