de Stafford School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a welcoming environment for pupils. They behave well with each other and staff. Classrooms, corridors and outside spaces are orderly.

Staff supervision is vigilant, including from leaders, who are a visible presence around the school. Pupils are kept safe and feel that the little bullying that happens is typically tackled well by staff.

The school aims for high educational standards for its pupils.

For those who attend well, these aspirations are met. Teachers work hard to support pupils. Most pupils also work hard in lessons.

Relationships between teachers and pupils are positive, leading to a productive atmosphere for learning in ...classrooms.

The school is working tenaciously to improve the attendance of the minority of pupils who miss too much time. Overall attendance is below the national average, but is rising.

Regular reminders mean that all pupils know good attendance is important. They appreciate the rewards for attending well. Support for individual pupils is a high priority for the school's leaders and staff.

Pupils are well supported in learning to respect each other and to be ready for later life. The school offers a broad curriculum, which pupils enjoy. This goes beyond academic subjects and includes a wide range of enrichment activities.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum is well planned. Pupils' learning is logically sequenced to develop their knowledge over time. Key stage 3 provides a firm foundation, building on learning from primary school and setting pupils up for GCSEs.

Two years ago, the school identified that too few pupils were going on to take GCSE subjects making up the English Baccalaureate. Improved guidance about curriculum choices has brought a rapid rise in numbers. Support for pupils who need help to catch up in reading is well planned and delivered, so that they make accelerated progress.

Teachers usually have strong expertise to teach their subjects. Most explain new learning well. Many select engaging approaches in lessons that keep pupils interested.

Teachers have good information about pupils' needs, usually adapting lessons effectively for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND are included well in mainstream classes. Teachers often check carefully how well pupils have understood learning, giving extra support or explanation where needed.

However, this is not always the case. On occasion, teachers move the class on without all pupils having understood, which means new learning is not securely built.

While many pupils attend well and achieve well, the school is focusing sharply on those who do not.

These pupils achieve less well by the time they sit examinations. This explains their low outcomes in the 2023 examinations. Staff use a wide range of approaches to work with pupils and families where there are attendance concerns.

These include skilled support for pupils' emotional well-being. The school reflects carefully on how well different approaches work so as to adjust what it is doing. Teachers are keen to reintegrate pupils back into learning when they have missed lessons.

Some do this well, but this is not consistently effective.

The school manages pupils' behaviour well. Leaders monitor it carefully and take action where needed.

For example, concerns over pupil punctuality to lessons earlier this year saw swift, effective action. Staff are consistent in praising good behaviour and managing any poor behaviour. As a result, most pupils follow the rules.

Pupils who need more help to behave well get the support they need.

Well-planned personal, social, health and economic education, coupled with relationships and sex education, sees pupils learn to treat each other with respect. Pupils have good opportunities for spiritual and cultural development.

They talk enthusiastically about the range of books read in English and their knowledge of world religions gained in religious education. Careers information, advice and guidance are well planned to help pupils to make informed choices about their futures.

Leaders at trust and school levels work as a cohesive team.

They hold themselves to account well and provide effective development for staff. Staff feel well looked after and trained, including on key areas like safeguarding. Parents are very positive about the school's work, saying in particular that communication with them is good.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A minority of pupils miss school regularly and therefore do not achieve all they should. The school should pursue vigorously its work with families of regularly absent pupils in order to ensure that pupils' attendance rises further.

• When pupils return to lessons after absences, support is not consistently effective. Pupils do not always understand what to do, which hinders their learning. The trust needs to improve the capacity of teachers to support these pupils by making sure that agreed approaches are implemented consistently well.

• Teachers do not always check that pupils have understood new learning before moving on. This means that pupils' knowledge is not always built securely. The school should ensure that teachers routinely use effective strategies to check that pupils have grasped new material.

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