Plumstead Manor School

Plumstead Manor School

Address: Old Mill Road, London, SE18 1QF Unique reference number (URN): 100183

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders work closely with parents and carers to ensure pupils attend school regularly. They have reviewed and amended the systems and processes for tracking pupils' attendance. Staff teach pupils about the importance of coming to school every day and use rewards and specific interventions to help them improve their attendance. As a result, pupils’ attendance is steadily improving and is close to national averages. Leaders have introduced tailored provision for pupils who find it more difficult to attend school so that they can continue to access learning. This includes a specific approach for Year 11 pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties, which has helped them to attend more regularly.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have focused on improving the school's culture. They have introduced clear, consistent routines that staff and pupils understand. As a result, the school environment is calm, and pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Pupils typically behave well around the school site. Pupils understand that leaders have high expectations of their behaviour. They know that leaders do not tolerate bullying and that staff deal with any incidents quickly. Staff provide effective support for pupils who need help to improve their behaviour. As a result, these pupils improve their behaviour over time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders know pupils well and understand their individual circumstances and the barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing. There are clear processes in place to identify and meet pupils' needs, and leaders check that what is in place is having the intended impact. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive appropriate support to meet their needs and reduce barriers to learning. Pupils benefit from a range of specific and additional support, different curriculum pathways and nurture provision. This includes pupils who attend 'The Bridge', which is the school's resourced provision for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. 'Inclusion spaces' at social times provide well-considered support for pupils with different needs. Staff generally provide appropriate support for pupils, helping them to learn effectively.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders are committed to their role in the local area partnership and cooperate constructively with other partners and families. Children who are known or previously known to social care are well supported. Leaders ensure alternative provision is used appropriately and in pupils’ best interests. Leaders use additional funding thoughtfully to support disadvantaged pupils and respond to their emerging needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders take decisive action to improve the school, driven by their commitment to ensuring that all pupils succeed and achieve well. Leaders' focus on improving the school culture, behaviour and attendance has been highly effective. They are now rightly focusing on improving the curriculum, teaching and pupils' achievement across the school. Leaders and governors demonstrate ambition for every pupil, including those who are disadvantaged, those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who face other barriers to their learning. Leaders know their pupils and their community well. They understand the risks in the local area and ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe outside school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and staff understand the barriers that may affect pupils’ personal or academic development. They make decisions in pupils' best interests and ensure that all pupils participate fully in, and benefit from, every aspect of school life.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors understand their roles well and meet their statutory duties, such as those relating to safeguarding. They provide leaders with effective support and challenge and share leaders' commitment to the school's continued improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff, including early career teachers, benefit from a coherent programme of professional learning. They are proud to work at the school and appreciate leaders’ approach to managing their workload and supporting their wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have put in place a well-designed programme of personal development that extends across all areas of the curriculum. This includes appropriate and well-taught relationships education, which meets all statutory requirements and ensures that all pupils and students receive their entitlement.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff teach pupils how to stay safe and healthy, including how to look after their mental health and stay safe online. The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is well planned and reflects the needs of pupils and the area they live in. It provides pupils with important knowledge of how to keep themselves safe online and in the local community. Pupils demonstrate a sound understanding of the fundamental British values and equality and an appreciation of the diversity of modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities that develop their interests and talents, including trips and extra-curricular activities. Pupils enjoy these and appreciate taking part in them. However, not all pupils take up the opportunities available. Leaders plan to improve how they track pupils' participation in enrichment activities to address this.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have put in place effective systems for the safeguarding and pastoral care of pupils. Staff provide pupils with pastoral care that supports their wellbeing. The pastoral team meticulously tracks pupils' attendance, behaviour and wellbeing. Leaders work closely with external agencies to secure additional support when pupils need it. As a result, staff take effective action to keep pupils safe and support their wellbeing. Sixth-form students also value the pastoral care and support that staff provide.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established a well-planned careers programme that supports all pupils to progress to positive destinations. They tailor the programme to pupils' needs and provide the advice, support and guidance pupils need to navigate their next steps successfully.

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Needs attention

Pupils are well informed about how to achieve their ambitions in education, employment or training.

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Post-16 provision Expected standard

Leaders provide a range of post-16 study programmes, including vocational pathways, so that all students can access appropriate courses. Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge, and students grapple with challenging content and think deeply about complex topics. Teachers effectively check students' understanding and address misconceptions. As a result, students typically achieve well. Students appreciate the support and guidance they receive from teachers. Teachers use a range of strategies to help students develop independent learning skills. Students who join the sixth form from other schools value the support from teachers and leaders that helps them settle into the school.

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Post-16 provision Expected standard

Students contribute to the wider school community and are positive role models for younger pupils. For example, students are proud to act as reading mentors to younger pupils. The timetabled enrichment block gives all students access to activities beyond their courses. Students learn about an extensive range of careers and make informed choices about their futures. Consequently, the vast majority of students progress to positive destinations.

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Post-16 provision Expected standard

Leaders have established rigorous systems to track students' attendance. As a result, students attend school regularly. Leaders ensure that all students understand the school culture and expectations. Consequently, students behave well and suspensions have decreased.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders recognise that, historically, pupils have not achieved as well as they should by the time they leave the school. Over time, pupils' outcomes in national examinations have been below national averages, particularly at key stage 4. Consequently, pupils are not as well prepared for their next steps as they should be. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and those facing other barriers.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders have introduced strategies to improve achievement, but they have not embedded these fully. At times, pupils demonstrate secure knowledge of what they are learning and produce high-quality work, including pieces of extended writing. Pupils also engage in some high-quality classroom talk, reflecting the positive impact of leaders' recent work on oracy. However, the quality of pupils' learning varies across year groups and subjects. Some pupils are not clear about the key content from their lessons because teachers do not adapt learning sufficiently to meet their needs. As a result, pupils do not close gaps in their knowledge quickly enough or make sufficient progress from their starting points. The quality of pupils’ spelling, handwriting and presentation remains inconsistent. Leaders are focused on embedding their strategies to improve pupils’ achievement consistently across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have a clear understanding of the quality of the curriculum and its implementation. They have rightly identified the key priorities for improvement and have started to make changes to improve provision. However, it is too early to judge the impact of this work. Leaders have taken effective steps to ensure that the curriculum is coherent and logically sequenced. It builds pupils' knowledge over time. For example, in geography, pupils draw on their knowledge of earthquakes when learning about tectonic plates. As a result, pupils are increasingly able to articulate what they have learned and how this builds on their prior knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers use a range of strategies to identify and address gaps in pupils' prior knowledge. However, they do not use these strategies consistently well to check pupils’ understanding and identify misconceptions. As a result, they do not routinely identify those pupils who have gaps in their understanding or who have not yet secured basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, learning activities do not always meet pupils' needs, and teachers do not adjust their teaching precisely enough to address specific barriers to learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Plumstead Manor School is a warm, welcoming community where pupils and students feel safe and supported. Pupils feel that they belong at school, including those who are disadvantaged, those who speak English as an additional language and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils understand the school’s higher expectations of their behaviour. They enjoy a calm and respectful climate and learn in orderly classrooms where disruption is rare. Around school, pupils behave kindly and respectfully towards each other. They understand the school’s clear expectations and routines and arrive well prepared for learning.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know who to go to if they need support. Most pupils and students develop positive relationships with their peers and with staff. Pupils experience bullying rarely and know that staff deal with it swiftly when it occurs.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils generally enjoy their lessons. They show positive attitudes to learning and are keen to achieve and succeed. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND benefit from high- quality support tailored to their needs and the barriers they face in learning.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, which are accessible to all. They learn how to stay healthy and maintain positive relationships. Pupils take on leadership roles within the school and develop their confidence through these opportunities.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Most pupils attend school regularly, including those who face additional barriers. Historically, pupils have achieved below the national average. Pupils do not consistently experience high-quality teaching across the school. As a result, not all pupils make the progress they should from their starting points or achieve the positive outcomes of which they are capable.

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Next steps

Leaders should improve the quality of teaching across the school so that teaching consistently assesses pupils' prior learning, checks their understanding and adapts learning to meet their needs. Leaders should ensure that teachers effectively identify and address gaps in pupils' reading, writing and mathematics so that pupils develop the skills they need and achieve well.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Susan Le Bas.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

The inspection took place on 15 and 16 September 2026.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff, pupils and governors during the inspection.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school includes provision for 25 pupils with moderate learning difficulties.

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of 6 registered alternative provisions.

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Lead inspector:

Katharine Vincent, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Ogugua Okolo-Angus, Ofsted Inspector Stephen Adcock, Ofsted Inspector Janet Hallett, Ofsted Inspector Simon Conway, His Majesty's Inspector Jake Steers, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 15 September 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England. National average: 1,154

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 17.9% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 24.0% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 28.2% 25.2% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 31.7 34.6 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 32.0 35.0 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2021/22 (final) -0.83 -0.55 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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national average

2024/25 (final) -0.1 0.0 Close to average

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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