Stanley High School

Inspection of Stanley High School Fleetwood Road, Southport, Merseyside PR9 9TF

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good

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The headteacher of this school is Nicki Gregg. This school is part of Southport Learning 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), Ian Raikes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stuart Bellerby. 23 and 24 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel a growing sense of belonging to this school. For instance, they spoke excitedly about participating in a range of whole school recognition and celebration events. Pupils said it brought the school community together in a joyful way. They benefit from effective support. Pupils know that staff care for them. Pupils resoundingly told inspectors that they feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils’ behaviour around school is calm. Most follow the school’s routines and conduct themselves appropriately. However, some pupils’ attitudes to learning are not as positive as they should be. They do not engage well with learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s expectations of what pupils can achieve academically are increasing. However, inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum hamper pupils’ attainment. Pupils do not achieve highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a raft of clubs on offer. Pupils are particularly keen to participate in sporting ones. Some pupils also enjoy puzzle club, drama and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. There are opportunities for pupils to take up roles of responsibility, such as that of school councillor. This helps them to develop confidence. However, pupils are not as well prepared as they could be for their future because the careers curriculum is not finalised.

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

The school has faced a prolonged period of challenge and tragedy, which has shaken the whole community. Staff absence and pupil absence have been high. Parents and carers were mistrusting of the school. All of this has adversely affected pupils’ achievement. Published outcomes in 2024 were significantly below the national average. In the past, those responsible for governance were unaware of the extent of the school’s declining performance. However, since the recent change in leadership and more constant involvement from the trust, the tide is beginning to change. That said, the school does not have sufficient oversight of its work in some areas. This hinders how well the school understands what needs to be done to accelerate improvement.

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

The school has designed a broad, ambitious and well-ordered curriculum. In most subjects, the school has identified the knowledge that pupils should learn. Where this is the case, teachers are clear about what they need to teach. This helps them to check whether pupils have learned the intended curriculum. However, checks on pupils’ learning in other subjects are not effective. Teaching does not identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge effectively. Consequently, some pupils do not develop their understanding successfully.

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

There is inconsistency in how well the curriculum is delivered. The school’s work on improving teachers’ understanding of subject-specific teaching strategies is in its infancy. At times, the activities that pupils complete do not match the ambition of the curriculum. Teaching does not consider the best ways to help pupils to apply and remember their learning. 23 and 24 April 2025

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The school identifies pupils’ additional needs swiftly. However, sometimes learning is not adapted well enough for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not achieve well.

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The school has started to strengthen its work around reading. Pupils who need help with reading are given support. Although it is too early to see a widespread positive impact of this work, there are some signs that it is helping a small number of pupils to read more fluently.

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Classroom routines are beginning to embed. In the main, pupils behave well. However, at times, some staff do not apply the behaviour policy consistently and infringements of the school’s rules go unchallenged. Consequently, some pupils’ behaviour falls short of the school’s high expectations. Typically, they are not resilient and independent in their attitudes to learning. Staff are positive about the new systems for managing behaviour and how these have reduced their workload.

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The school’s personal development offer is new. The personal, social and health education curriculum is well designed. However, pupils are not given enough opportunities to find out about various careers and the different pathways that are available to them when they leave school. This means that they are not as fully prepared for their next steps as they might be.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is delivered. At times, learning activities do not help pupils to apply their knowledge and to develop a deep understanding of the subject. The school should ensure that teachers have the necessary subject pedagogical knowledge to implement the intended curriculum.  In many subjects, processes for checking pupils’ understanding are not effective. This means that some teachers do not identify the gaps in learning that some pupils have. This prevents pupils from achieving as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff systematically check pupils’ understanding and use this information to inform future learning.  The school has not ensured that staff are fully supported to adapt teaching for pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not have their needs met and do not achieve highly. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge to be able to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

adapt their delivery of the curriculum effectively.  Some staff do not have sufficiently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Consequently, some pupils do not actively engage in their learning and do not take 23 and 24 April 2025

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pride in their achievements. The school should ensure that staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and use the school’s behaviour policy effectively to uphold those expectations.  Careers provision in the school is underdeveloped. As a result, pupils are not well enough prepared for their future steps in education, employment or training. The school should ensure that it strengthens its careers provision so that pupils receive the information that they need to make well-informed decisions about their next steps.  The school does not have sufficiently robust oversight of its work. This hinders how well it prioritises areas for development and evaluates the impact of the actions that it has taken. The school should develop systems that enable it to have a more strategic view of all aspects of its provision so that improvements can be made at pace.

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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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in September 2024.  The school is part of the Southport Learning Trust.  The school makes use of three registered and four unregistered providers of alternative provision for a small number of pupils.  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.

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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 23 and 24 April 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and other members of staff. They also met with the CEO and trust staff.  Inspectors spoke with representatives of the local governing body and of the trust board, including the chairs.  An inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during social times and around the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, science, mathematics, history, drama and physical education. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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 Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, development plan, attendance and behaviour records.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views 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.  The inspectors considered the responses of parents to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jenny Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sue Farrimond Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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