Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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David Lee Headteacher Sunbury Manor School Nursery Road Sunbury-on-Thames Surrey TW16 6LF

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Sunbury Manor School

This letter sets out the findings from the monitoring inspection that took place on 16 and 17 September 2025, on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills. The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and was the second monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require special measures following the graded (section 5) inspection that took place on 30 April and 1 May 2024.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Sunbury Manor School

The purpose of a monitoring inspection is not to grade the school’s key and (where applicable) provision judgements, but to identify and report on the school’s progress. It is to highlight to the school and parents any improvements that school leaders have made since the school’s previous graded inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Sunbury Manor School

During the inspection, Marian Feeley, His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), Paul Grundy, His Majesty’s Inspector (HMI) and I discussed with you and other senior leaders, other staff and the chair of trustees the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection. We discussed the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also visited lessons, observed the start of the school day, visited tutor time, observed break and lunchtimes and reviewed parents and carers responses, including comments to Ofsted Parent View. We also met members of staff and spoke to groups of pupils. We reviewed the responses to the staff survey, reviewed the school’s single central record, scrutinised documents relating to safeguarding, and reviewed various documents, including the school’s action plan. I have considered all this in coming to my judgement.

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Leaders have made progress to improve the school, but more work is

necessary for the school to no longer be judged as requiring special measures.

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The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be

considered again during any monitoring inspection we carry out.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

The time since my previous visit has been one of consolidating and building upon the many changes that have taken place, following the first monitoring inspection. You and your senior team have continued to take the right actions, in the right order at the right pace to address the weaknesses identified. The leadership changes noted in the previous monitoring inspection in March 2025 have brought greater stability to the school. Since then, you have further strengthened the school’s leadership capacity. The school has appointed a leader of enrichment, a director of key stage 3 and non-teaching heads of year for key stage 3.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Work is underway to secure the much-needed improvements in the quality of education. You recognise that this will take time. Importantly, you and your team have identified precisely the gaps that staff have in their pedagogical knowledge. The school is providing ongoing professional development to help staff understand how to implement the curriculum in the most effective way. However, leaders know there is much still to do before they can be confident that the curriculum is delivered to a consistent standard and pupils’ outcomes improve.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

You and your senior team have given considerable attention to how staff teach the agreed curriculum. However, there is inconsistency in how well teachers use the school’s agreed approach to structure their lessons. Consequently, the quality of teaching remains variable. In the most effective lessons, staff use their strong subject knowledge to model learning effectively. They explain new vocabulary and concepts in a clear way and check pupils’ understanding. Conversely, some staff do not have the expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively. They lack the expertise and subject knowledge to set ambitious tasks and do not check how well pupils are learning. This means that staff do not identify and address pupils’ misconceptions effectively. Where this inconsistency in the quality of teaching remains, some pupils are not as committed to their learning and show variable attitudes to their work. The school knows that there is still further work to do to support

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

pupils to develop more positive attitudes towards their learning.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Further to the last monitoring inspection, the school has continued with its valuable work to improve the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers now have clear information about the needs of most pupils. Rightly, however, you have identified that these strategies require further refinement to make clear the adaptations that need to be made to give these pupils the help that they need. This work is underway. In addition, there is more to do to sharpen staff’s understanding of SEND. This includes developing their understanding of the school’s adaptive teaching strategies and knowledge of pupils’ particular SEND needs. As a result, pupils with SEND are still not yet supported well enough. This continues to be a key priority for school improvement.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Since my last visit, staff have become more consistent in applying the school’s behaviour policy, including modelling positive interactions with pupils and each other. Despite this, pupils still report that some staff do not apply the school’s behaviour expectations effectively enough. Nevertheless, they recognise that behaviour is improving. Pupils told inspectors that previously, ‘There were no consequences and that pupils did what they wanted.’ However, this is not the case now.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Rates of suspension remain high, with no significant reduction over time. The pastoral team has introduced a range of additional support strategies to help pupils who find it difficult to meet the school’s expectations. For example, through the use of individual behaviour support and a new tailored intervention programme. Leaders recognise that these approaches must embed further to reduce suspensions rapidly.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

You and your team have taken significant steps to improve punctuality to lessons and reduce internal truancy. Adjustments to the structure of the school day are proving successful. Lesson transitions are calm and swift as pupils now recognise the importance of being on time. As a result, lessons start smoothly. Pupils and staff who spoke with inspectors recognise these improvements and view them positively.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Although there has been a slight improvement in the overall rates of attendance, it continues to be stubbornly low. In particular, the rates of persistent and severe absence remain too high. Nonetheless, improving attendance remains a top priority for the school. Attendance and pastoral teams work together closely to plan interventions around attendance for specific pupils. Form tutors now play a key role in addressing attendance concerns, including speaking with pupils and contacting families when patterns of absence begin to emerge. Additionally, more focused efforts are underway to ensure that parents and carers understand the impact of absence on their child’s education.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Building from the last monitoring inspection, leaders continue to review and develop clear systems of accountability. There is a shared commitment to ensure that school improvement strategies are sustainable over time. Trustees continue to ensure that leaders’ decisions and actions work in the best interests of pupils. They continue to maintain an accurate view of the school’s improvements. You and your team have a precise understanding of which areas have improved the most effectively and which still require further development. However, considerable work is still needed for the school to move out of a category of concern. Staff understand what is expected of them. They value your systematic approach to school improvement, particularly your consideration of their workload. They also speak positively about the relevant and timely professional development they receive around teaching and learning.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

Safeguarding continues to be effective. There is a well-established culture of safeguarding that pupils and staff speak about positively. The safeguarding team maintains detailed oversight of pupils’ whereabouts when they are not in school, which remains a key strength. Staff, including those new to the school, speak confidently about the safeguarding training they receive, including how to recognise potential safeguarding concerns.

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The progress made towards the removal of special measures

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Surrey. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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