de Stafford School Review 2026: A well-ordered 11 to 16 comprehensive with improving attendance focus

This review uses the provided FindMySchool ranking and metrics for outcomes, and these should be read as a comparative snapshot rather than a full story of individual progress.

GCSE performance and ranking context

Ranked 2,582nd in England and 4th locally for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). That means results are broadly typical in England terms, rather than consistently high or consistently weak.

The Attainment 8 score is 43.4, and Progress 8 is -0.12. A Progress 8 score slightly below zero usually indicates that, on average, students make a little less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally.

EBacc entry and outcomes indicators

The average EBacc APS is 3.63, compared with an England average of 4.08. The percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure is 10.2%. In practical terms, this points to a cohort where EBacc outcomes are an area to watch closely, and it aligns with the school’s recent focus on increasing uptake of EBacc subjects through improved guidance about option choices.

How to use this data as a parent

The most constructive way to interpret the results is alongside your child’s profile. For a student with steady attendance and good learning habits, the school’s structured approach and carefully planned curriculum sequencing should feel supportive. For a student with patchy attendance, the school’s emphasis on reintegration and consistent classroom checking becomes more critical, because that is one of the explicit improvement priorities.

Parents comparing local schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub to view these outcomes side-by-side using the Comparison Tool, especially useful when weighing schools with similar overall ratings but different progress patterns.

Curriculum sequencing is described as a clear strength. Key Stage 3 is designed to build foundations and then set students up effectively for GCSE study, rather than rushing through content for examination technique alone. Reading support is also described as well planned and delivered, aimed at helping students who need to catch up to make faster progress than they otherwise would.

Subject expertise is generally positive. Teachers are described as usually having strong expertise and explaining new learning clearly, and many lessons are described as engaging in ways that keep pupils interested. The key caveat is consistency. Formal evaluation highlights that checking for understanding does not always happen routinely enough, and sometimes classes move on before all pupils have secured the new learning. For families, this is worth noting if your child needs deliberate, frequent feedback loops to stay confident and on track.

Inclusion is another meaningful strand. Teachers are described as having good information about pupils’ needs and usually adapting lessons effectively for pupils with SEND. The school also has a specialist centre for up to nine pupils with communication needs, with those pupils spending most of their time alongside peers in mainstream classes, which indicates an integration-first approach rather than separation.

Where Students Go Next

With an 11 to 16 age range, the key transition is post-16. Families should plan early for whether a student is likely to move into a sixth form or a further education college, and which route best fits their strengths and career interests.

Careers education is described as well planned, intended to help pupils make informed choices about their futures. The school is also recorded as meeting the provider access legislation expectations, which should mean students get encounters with technical and apprenticeship pathways as part of the wider careers offer.

For practical planning, the local area gives access to post-16 options across parts of Surrey and neighbouring boroughs, with further education routes available in nearby centres such as Croydon and Redhill. This matters most for transport and timetable realism in Year 11, particularly for students considering vocational or mixed study programmes.

The school is a state-funded secondary, so there are no tuition fees. Entry at Year 7 is coordinated through the local authority process.

Demand and competitiveness

The admissions indicates an oversubscribed picture for the main entry route, with 401 applications for 152 offers, which is 2.64 applications per place. While application patterns shift year to year, this level of demand usually means families should approach admissions with a realistic plan and use all available preferences strategically, aligned to the local authority guidance.

Key dates for September 2026 entry

For the Surrey coordinated process, applications for secondary transfer (September 2026 start) opened from 01 September 2025, with the on-time closing date recorded as 31 October 2025. The offer date is tied to 02 March 2026 (National Offer Day), with late application handling changing after that date.

Practical tip

If you are considering the school and live in Surrey, it is sensible to confirm your address details and any supporting evidence requirements well before the deadline. If your circumstances are complex, or if you may need to apply late for a genuine reason, the Surrey process explains how late applications are treated and what evidence may be required.

Parents who are weighing proximity-sensitive options should use FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise home-to-school distance and understand how that compares to recent allocation patterns, while remembering that allocation outcomes depend on the whole applicant pool each year.

The school’s pastoral baseline looks steady. Behaviour is described as well managed, with staff consistency in reinforcing expectations and recognising positive conduct. There is also an emphasis on respectful relationships through personal, social, health and economic education alongside relationships and sex education, which should help create a coherent culture rather than a purely sanction-led approach.

Attendance is a central wellbeing and achievement issue. The school is described as working tenaciously to improve attendance among a minority of pupils who miss too much time, with individual support framed as a high priority. The improvement priorities also focus on reintegration when pupils return from absence, which is often a pastoral and academic junction point, especially for students who find routines difficult.

A distinctive historical strand is student leadership and representation via de Stafford Democracy (DSD), referenced in earlier Ofsted documentation as a vehicle for student contribution and charity work. Even though this reference is dated, it signals a long-standing pattern of structured pupil voice and community involvement that many schools later formalise as student council structures.

The school also makes use of registered and unregistered alternative provision providers, which is not extracurricular in the traditional sense, but it does indicate wider pathways and tailored options for students who need a different setting at times. For parents, that can be reassuring if a child’s needs fluctuate, provided communication is clear and reintegration is handled well, which remains a stated improvement focus.

Sport and physical activity are part of the wider local picture too. The school shares its site identity with a substantial sports centre at the same location, which suggests access to on-site or adjacent facilities can play a role in school sport and community partnerships, even if the detailed student programme is not fully published in the accessible official sources used here.

As a secondary school, the daily rhythm is shaped by lesson transitions, lunchtime structure, and after-school enrichment rather than wraparound childcare. Specific start and finish times are not confirmed in the accessible official sources used for this review, so families should verify timings directly with the school when planning travel and childcare handovers.

Transport planning should focus on local bus routes and rail links via Caterham, plus the realities of morning traffic on main roads serving Caterham on the Hill. For Year 7 families, it is also worth asking about transition arrangements and first-term routines, because early structure often sets the tone for confidence and attendance.

• Attendance is a decisive factor for outcomes. Formal evaluation links regular absence to weaker achievement and makes reintegration a priority area. This is important if your child is prone to anxiety-related absence or has health issues that can disrupt routine.

• Teaching checks are not fully consistent yet. The school’s improvement priorities include ensuring teachers routinely check understanding before moving on. Students who need frequent confirmation and structured scaffolding may benefit from close home-school communication to keep learning secure.

• EBacc outcomes look like a development area. The figures show EBacc APS below the England average, and the school has recently focused on increasing EBacc uptake through options guidance. Families should ask how option choices are supported and how the school helps students sustain breadth without overload.

• Published detail is uneven across areas parents often ask about. Some practical items, such as precise daily timings and a fully named current enrichment list, are not consistently available through the accessible official sources used here. Families should treat an open evening or a visit as essential for confirming the lived detail.

de Stafford School presents as a well-ordered, welcoming 11 to 16 comprehensive, with Good judgements across all inspected areas in June 2024 and an explicit drive to raise attendance and strengthen consistency in classroom checking. The results picture is broadly typical in England terms on the FindMySchool ranking, and the admissions data indicates real demand for places.

Best suited to families who want a structured school culture with clear routines, and for students who attend regularly and respond well to consistent expectations. The main challenge for some families will be ensuring attendance stays strong, because the school’s own priorities make clear that absence is the clearest barrier to better outcomes.