Stantonbury Campus Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Embed improvements to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school so that it leads to improved outcomes for all pupils, including the disadvantaged, by:
  • ensuring that teachers’ expectations for pupils’ learning and written work are consistently high across the school
  • reducing the variability in the planning and delivery of learning activities
  • ensuring that staff plan activities based on a secure understanding of pupils’ prior attainment and learning needs
  • making sure that staff follow agreed school practices, including in sixth-form tutorials.
• Continue to improve pupils’ behaviour so that it is consistently good during and outside lessons.
• Develop the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • monitoring the new key stage 3 curriculum to ensure that it is broad and balanced and delivers what leaders intend
  • evaluating the difference that pupil premium funding makes for disadvantaged pupils and basing spending decisions on this evaluation
  • improving outcomes for all pupils, including the disadvantaged
  • ensuring that sixth-form students who need to retake GCSE English and/or mathematics are successful. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders’ ambitious vision for the school is shaped by their resolve to provide a stimulating and fulfilling education that balances and promotes academic and personal learning and development for all pupils. Leaders at all levels share this passion and sense of moral duty. By all accounts, they have already effected positive cultural change.
• Leaders at the school and the trust work well together and have commenced the journey of school improvement with determination. However, the impact of many of their actions is not yet evident consistently across the school and the legacy of underachievement has not been resolved. There is still too much variability in the quality of teaching, poor GCSE examination results in the last two years, low standards for some current pupils, gaps in the curriculum and lack of accountability for additional funding.
• Leaders have improved the school environment so that it reflects their high aspirations for the school and its pupils. The celebratory environment helps leaders to engage pupils and increase their sense of belonging. Leaders have successfully strengthened the structures to support pupils’ good behaviour, and they recognise where additional support is needed for a minority of pupils whose behaviour around the school is too boisterous.
• Staff are supported well by leaders, especially by the wide range of training and professional development that leaders provide. Newly qualified teachers are supported well as they begin their careers. However, due to difficulties with recruitment, leaders have not secured consistently strong teaching across the school. Consequently, too many pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.
• Pupils’ progress and attainment are routinely tracked by leaders at all levels, including by the school improvement partners from the trust. Leaders use this information well to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and to provide support for teachers to address these issues. This is particularly successful in Year 11 English and mathematics examination preparation.
• Leaders have designed a new key stage 3 curriculum that aims to provide pupils with a broad and balanced programme of study and to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. However, leaders have not monitored the implementation of this closely enough and did not identify quickly enough the gaps that remain in some areas. Key stage 4 pupils have access to a wide range of subjects at GCSE. However, leaders have not ensured that all pupils continue to study religious education.
• Pupils enjoy the vast array of extra-curricular activities and ‘proud traditions’ that leaders have established. Leaders monitor participation closely to check that all pupils take part and to ensure that all activities are fully inclusive. Pupils and staff particularly appreciate the trust-wide festivals and symposiums that promote and celebrate sports, the arts and science very successfully. These opportunities support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils’ personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education supports pupils well in understanding how to identify and keep themselves safe from risk. This work is effective.
• Leaders have not routinely evaluated the difference that the pupil premium funding has made to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the past, these pupils have not made the progress of which they were capable. Leaders’ work to improve the attendance of this group has been successful. There is new leadership of this area, but it is at an early stage of development.
• There is also new leadership of inclusion across the school, including the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This funding is used effectively. The support for pupils in the nurture room and in the resource base is strong and helps this group to make strong progress from their starting points. Leaders have also improved pupils’ attendance across the school.
• Pupils are supported well through a strong programme of careers education, information, advice and guidance. Leaders ensure that all pupils are supported to move on to post-16 education and/or training.
• Parents and carers are mixed in their views of the school’s effectiveness. Some praised the changes introduced by leaders, but others raised concerns about poor communication, the quality of teaching and pupils’ behaviour. Only half said that they would recommend the school to other parents.

Governance of the school

• The trust has delegated the responsibility for school improvement to the school improvement board (SIB) which is made up of trust officers and chaired by a senior trust officer. The head of school also attends their meetings. The SIB is designed to be a temporary measure to speed school improvement and will be replaced by a local governing body or board at a time decided by the trust.
• The SIB is very active. Its members work very closely with the head of school and other school leaders, aiming to secure their shared ambitious vision for Stantonbury Campus. Members of the trust and the SIB articulate their strong moral purpose clearly. They have carefully identified the priorities for school improvement and make sure that all leaders’ actions and energies feed into actions to address these priorities. The chair holds the head of school to account well.
• While the SIB is successful in monitoring and challenging leaders’ actions regarding the agreed improvement actions, its members have not fulfilled some of their statutory duties. For example, they have not held leaders to account for the use of additional funding. They have not ensured that the evaluations of the use of the pupil premium and catch-up funding are thorough and used to help inform plans for future spending. The trust has not checked that this delegated statutory responsibility is fulfilled.
• The SIB and trust chief executive officer have brokered effective support for school leaders and teachers from trust officers and other schools in the trust. School improvement officers from the trust have helped to improve pupils’ outcomes, especially for current Year 11 pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and trust officers work together well to ensure that the school’s work to safeguard pupils is comprehensive and effective. Leaders prioritise this aspect of their work and have successfully created a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school. All adults involved with the school undergo relevant training and frequent updates so that they understand signs to be alert to and actions to take if they are worried about the safety or welfare of a child.
• Records are kept well, and leaders ensure that recruitment processes are followed carefully. Leaders and trust officers regularly check the records and the school’s work in this area.
• Leaders with a responsibility for safeguarding have a very good understanding of specific school and local priorities and challenges. For example, leaders have addressed the challenges of the school’s large site very well and put in well-considered safeguarding measures. Leaders also work well with external agencies to help make sure that pupils receive timely support if needed. Pupils and their families are supported well, especially by staff at the school’s ‘well-being centre’.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is too variable. Leaders have high expectations of staff and have provided high-quality support for them. However, this support has not yet secured effective practice across the school.
• Different teachers’ expectations of pupils’ work vary in and between subjects. Pupils’ workbooks show that many teachers demand high standards, but some accept poor-quality work that is sometimes unfinished.
• Where teaching is most effective, teachers plan carefully and match learning activities to pupils’ prior learning to secure pupils’ knowledge and understanding and address their misconceptions. This helps to address the legacy of poor teaching earlier in pupils’ school careers. However, effective planning is not consistent across the school. This leads to pupils making inconsistent progress overall.
• Teachers understand the need to increase the level of challenge for the most able pupils. Many teachers plan learning activities to support most-able pupils to deepen their learning. This is helping these pupils’ progress to improve.
• Most staff share leaders’ high expectations of what pupils can achieve. This creates a sense of purpose that pupils respond to well. However, difficulties in staff recruitment mean that some pupils have had a series of temporary teachers, especially in key stages 3 and 4, and this sense of purpose has stalled. Leaders, pupils and parents are frustrated by this as it hinders pupils’ progress.
• Some parents raised concerns about pupils’ behaviour. Inspectors found that many teachers apply the school’s behaviour and reward procedures consistently and make good use of the training they have received. Most teachers have built strong relationships with their classes and have high expectations of behaviour. As a result, the majority of classes are well ordered and teaching proceeds without interruption.
• Teachers are very positive about the training they receive. This has helped to secure improvements in teaching, learning and assessment across the school. Newly qualified teachers are supported well as they begin their careers.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are cooperative and proud of the way that they work together. They listen well to each other’s ideas and are confident to share their thoughts about topics. They were polite and courteous to inspectors and take pride in their appearance. Many pupils told inspectors that they liked their new uniform. They appreciate the extensive range of clubs and extra-curricular activities on offer.
• Pupils welcome the changes to site security introduced by leaders and feel safe at school. Many told inspectors that there is always someone who will listen to them and take them seriously if they have any worries. The pupil welfare centre has supported many pupils successfully.
• A minority of parents and pupils raised concerns about bullying at the school. Inspectors observed a range of anti-bullying tutorials that the majority of pupils take seriously. School information indicates that leaders take incidents of bullying seriously, but the sustained impact of their work is not yet clear.
• Pupils are confident that they know how to recognise risk and how to keep themselves safe, including from risks such as extremism and radicalisation, and when online.
• Pupils benefit from strong careers education, information, advice and guidance, alongside the ‘proud traditions’ and ‘wide horizons’ programmes that support their personal development well.
• Pupils attending alternative provision are supported well and make good progress with their personal development, behaviour and welfare.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• By all accounts, the behaviour of pupils has improved since the school joined the trust. Pupils and staff like the clear and simple systems that support leaders’ high expectations. The training and ‘micro-scripts’ that leaders have provided for staff have helped to establish these high expectations. However, a minority of pupils still behave poorly during lessons or at lunchtimes. Therefore, the behaviour of pupils still requires improvement to ensure that it is consistently good.
• The rate of pupils’ attendance at school has risen rapidly and is now in line with the national average. This success is due to leaders’ determined work and the thoughtful range of strategies that they have implemented. This work has been especially successful for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, whose attendance has improved dramatically.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Current pupils are making better progress than previously but still have gaps in their learning due to the legacy of weak teaching and low aspiration. This also affected previous pupils, as seen in the poor GCSE examination results, both in 2017, and as indicated in the provisional GCSE results for 2018.
• Year 11 pupils’ progress in GCSE English and mathematics is improving due to focused support by leaders and improved teaching. Pupils’ recent mock-examination papers indicate that identified weaknesses in their learning and attainment in these subjects are being addressed successfully. School information suggests that they will attain more highly in GCSE examinations than pupils previously.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ progress was poor in 2017 and 2018 GCSE examinations. They are now making stronger progress overall. This is partly due to leaders’ successful work to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attendance. Current disadvantaged pupils now attend school more regularly and so have fewer gaps in their learning than previously.
• School information indicates that a larger proportion of pupils in Years 7 and 8 are attaining the standards expected by school leaders than pupils in older year groups. However, there is still inconsistency in pupils’ attainment and progress across different subjects.
• School information indicates that pupils with SEND make slow progress. This is when their attainment is considered against the school’s measures of ‘age-related expectations’. However, case studies indicate that they make stronger progress from their specific starting points. This is especially true for the pupils in the specialist resource base and those in the nurture groups, and is due to the personalised provision and specialist support that they receive.
• Throughout the school, the most able pupils are responding well to the increased level of challenge that many teachers present. These pupils are making stronger progress across a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics.
• Historically, due to their poor examination results pupils have not been well prepared for their next stage of education, training or employment. However, in 2018, a greater proportion of pupils than nationally moved successfully to appropriate destinations.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• Students in the sixth form benefit from specialist teaching which is consistently strong. Teachers plan carefully to match students’ learning needs. Teachers’ subject expertise is supported by their passion for their subjects, which students find highly engaging and motivating.
• Students make good progress, both in academic and vocational courses, that is in line with or better than national averages. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds make rapid progress which is stronger than that of other pupils nationally.
• The leadership of the sixth form is good. Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development. Leaders have implemented well-considered plans to address the latter. They have addressed previous weaknesses in the design of the 16 to 19 study programmes, including strengthening work-related learning and developing employability skills for all students.
• Only level 3 study programmes are offered, and the majority of students aim to gain places on university courses. The vast majority are successful with this ambition and are supported well to achieve it. However, the few who have to retake GCSE English and/or mathematics are not as successful. Too few attain the GCSE pass in the subjects that they need to secure their university place.
• Retention rates are strong. Almost all students who start a study programme in Year 12 complete it successfully. Students benefit from high-quality careers education, information, advice and guidance.
• Students also benefit from a wide enrichment programme and join in well with the vast array of extra-curricular activities offered in the school as a whole. Students appreciate these, along with the pastoral support provided by staff across the school.
• Students are eloquent and responsible, and demonstrate respect for others. They conduct themselves well and are strong role models for younger pupils. Many students volunteer as mentors for younger pupils and find this rewarding.
• The pastoral care is good, although students feel that tutorials can be variable, depending on the tutor. The planned programme of tutorials is strong, supports students well at an age-appropriate level, and promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Students have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe from risk. Leaders ensure that the effective safeguarding arrangements in the school as a whole are also a high priority in the sixth form.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 143134 Milton Keynes 10053558 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary Comprehensive School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 11 to 19 Gender of pupils Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Number of pupils on the school roll Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes Mixed Mixed 1645 200 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Head of school Telephone number Website Email address Ange Tyler Michelle Newman 01908 324 400 www.stantonbury.org.uk enquiries@stantonbury.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Stantonbury Campus is a larger-than-average 11 to 19 school in Milton Keynes. It opened on 1 September 2016 when it joined The Griffin Schools Trust (GST). When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement.
• GST is a multi-academy trust. Trust officers provide support for the head of school and leadership team. Several improvement partners are employed directly by the trust and work across their range of schools, including Stantonbury.
• Responsibility for the school lies with the SIB. This is made up of trust officers. It is their responsibility to secure school improvement, oversee the work of school leaders and hold them to account.
• There was an interim headteacher from September 2016 until the head of school joined in April 2017.
• There is a resource base provision for up to 15 pupils who have education, health and care plans. Pupils are placed by the local authority and spend time in the specialist base and in the mainstream school.
• The school uses the following alternative providers: Bridge Academy, Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited, Milton Keynes College, Stephenson Academy.
• The majority of pupils are White British.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported through pupil premium funding is greater than the national average. A small number of pupils are looked after by the local authority.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is greater than the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 77 lessons and tutorial sessions across the school. Many of these observations were conducted jointly with school leaders.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils during lesson visits and looked at their work with them. Pupils’ work was also looked at in formal book scrutiny activities. Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils formally and informally around the school at breaktimes and lunchtimes to gather pupils’ opinions and ideas about the school.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, other staff and trust officers, including the chief executive officer and the chair of the SIB. Inspectors took account of the 81 responses to the online staff survey.
• Inspectors took account of 96 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 70 written responses. They also considered the views of a parent who telephoned Ofsted.
• A wide range of documentation was considered, including information available on the school’s website, and school records relating to pupils’ attainment, progress, attendance and behaviour. Information on governance, including minutes of SIB meetings and evaluations of the use of additional funding, was scrutinised. The school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans were examined, along with records of the school’s work to keep pupils safe.

Inspection team

Lucy English, lead inspector Patrick Taylor Mark Bagust Gerard Strong Kathryn Hobbs

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector