Nether Stowe School, Lichfield

Ofsted's report card from its 17 March 2026 inspection grades Nether Stowe School on 7 areas: 7 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Needs attention. "Historically, most pupils' achievement in national examinations has been weak across the majority of subjects."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Over time, pupils' attendance has been very low."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Leaders at all levels have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching and the curriculum."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "The school has implemented new systems to identify pupils who have barriers to their learning or taking part in school life."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "In the recent past, those responsible for governance have not taken effective action to secure improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Needs attention. "The school has a well-planned curriculum for personal development."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "As a result of a lack of certainty as to whether the post-16 provision will remain open, some students feel that their experience has been poor."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to improve the quality of teaching across all key stages so that pupils achieve well. They should ensure that professional learning is sharply focused on identified weaknesses in practice and evaluated rigorously so that it leads to clear improvements in teaching and outcomes, including for post-16 students"; "Leaders should strengthen the support for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other vulnerabilities. This should include improving the precision with which pupils' plans are reviewed and evaluated and developing the confidence of the small minority of pupils who do not feel able to seek help when they need it"; "Leaders should continue to improve pupils' attendance so that they are able to benefit fully from the school's provision"; "Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that their systems enable improvement. This includes strengthening communication and engagement with parents, addressing staff workload more effectively, and ensuring that resources required to improve the school are provided swiftly".

In its own words: "Everything we do at Nether Stowe is guided and shaped by three core virtues. We want everyone at Nether Stowe - every pupil and every member of staff - to embody and rise to these qualities."

From the headteacher's welcome: "A heartfelt welcome to Nether Stowe School . As Head Teacher, it is both a privilege and a joy to lead such a vibrant, caring, and ambitious community where everyone is encouraged to grow, thrive, and achieve their very best."

On phones, the school says: "They are also designed to ensure students in Years 7 to 11 are registered, have their uniform and equipment checked consistently and mobile phones secured in pouches so that once they get to their tutor time they can fully engage with the personal development programme."

Coming up: an open evening on Friday 30 October 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Nether Stowe School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 43.7 in Staffordshire and 47 across England.

31% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 39% in Staffordshire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 38.7.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.7: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 29.9, against 44.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 48 families put Nether Stowe School as their first choice and 174 named it as one of their preferences, for 104 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Nether Stowe School are King Edward VI School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 53.9); The Friary School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 58.5); Chase Terrace Academy (4.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 45.3); and Brownhills Ormiston Academy (5.2 miles, Attainment 8 42.5).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Nether Stowe School.

Nether Stowe School is one of 24 schools run by The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.2 in 2024/25.

167 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Nether Stowe School (as of April 2026): 38% would recommend the school, 38% say their child is happy there and 29% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (58%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (29%).

Of the 111 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 63% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 39 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 44% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 28% into work. 9% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

35.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 7.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 119 pupils (17.2%) received SEN support and 20 (2.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

The nearest railway station is Lichfield City Rail Station, about 1170 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).

4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cemetery (opposite), 140 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 223 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Staffordshire (86), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Nether Stowe School issued 273 suspensions, 34.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 5 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Nether Stowe School are SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School (0.2 miles), Willows Primary Academy (0.4 miles), Charnwood Primary Academy (0.4 miles) and St Chad's CofE Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.