The Stonebridge School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 July 2023

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They said they like making new friends and that adults help them if they are sad or worried. Pupils value the lessons as well as the several workshops that teach them about risk, staying safe and how to look after their mental health. Leaders have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. These expectations are consistently met, from early years upwards. Pupils and staff have strong working relationships. Pupils respect diversity, and all get along well with each other. This leads to an orderly and respectful learning and social environment. Staff deal effectively with the occasional misbehaviours, including bullying. However, expectations for pupils' academic achievement are not high enough. In several subjects, leaders have not given enough thought to the curriculum and its implementation. This means that pupils do not, as a matter of routine, achieve as well as they should. On the other hand, the early years curriculum is ambitious. Staff have the expertise to ensure that children develop their knowledge and social skills well. Children are, therefore, well prepared for entry into Year 1. Leaders provide a range of enrichment activities beyond what is taught in the classroom. Even so, they do not ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to take part in these experiences.

What the school should improve

• In several subjects, leaders have not identified clearly what they want pupils to know and when. This means that pupils do not build up and deepen their knowledge and understanding of core subject concepts. Leaders should ensure that, across the subjects, they think about exactly what knowledge they want pupils to know and when, and how they are going to develop and deepen pupils' conceptual understanding.
• In some subjects, leaders and teachers lack sufficient subject expertise and knowledge of how to teach the subject effectively. This means that pupils do not gain knowledge as well as they could. Senior leaders should support subject leaders and teachers to gain the subject and pedagogical expertise that they need to deliver the curriculum successfully, and to be aware of and address any misconceptions.
• In some subjects, approaches to ensuring that pupils embed key knowledge in their long-term memories are inconsistent. This means that pupils forget some important core subject knowledge over time and do not achieve as well as they could. Subject leaders should consider exactly what they want pupils to remember long-term and support teachers to consistently select the most appropriate strategies and adaptations to bring this about.
• Leaders' provision for pupils' personal development, while broad, does not routinely promote equality of opportunities for all pupils as effectively as it should. Leaders should encourage a higher uptake of clubs and positively promote high uptake for pupils with SEND. They should ensure that all year groups have equal opportunities for educational trips, focusing in particular on removing barriers to participation for pupils with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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