Stantonbury International

Inspection of Stantonbury International Purbeck, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK14 6BN

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 28–29 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils do not feel safe attending this school. They feel intimidated by others’ conduct. Pupils are right to be concerned. Leaders have not been effective in managing pupils’ behaviour. It is increasingly rowdy and sometimes dangerous. Too many pupils show a lack of respect for each other or their teachers. Pupils are not confident that leaders and staff will be able to help them if they are worried about bullying or friendship issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not achieve well. This is because the curriculum has not been planned or taught well enough. Things have got worse this year. There are high levels of staff absence and several staffing vacancies. Lessons are often taught by non-specialist or temporary staff. Pupils’ learning is hampered because the work they are asked to do is often disjointed, does not match curriculum plans and does not build well on what they’ve done before. Things are much better in the sixth form. Students behave well, the curriculum is strong and leaders have made sure that staffing issues have had less impact on students’ learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are confident and articulate. They enjoy participating in a range of clubs, especially performing arts and sporting clubs. Several told us they are worried about their future because of the decline in pupils’ behaviour, safety and the quality of the curriculum.

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better?

The trust has overseen the decline of the school since the last inspection. It has not done enough to check that senior leaders’ management of the school is effective. The trust has very recently implemented a new leadership structure in the school. These leaders are starting to put new systems into place. However, serious problems remain. The school is understaffed and many of the staff in school feel unsupported by leaders. Pupils’ behaviour and the quality of their learning have declined.

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better?

Systems to help staff manage pupils’ behaviour do not work properly. Exclusion rates are high. Lessons are frequently disrupted. Inspectors observed chaotic behaviour in several lessons. As pupils move around the school, their behaviour is often disorderly. Sometimes disruption escalates into dangerous behaviour, including pushing each other into walls. This scares pupils, especially in the younger year groups. A number of parents expressed concern about pupils’ behaviour in the school.

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better?

There is a large disconnect between leaders’ good intentions to improve the curriculum and how it is delivered. Some subjects do not have secure curriculum plans which support the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding over time. Others are stronger. In several subjects, curriculum plans are not being implemented effectively enough. Too often, therefore, pupils have gaps in their 28–29 January 2020

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learning. They experience poorly thought through lessons which do not build on what they have done before. The quality of education in science is especially poor.

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The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not being met well enough. Because of this, their achievement suffers. New leaders are starting to make some changes to the support pupils with SEND receive, but it is too early to see any differences this is making. The achievement of disadvantaged pupils is much lower than it should be.

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Leaders have not been effective in addressing weaknesses in teaching. Some staff feel intimidated by the way leaders are holding them to account for the quality of their work. A new programme of professional development has not yet made enough difference to teachers’ regular practice. A large proportion of staff reported having an excessive workload. Much of this is related to having to prepare and deliver additional lessons to cover for staff absence. Additionally, many subjects have new or temporary leaders who are overwhelmed with the scale of the task in front of them to improve the curriculum, support colleagues to improve their teaching and manage pupils’ behaviour.

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Leaders have improved pupils’ overall attendance rates. However, they have not done enough to tackle pupils’ persistent absence and high levels of truancy. Pupils frequently wander around the school during lesson time, unchallenged by staff.

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Leaders are more effective in supporting pupils’ personal development. During personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, they are encouraged to consider moral issues and what it is like to grow up in modern Britain. Pupils are proud of the many sporting and performing arts clubs that they can attend. The Wellbeing Centre is valued by pupils for supporting their mental health positively. However, the school’s work to enhance pupils’ wider development is not focusing sharply enough on ensuring pupils are responsible and respectful citizens in the school and wider community.

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Provision in the sixth form is good. Students experience a much more stable curriculum and self-regulate their behaviour very well. They achieve in line with other pupils nationally. Leaders in the sixth form make sure that students are well cared for. They receive appropriate careers advice and guidance which helps them to prepare well for their next stages.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils’ behaviour around the school makes other pupils feel unsafe. They often feel intimidated and scared as they move around the school and when they experience poor behaviour in lessons. At times, pupils are violent towards each other. Leaders cannot be sure of some pupils’ whereabouts because there are too many pupils out of class during the school day. 28–29 January 2020

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Procedures and practice to support specific vulnerable pupils are more secure. Staff are well trained in safeguarding and report concerns appropriately. Leaders do much that is effective to help and support vulnerable pupils. In school, a range of extra help is available for pupils, including for social and emotional issues. Leaders liaise well with local agencies, who provide extra help. However, the records leaders keep are sometimes not complete, so that it is not always clear that actions have been taken to help children or how effective they have been.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Behaviour management policy and procedures are not working. Pupils’ behaviour is often chaotic and sometimes violent. This is making pupils feel unsafe in their school. Leaders should urgently ensure that: there is a clear behaviour management policy which is known and understood by staff; behaviour management strategies are fit for purpose and used effectively; staff are supported to manage pupils’ behaviour confidently and effectively; pupils’ concerns about behaviour issues and bullying are investigated and acted on promptly; there are no areas where pupils feel unsafe as they move around the school.  Safeguarding records do not always accurately reflect what has been done to keep vulnerable pupils safe. Leaders need to ensure that records are up to date, accurate and complete so that these can contribute more securely to making sure that pupils are being looked after and looked out for effectively.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff are feeling overwhelmed by their workloads and unsupported by senior leaders. Communication and relationships between leaders and staff must improve. Senior leaders and trustees should implement secure systems for them to listen to and respond to concerns raised. Leaders and trustees must make sure that staff have the capacity, training and time needed to do their work effectively.  Trustees have overseen the decline of the school since the previous inspection. They recognised this and made recent changes to the leadership structure of the school. They need to check the impact of the school’s work more closely, ensuring that they follow up on weaknesses in practice more quickly and effectively.  Provision for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is weak. Leaders and trustees should make sure that: pupils’ needs are identified accurately; and teachers know who these pupils are and the effective strategies to use to support

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

them to meet their needs, including in learning the curriculum.  Pupils’ attendance is a concern. Persistent absence is too high, and too many pupils truant lessons. Leaders need to: establish better systems for supporting pupils and families in reducing persistent absence; ensure that pupils who arrive in school stay in school and attend their lessons on time.  Pupils underachieve because the curriculum is not delivered well. Some subjects are not planned or sequenced well enough. Some teachers lack the necessary subject-specific and pedagogic expertise. Leaders should ensure that: teachers are better trained to deliver the curriculum effectively; subject leaders are 28–29 January 2020

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supported in leading their departments, including in curriculum planning and sequencing.  It is recommended that the school does not appoint any newly qualified teachers.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 28–29 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10144057 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,626

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sixth form

Co-Headteachers Matthew Gilbert and Alison Ramsay

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 14–15 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Griffin Schools Trust, which run 13 schools across the Midlands and South East of England. The local governing body has been replaced temporarily with a school improvement board which is made up of trustees, trustee officers and headteachers.  The previous headteacher left the school in October 2019. A subsequent temporary headteacher was in post until December. The current co-headteachers took up their posts in December. Their work is supported by an executive headteacher, Ange Tyler, who took up this role in December. Ms Tyler is a founder member of the trust.  Since the last inspection, a high proportion of staff have left the school. Several department leaders are new to their roles in either a permanent or temporary capacity. The leadership team has been restructured. There are several current staff vacancies. 28–29 January 2020

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 Just over one third of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average.  Approximately one quarter of pupils speak English as an additional language. This is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is just above the national average. There is a resource base provision, called The Learning Curve, for up to 15 pupils who have education, health and care plans.  The school uses the following alternative providers: Bridge Academy, Milton Keynes Christian Foundation Limited, Milton Keynes College, Stephenson Academy.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this inspection

 We carried out the inspection following complaints made to Ofsted that raised serious concerns. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector decided that an inspection of the school should take place to follow up the whole-school issues that were raised. These related to pupils’ behaviour, safety and the quality of education provided by the school.  We met with the executive headteacher, co-headteachers and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with a trust member and spoke with the chief executive officer of the trust on the telephone.  The lead inspector met with the local police community support officer.  We observed pupils moving between lessons, at breaktime and at lunchtime. We spoke to a wide range of pupils informally in lessons and around the school. We also met formally with a group of pupils. We considered the two responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.  We met with several members of staff, including during ‘drop-in’ sessions. We

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Information about this inspection

considered the 100 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.  We took account of the 116 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. We spoke to four parents on the telephone and considered the views of parents who gave their views directly to Ofsted, via email and telephone, during the inspection.  We scrutinised a range of documents, including minutes relating to governance, school improvement planning and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour, attendance and safety. 28–29 January 2020

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 In considering the quality of education, we did deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, history and PSHE education. We discussed the arrangements for the curriculum and teaching with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. We visited lessons and talked to pupils about what they had been learning. We looked at pupils’ work in these subjects. We also looked at the work of a selection of pupils in Year 7, Year 9 and Year 12.

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Inspection team

Catherine Old, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Newberry Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vicky Linsley Ofsted Inspector 28–29 January 2020

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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