Celebrating Success

A proud moment for our whole school community

We are delighted to share the findings from our recent Ofsted inspection, which took place on 16 June 2026.

The inspection recognised the many strengths of Stratford School Academy. Inspectors judged the school to be working at a Strong standard across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Our safeguarding standards were also confirmed as met.

This is a significant achievement and reflects the hard work, commitment and ambition of our pupils, staff, families, governors and wider school community.

“Pupils consistently achieve excellent outcomes.”

Ofsted recognised the excellent outcomes achieved by our pupils, highlighting the high-quality work they produce across subjects and year groups and noting that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

 

Excellent outcomes for our pupils

Inspectors found that pupils consistently achieve highly and that attainment in national examinations is above average.

Our recent examination outcomes provide further evidence of this success. In 2024/25, 62.7% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and mathematics GCSE, compared with a national average of 45.4%. Our Attainment 8 score was also above the national average.

We are particularly proud that disadvantaged pupils continue to achieve strongly. In 2024/25, 54.4% of disadvantaged pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and mathematics, compared with a national average of 25.8%.

“Attainment for disadvantaged pupils is particularly strong.”

Ofsted highlighted that disadvantaged pupils outperform their non-disadvantaged peers nationally in English, mathematics and science, with these strong outcomes sustained over time.

 

Attendance and behaviour are key strengths

Attendance was highlighted as a notable strength of the school.

“Attendance is a notable strength of the school.”

Inspectors recognised the relentless work of leaders to track and monitor attendance, understand individual circumstances and work closely with families and external agencies to remove barriers to attendance.

Our attendance figures demonstrate this strong performance. In 2024/25, overall absence was 5.2%, significantly below the national average of 8.4%, while persistent absence was 13.0%, compared with a national average of 23.4%.

Ofsted also found that pupils behave well and respectfully:

“Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.”

Inspectors described classrooms as “calm and purposeful places where pupils can thrive”, with disruption to lessons rare.

 

An ambitious curriculum and high-quality teaching

Our curriculum was praised as broad and ambitious, with learning carefully planned so that new knowledge builds on what pupils already know.

“The curriculum is consistently well taught.”

Inspectors recognised the strong subject knowledge of our teachers, clear explanations, established classroom routines and regular checking of pupils' understanding. Teachers were also praised for addressing misconceptions quickly and adapting their teaching when needed.

 

Inclusion at the heart of our school

One of the most important messages from the inspection is that:

“Inclusion is at the heart of this school.”

Ofsted recognised the very high expectations we have for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Inspectors praised the detailed information gathered from families, previous schools and other professionals to ensure that the right support is in place from the moment pupils join the school. They also highlighted the highly effective support provided for pupils with more complex needs.

 

Developing the whole child

Ofsted also praised our approach to personal development and wellbeing.

“Personal development is embedded in all aspects of school life.”

Inspectors recognised the opportunities pupils have to develop their understanding of democracy, current affairs, different faiths and beliefs, online safety and respectful relationships.

Our enrichment programme gives every pupil opportunities to experience activities beyond the classroom, including trips, cultural experiences, careers activities, clubs, leadership opportunities and The Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

Ofsted also identified our careers education as a particular strength:

“Careers education is a notable strength.”

Pupils benefit from employer and educational-provider visits, individual careers guidance and support to help them make informed choices about their futures.

 

A strong culture of care

Perhaps most importantly, inspectors recognised the culture of care that exists throughout Stratford School Academy.

“There is a strong culture of care at the school.”

Staff know pupils well, and pupils have access to trusted adults, mentoring and counselling. Ofsted found that this support helps pupils manage difficulties and remain highly engaged in school life.

Inspectors also reported that:

“Pupils feel safe, and incidents of bullying are rare.”

Pupils told inspectors that staff respond quickly and effectively when difficulties arise, and that they value their positive relationships with staff.

 

Proud of what we have achieved — focused on what comes next

We are incredibly proud of the findings of this inspection, but we know that a strong school is always looking to improve.

Ofsted identified one next step: ensuring that staff who join the school are swiftly supported to understand and successfully embed our pedagogical approaches, further strengthening the consistency of high-quality teaching and learning across all subjects.

We welcome this focus and will continue to build on the strong foundations already in place.

 

Thank you

This report is a reflection of the collective effort of our entire school community.

We would like to thank our pupils for their hard work, resilience and positive contribution; our staff for their dedication and commitment; our governors and trustees for their support and challenge; and our parents and carers for the important role you play in supporting our pupils and our school.

We are proud of Stratford School Academy and, above all, proud of our pupils.

We will continue to work together to ensure that every pupil is supported to thrive, achieve highly and leave us ready for their next step.