St John's Marlborough

Inspection of St John's Marlborough Granham Hill, Marlborough, Wiltshire SN8 4AX

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The principal of this school is Alan Henderson. This school is part of the Excalibur trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Nick Lewis, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Toby Watson.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since May 2014. 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

St John’s Marlborough is built on the ethos of ‘Kind, Supported, Happy’. The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve highly. The qualifications pupils and students in the sixth form achieve prepare them well for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has clear expectations for pupil behaviour. The new behaviour policy has been appreciated by staff and pupils because increasingly, it enables lessons to take place without disruption. The school does not tolerate bullying. It is proactive in providing avenues for pupils to raise concerns with adults. This means that pupils and staff have positive and mutually respectful relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities to develop their talents and interests. Pupils are enthusiastic about performing in school productions and concerts. They are proud to represent their school in sporting competitions. Experiences such as visits to literary festivals and workshops about artificial intelligence bring the curriculum to life for pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has recently launched a new house system and a student forum. These are giving pupils the opportunity to take on further leadership roles. Pupils are excited about the chance to help to shape the future of the school.

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

The curriculum is broad and deliberately designed to be inclusive for all pupils. The school actively promotes the value of studying a wide range of subjects at each stage of education. Consequently, the proportion of pupils who study the suite of qualifications known as the English Baccalaureate in key stage 4 is very high.

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

Subject curriculums set out what pupils will learn in each year to build their understanding. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They are passionate about sharing their subject with pupils, particularly at post-16. Pupils relish being challenged in their learning. For example, when writing their own writing computer programs or devising scientific experiments.

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

Teachers frequently check what pupils know and can do. However, sometimes this information is not then used to adapt the curriculum to help fill gaps or resolve misconceptions. This can hinder pupils when learning the subsequent topics. Equally, when teachers do not identify that pupils’ learning is already secure, they do not move them onto more challenging concepts quickly enough.

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

The school is raising the importance of reading. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 read regularly. Pupils who need to improve their reading skills are helped by well-trained adults. Sixth- form students read with younger pupils to help develop their confidence and fluency. Book clubs and events draw pupils to the library and encourage them to explore texts for pleasure. 11 and 12 February 2025

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The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers are provided with the information that they need about pupils to adapt the curriculum effectively. When these adaptations are provided pupils with SEND learn as well as their peers.

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Attendance is a priority for the school and trust. The school makes its expectations for attendance clear to pupils and families. New systems for tracking absence mean that timely support is put in place. This has resulted in improvements in attendance and a reduction in persistent absence.

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Pupils are prepared for adult life through ‘well-being’ lessons and wider enrichment activities. For example, driver safety workshops in the sixth form. Pupils learn about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way. They know how to look after their physical and mental health, as well as how to keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils understand the fundamental British values and their role in respecting others. They particularly enjoy the opportunity for philosophical debate about religions and moral issues. This reinforces the inclusive culture of the school.

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Pupils in all year groups learn about the world of work, including apprenticeships. Careers fairs, work shadowing and mock interviews help to raise pupils’ aspirations. Sixth-form students value the individual support they receive when applying for higher education. This means that pupils move successfully on to destinations that align with their ambitious future goals.

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Leaders work with staff to make changes while being considerate of staff’s workload and well-being. Staff value the professional development opportunities and support provided by the trust. They are proud to work at the school.

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The school, with the support of the trust, has made many recent changes to further enhance the provision for pupils at the school. Many of the changes are already beginning to lead to improvements, such as those relating to pupils’ attendance. However, until these plans are fully embedded and reviewed, leaders and those responsible for governance will not be assured of their full positive impact on young people.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment within the classroom sometimes does not help adults accurately identify pupils’ starting points or gaps in their knowledge and understanding. This means that some pupils do not receive the support or challenge they need to learn as well as they 11 and 12 February 2025

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should. The school and trust should make sure that assessment routines check for un- derstanding and that the curriculum is adapted accordingly in response.  The changes the school has implemented to improve the quality of provision are recent. They need further embedding to have the full positive impact on pupils that the school. The school and trust should ensure that the ongoing plans are implemented and reviewed to provide leaders and those responsible for governance with assurances that they are having the desired positive impact.

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How can I feed back my views?

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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 February 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1726

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form

Date of previous inspection 8 and 9 May 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Excalibur trust.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school uses eight registered and two unregistered alternative provisions.  There has been a change of leadership since the last inspection. The principal took up the post in September 2023. 11 and 12 February 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with school leaders at all levels. Inspectors also spoke with teaching staff, support staff, trust executive leaders, a representative from the governing body and a representative of the trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, science, geography, philosophy and religion and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussion about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The sixth-form provision was considered through the deep dives as well as through

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Information about this inspection

additional visits during the inspection.  Inspectors viewed a range of school documentation, including the minutes of governance meetings, the school’s self-evaluation documents and improvement plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the view of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, as well as responses to the staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Sara Berry, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Collins Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 2025

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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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