Netherthorpe School

Netherthorpe School Ralph Road, Staveley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S43 3PU

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inspection report:

At the most recent graded inspection, the following areas were identified as needing to improve:

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inspection report:

 The school has not acted swiftly enough to stem the decline in educational standards. Weaknesses identified at the previous inspection relating to pupils’ underachievement and their poor behaviour persist and, in some respects, have got worse, particularly for the most vulnerable. The school must ensure that it takes decisive action to bring about much-needed stability and swift improvements.

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inspection report:

 The delivery of the curriculum is too variable, both within and across subjects and year groups. Too little attention is paid to pupils’ starting points. Checks to determine how well pupils are learning the curriculum are often ineffective. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should across a wide range of subjects. The school must ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently and effectively in all subjects.

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inspection report:

 The school’s expectations of pupils’ behaviour are too low. Pupils’ poor conduct is often ignored. Too many pupils are allowed to opt out of lessons or to disrupt the learning of others. The school must make sure that staff have high expectations and manage pupils’ behaviour consistently well, so that the school environment is suitable for learning.

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inspection report:

 Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not get the support they need. Too many of these pupils struggle to access the curriculum. They are suspended from school too often and many of them have poor attendance. Some do not receive the guidance needed to access the wider opportunities the school has to offer. The school must ensure that the needs of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are met fully so that these pupils can thrive.

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inspection report:

 The reading information collected through various tests is not used widely by staff to adapt pupils’ learning. Some pupils cannot access the curriculum because they cannot read or comprehend the texts in front of them. Some pupils do not receive Monitoring Inspection report: Netherthorpe School, 28 April 2026 2 the expert support needed so that they can read fluently. The school must make sure that reading information is used expertly by staff to extend the support for pupils that struggle to read, to adapt learning and to ensure pupils’ equal access to the curriculum.

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inspection report:

 The school takes suitable action to keep pupils safe. However, the procedures followed to track these actions lack rigour. Records of the school’s work to safeguard pupils are sometimes incomplete. The school must ensure that it maintains comprehensive records of its work to safeguard pupils.

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inspection report:

 Some pupils do not understand the importance of equality and diversity and why they matter. As a result, some pupils are not confident that their differences are recognised or valued. The school should nurture a culture of mutual respect, where all pupils are accepted for who they are.

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continued work is needed to remove the requires significant improvement

During the monitoring inspection, inspectors focused on the following evaluation areas:

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continued work is needed to remove the requires significant improvement

 Leadership and governance  Inclusion  Curriculum and teaching  Attendance and behaviour  Personal Development and wellbeing

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Leadership and governance

Since the previous inspection, leaders have secured significant improvements. Decisive action, supported by the trust, has stabilised the school and established clearer direction and purpose. Behaviour and attendance have improved markedly, safeguarding systems have been strengthened and staff morale and confidence are increasing. A calmer, more orderly environment is now evident, creating more favourable conditions for learning than at the time of the last inspection. Leaders have also ensured that students in the post-16 provision benefit from effective pastoral care and guidance, supporting students’ wellbeing and preparing them effectively for their next steps in education, employment or training.

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Leadership and governance

Leaders’ current priorities are appropriate and well aligned to the school’s needs. These include embedding the newly planned curriculum, improving the consistency of teaching and assessment, strengthening reading across subjects and ensuring safeguarding practice remains robust and well recorded. Leaders accurately understand where practice is strongest and where it remains variable, particularly in classroom implementation, inclusion and the use of assessment to support learning. Trust support has contributed positively to leadership capacity and school improvement. Monitoring Inspection report: Netherthorpe School, 28 April 2026 3 Further improvement is still needed to secure consistently high-quality teaching, ensure that adaptations for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are reliably implemented and embed pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values. Leaders also recognise the need for sharper evaluation of

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Leadership and governance

impact and more visible challenge from governance to ensure that actions lead to sustained improvement across the school. However, leaders have an excellent understanding of the strengths and continued areas for development of the school and are well placed to continue to secure improvement.

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Safeguarding

At the previous graded inspection, safeguarding was evaluated as being effective.

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Inclusion

Leaders have taken steps to strengthen inclusion since the previous inspection. Ambition for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND is increasingly evident. Inclusion is now a stated priority within school improvement planning. Systems for identifying need have improved, with clearer processes in place for assessment, pupil passports and targeted intervention. As a result, some improvements are emerging, particularly in attendance, reading outcomes and access to pastoral support for vulnerable pupils.

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Inclusion

Leaders’ current priorities are appropriate. These include embedding a graduated response, improving staff’s understanding of pupils’ needs and aligning support more closely with curriculum delivery. Leaders are also rightly focused on reducing the disproportionate impact of suspension on disadvantaged pupils by strengthening classroom practice rather than relying on reactive systems. However, while systems are identified and expectations are communicated, these are not yet implemented consistently enough to secure effective support for all vulnerable pupils.

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Inclusion

For some disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, outcomes, engagement and behaviour remains variable.

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Attendance and behaviour

Since the previous inspection, leaders have secured notable improvements in behaviour and attendance. Clear systems, routines and expectations have been established and are understood by pupils and staff. The school environment is now calm and orderly, with purposeful movement around the site and respectful interactions between pupils and adults. Exclusions have reduced, persistent absence is falling and pupils are increasingly present, punctual and ready to learn.

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Attendance and behaviour

Leaders’ priorities in this area are appropriate and well focused. They have invested in strengthened pastoral capacity, visible staff presence and internal support to meet pupils’ behavioural needs. Leaders are also rightly focused on embedding behaviour for learning and ensuring that expectations are applied consistently across all classrooms. Pupils report Monitoring Inspection report: Netherthorpe School, 28 April 2026 4 that behaviour is now challenged more reliably and that lessons are more structured than in the past.

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Attendance and behaviour

In a small number of lessons, particularly where staffing is temporary or expectations are not upheld with sufficient rigour, learning is still at times, disrupted. Leaders recognise the need to move beyond compliance towards sustained engagement and to ensure that strengthened systems translate into consistently positive behaviour and improved attendance for all pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching

Since the previous inspection, leaders have made credible progress in stabilising and rebuilding the curriculum. Leaders have ensured that more subjects are now carefully planned across the curriculum. This provides a stronger foundation for teaching and learning.

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Curriculum and teaching

Teachers generally demonstrate secure subject knowledge, and pupils’ work increasingly reflects a curriculum that builds up their knowledge over time. Reading outcomes in key stage 3 are beginning to improve as a result of targeted intervention.

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Curriculum and teaching

Leaders’ current priorities are appropriate. These include embedding the planned curriculum more securely, strengthening assessment practice and improving consistency in classroom implementation. A whole-school lesson framework and assessment calendar are now in place. Leaders are rightly focused on developing teachers’ use of formative assessment to check pupils’ understanding and adapt teaching appropriately. However, while expectations are clear, these are not yet realised consistently in daily practice.

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Curriculum and teaching

Further improvement is needed to ensure that assessment information is used effectively across all classrooms and subjects. Variability remains in how well teachers identify misconceptions, adapt teaching and engage pupils actively in their learning. Until the implementation of the curriculum is more consistent, pupils’ progress will continue to be uneven, limiting the school’s overall improvement .

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Personal development and well-being

Since the previous inspection, leaders have strengthened the school’s approach to pupils’ personal development. Pupils now have a significantly better understanding of protected characteristics, equality and diversity. They typically demonstrate respect for differences in society. Regular and structured teaching about relationships, consent and online safety has helped pupils to feel safer and more confident in reporting concerns. Incidents of discriminatory language are addressed more consistently than in the past, which contributes positively to pupils’ overall wellbeing.

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Personal development and well-being

Personal development is delivered through a planned programme that includes curriculum lessons, assemblies and wider pastoral support. Leaders place appropriate emphasis on developing respectful attitudes, positive values and an understanding of fundamental Monitoring Inspection report: Netherthorpe School, 28 April 2026 5 British values. They recognise the importance of pupil voice in shaping and improving this work further.

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Personal development and well-being

Further improvement is needed to ensure that equality, diversity and fundamental British values are not only understood but consistently valued in everyday school life and beyond the school gate. While many pupils show positive attitudes, this understanding is not yet embedded securely for all. Leaders acknowledge the need to strengthen this work, so that inclusive values are reflected routinely in pupils’ behaviour, interactions and choices, both within school and in the wider community.

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About this inspection

The inspectors carried out this monitoring inspection under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005, and it was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require significant improvement following the graded inspection that took place in January 2025.

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About this inspection

The school’s previous inspection was carried out under the Education Inspection Framework (EIF) at that time. The renewed EIF took effect from 10 November 2025. The areas for improvement identified at the school’s graded inspection and subsequent monitoring inspection have been cross-referenced to the relevant evaluation areas in the inspection toolkit for consideration on this monitoring inspection.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this monitoring inspection was not to determine grades for any of the evaluation areas set out in the school inspection toolkit. The purpose was to identify and report on the school’s progress in addressing priorities for improvement since the school’s previous inspection.

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About this inspection

Since the last inspection, the structure of the senior leadership team has changed, and a number of new senior staff have been appointed.

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About this inspection

During this inspection, meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders, the chief executive officer of the trust, other staff, trustees and governors to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent graded inspection.

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Team inspectors

Debbie Ridley Ofsted Inspector Monitoring Inspection report: Netherthorpe School, 28 April 2026 6 Teresa Roche Ofsted Inspector

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About this school

Number of pupils on roll 1041 Monitoring Inspection report: Netherthorpe School, 28 April 2026 7 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 looked- after-children, safeguarding and child protection.

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About this school

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About this school

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About this school

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About this school

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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