Stratford Girls' Grammar School

Inspection of Stratford Girls’ Grammar School Shottery Manor, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire CV37 9HA

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding

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Outstanding

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Outstanding

Ofsted has not previously inspected Stratford Girls’ Grammar School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Stratford-upon-Avon Grammar School for Girls A Specialist College for Language and Science to be outstanding, before it opened as Stratford Girls’ Grammar School as a result of conversion to academy status. 27 and 28 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Shaping Futures’ runs through the heart of Stratford Girls’ Grammar School. This shared ethos is seen in everything pupils and staff do. Pupils achieve exceptionally well through their learning. Leaders’ high expectations are realised by the focus on key knowledge in lessons. Pupils respond to these high expectations with enthusiasm, and they excel. Pupils appreciate their teachers and know that they want them to be successful in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils say, ‘there is an invisible thing that helps everyone to behave’. Leaders and pupils work together to support each other, and pupils share concerns if they occur. Pupils are confident that staff would deal with any bullying if it happened.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are warm and nurturing. They pay careful attention to promoting pupils’ well- being, education and personal development. This helps pupils to leave school as confident and independent young women. Pupils describe the school as a community where everyone is treated the same.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders offer pupils an extensive range of high-quality enrichment opportunities. Debating, reading and chess clubs enhance pupils’ wider experiences. These clubs sit alongside other cultural activities, such as eco team, LGBTQ+, and model United Nations. These opportunities further promote the school’s pledge to develop fully rounded young people.

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better?

There is exceptional leadership of the school. Leaders have designed a highly ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum encourages and enables pupils to achieve their academic potential and to develop their emotional well-being and cultural knowledge.

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better?

Pupils, including those in the sixth form, appreciate the range of subjects they can choose from. A high proportion of pupils in key stage 4 study the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects. Staff have high expectations of all pupils and, in turn, pupils show an enthusiasm for learning. Staff know their subjects extremely well. They use their highly developed skills to teach subjects exceptionally well and enable pupils to gain new knowledge.

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better?

Teachers ensure that pupils learn and remember key knowledge so their learning builds over time. Pupils apply their prior knowledge well to what they are currently studying. This results in pupils making exceptional progress through the curriculum. For example, in mathematics, students linked ‘geometric sequencing’ in an A-Level class to earlier work from key stage 3. Pupils are excited about their learning and benefit from the aspirational environment designed by their teachers. For example, in science, sixth-form students enhance their work by debating alternative outcomes 27 and 28 September 2022

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with their teacher. This helps students to have a deeper understanding of their learning.

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Leaders promote reading exceptionally well. Reading is promoted through enrichment activities, including year group book clubs and the Carnegie Medal Book Award. As a result, pupils read a broad range of fiction and non-fiction texts fluently and intelligently. During the pandemic, such was the pupils’ desire to read that the school library became ‘mobile’. Books were delivered to each ‘bubble’ on site.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary across the school. Pupils from different year groups get along well with each other. Pupils talk with older students travelling to school and during social times. Pupils and staff say that the way class forms are organised has been highly successful in growing the school community. Sixth-form students are part of these tutor groups and are positive role models to the younger pupils. Relationships between pupils and staff are highly respectful. All of this means that pupils enjoy coming to school.

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Personal development is a strength of the curriculum. All pupils, including those in the sixth form, are extremely well prepared for life beyond school. They receive appropriate, comprehensive and timely advice. Pupils discuss how subjects might impact on their future lives. For example, in mathematics, subject knowledge is extended to consider how calculations are used in adulthood such as banking, mortgages and bills. In turn, the broad personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) programme allows pupils to learn about personal safety, healthy relationships and independence. Pupils attend a biannual careers fair. This enables pupils to ask precise questions of the invited speakers. Pupils say they welcome the opportunity to discuss their career pathways and future ambitions.

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Governors know the school exceptionally well. Leaders are supported and challenged in meetings and in visits to the school. Each subject leader has a link governor who reviews and questions the curriculum. Governors hold leaders to account for safeguarding and the quality of provision for special educational needs. There is a shared passion across governors, leaders and the wider staff to develop the school further. The overriding belief is that pupils will be the ‘leaders of tomorrow’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise the safety and well-being of pupils. An ‘it could happen here’ attitude is evident across the school. All staff are trained to identify pupils who may need help and protection from the risk of harm. Where staff have concerns, there are clear processes in place to record and inform leaders. Leaders take swift action if needed. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on the suitability of all staff to work with pupils. 27 and 28 September 2022

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Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe. This includes teaching them about online safety, relationships and stranger danger.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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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. 27 and 28 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10242479 Type of school Grammar (selective)

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause. This means that pupils in Years 8 to 13 receive information about the full range of education and training options open to them. This includes opportunities for a range of education and training providers to speak to pupils about technical and education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 27 and 28 September 2022

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors focused on the following subjects: English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages and drama. Inspectors examined leaders’ curriculum planning, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about the way these subjects are taught. They also looked at other subjects to check how they are planned and taught.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. The school website was also checked.  Inspectors talked to staff and leaders about safeguarding arrangements. They examined how leaders make employment checks on staff and scrutinised further

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safeguarding records. They also asked how incidents reported by pupils are recorded and analysed.  Inspectors observed informal times of the day to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors held meetings with governors, the headteacher, senior leaders, lead professionals, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally to pupils and staff to gather information about school life.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text comments. Inspectors also considered Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Stuart Clarkson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Walters Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 September 2022

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