Nether Stowe School Review 2026: A rebuilding story in Lichfield, with clear priorities for improvement

Nether Stowe School sits at an important point in its development. It is a large 11–18 academy in Lichfield, part of The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, with capacity for 944 students. Leadership is also relatively new. Ms Kirsty Jones is listed as headteacher on official listings, and she took up the post in February 2025, following a period without a permanent head.

The current picture is mixed. Day-to-day culture and systems show strengths, safeguarding is confirmed as effective, and behaviour and sixth form were judged Good at the most recent inspection. Outcomes, however, remain the area families will scrutinise most closely, particularly GCSE and A-level performance.

The school’s size matters in a practical way. External review notes that many parents and students value a setting where staff can know students well, and where routines support a calmer feel than the headline grade might imply. Vertical tutor groups are an example of a structural choice that shapes daily life, with students spending tutor time in mixed-age groups rather than staying entirely within year cohorts.

The leadership narrative is strongly focused on change, rather than tradition for its own sake. The trust has been closely involved in curriculum redesign and expectations, and the message from recent documentation is that the school is aiming for consistency: clearer behaviour expectations, a more coherent curriculum, and stronger use of assessment so teaching adapts to what students have actually learned.

For parents, the implication is straightforward. This is not a school trading on a polished reputation. It is a school working to strengthen core classroom practice, attendance routines, and reading culture, while trying to retain the positives that many families already recognise in day-to-day relationships.

Nether Stowe’s GCSE outcomes sit below the England average range on FindMySchool’s measures, and this aligns with the need-for-improvement message in curriculum delivery.

Ranked 3,361st in England and 4th in Lichfield for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits below England average, within the lower-performing end of the distribution.

The underlying indicators help explain why:

• Attainment 8: 38.5

• Progress 8: -0.7, indicating students make substantially less progress than similar students nationally

• EBacc average point score: 3.2 versus an England average of 4.08

• Grade 5+ in EBacc (where entered): 3.6%

The pattern suggests the central challenge is not simply “exam results”, but the consistency of learning secured across subjects, especially for students who need tight sequencing, frequent checks for understanding, and well-targeted catch-up.

At sixth form, the story is similar, with a clearer gap to England averages:

• A-level A*-B: 29.76% (England average: 47.2%)

• A-level A*-A: 15.47% (England average: 23.6%)

Ranked 1,984th in England and 4th in Lichfield for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), sixth form outcomes also place the school below England average overall.

The latest Ofsted inspection in April 2023 judged the school Requires Improvement overall, with Good for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

The current strategy is clearly focused on classroom fundamentals: curriculum sequencing, stronger use of assessment, and higher expectations that are applied consistently. The curriculum has been redesigned with trust support, with an ambition that all students, including those with SEND, follow a broad and balanced set of subjects.

The hinge issue is consistency. Where assessment is used precisely, gaps are identified early and teaching adjusts before students fall behind. Where it is weaker, students can struggle to recall key knowledge, which makes higher-demand work difficult later. The implication for families is that subject-by-subject experience may vary, and parents should use open events and conversations with staff to understand how consistent practice now is across departments.

Reading is another stated priority. Baseline tests and interventions are in place, with a particular focus on students who still have gaps in Years 8 and 9. If this work succeeds, it tends to lift performance across the curriculum, because reading fluency directly affects access to exam-style questions, extended writing, and independent revision.

Destinations data for the 2023/24 cohort shows a mixed set of next steps. Of 36 leavers, 42% progressed to university, 3% entered apprenticeships, and 36% moved into employment. These figures point to a sixth form that supports multiple pathways, not only university routes.

Oxbridge outcomes are understandably small in scale. In the measurement period, there were two Cambridge applications, leading to one offer and one acceptance. The right way to read this is not as a “pipeline”, but as evidence that the school can support individual high-attaining students when the fit is right, even if that is not the typical story for most sixth formers.

Careers guidance appears to be a practical strength. External review describes independent careers advice supported by external agencies and alumni, which matters in a school where apprenticeships and employment are meaningful outcomes for a significant share of leavers.

Nether Stowe is a state-funded school with no tuition fees. Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through Staffordshire’s process, with a Published Admission Number of 170 for September 2026 entry stated in local authority materials.

The oversubscription framework follows a familiar hierarchy: children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted, then priority groups including looked-after children, students with exceptional medical or other exceptional circumstances (with evidence), siblings, catchment-area children, and finally distance from the main gate using a straight-line measurement.

For families applying for September 2026 entry, Staffordshire’s timetable matters:

• Applications typically open 1 September 2025

• The closing date is 31 October 2025

• Offers are issued on 2 March 2026

Because distance data for the last offer is not available in the provided dataset for this school, families should treat “close enough” as unknown and verify the current pattern using official admissions information. A practical step is to use the FindMySchool Map Search to check your home-to-school distance and compare it to how allocations usually work locally.

Sixth form entry is an additional consideration. The school has published consultation documentation in 2025 about proposals affecting post-16 arrangements, so families considering Year 12 should check the latest position before assuming continuity of provision.

Safeguarding is confirmed as effective, and the school’s safeguarding training and reporting culture is described as timely and responsive, with staff working with external agencies where needed. This matters particularly for a large secondary where early identification and swift escalation are essential.

Behaviour is described as increasingly consistent, with clear expectations and reduced disruption to lessons. For parents, the implication is that students who benefit from predictable routines should find the direction of travel reassuring, provided attendance and classroom consistency continue to tighten.

Attendance remains an explicit improvement priority, with the key issue being how well leaders review and use attendance information to evaluate what is working. If your child has a history of attendance anxiety or periodic disengagement, this is a topic to raise early, including what support is available and how quickly it is deployed.

The school’s enrichment offer is framed around participation and access, with awareness that some students face barriers to joining in. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a flagship example, reinforced by the school calendar, which includes both practice and qualifying expedition windows. For many students, DofE is not only a CV line. It builds confidence with structured challenge, and it can be especially valuable for students who do not see themselves as “academic first”.

Performing arts also has a visible presence. Ofsted references a performing arts club, and the annual rhythm in the calendar includes multiple school show nights and a talent show. The implication is that students who need a reason to belong beyond lessons, or who gain confidence through performance, may find a genuine home here, particularly if the school continues reducing barriers to participation.

A third strand is external engagement and enrichment. The calendar includes a Speakers for School event, suggesting planned encounters with external speakers and wider-world perspectives. In a school working to raise expectations, well-designed enrichment like this can support aspiration without turning the environment into a pressure cooker.

Finally, digital learning is part of the wider trust approach. Trust documentation describes the Learning Futures programme, designed to provide iPads across schools in the partnership, with the stated aim of supporting learning in class and at home. For families, the practical question is how consistently staff use technology to improve explanation, modelling, and feedback, rather than using devices as an add-on. It is worth asking how homework, revision resources, and catch-up content are delivered and monitored.

Opening times published on the school site indicate a student day running 8.30am to 3.00pm. The published school calendar shows key year-group milestones such as Year 6 transition days in late June and major sixth form deadlines such as the UCAS deadline in January.

Nether Stowe is on St Chad’s Road in Lichfield, and families typically consider travel practicality through bus routes, cycling, and drop-off logistics. The school is also part of Staffordshire’s coordinated admissions system, so application and offer communications come through the local authority route for Year 7.

• Outcomes are still a central concern. Progress 8 is -0.7 and Attainment 8 is 38.5, indicating a sizeable gap to national expectations. This is the key risk for families prioritising strong headline results.

• Consistency between subjects is the make-or-break issue. The improvement narrative focuses on tighter assessment and closing knowledge gaps. If your child struggles when teaching is variable, ask how consistency is tracked across departments.

• Attendance improvement is a stated priority. Leadership review of attendance information is identified as an area still developing. Families with a child prone to absence should explore support and escalation processes early.

• Sixth form certainty needs checking. Consultation documentation in 2025 indicates that post-16 arrangements have been under review, so Year 12 applicants should verify the current plan and course offer.

Nether Stowe School is best understood as a school working through a structured improvement phase, rather than a finished product. The strengths are credible: relationships, clearer behaviour expectations, effective safeguarding, and a sixth form that supports multiple routes beyond school. The challenge lies in outcomes and the consistency of teaching that drives them. Best suited to families who value a large, comprehensive local school with improving systems, and who are prepared to engage actively with pastoral and academic support to help their child stay on track.