Wonder Star School, Stoke-on-Trent

What it's like to be a pupil at Wonder Star School

Pupils have typically not had positive experiences of education before finding Wonder Star. Many have missed a great deal of school, meaning they have significant gaps in their learning. Here they find a small school with a big heart, a calm atmosphere and caring staff. Pupils settle quickly because of how well staff get to know them, their interests and their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils have their voices heard and the space to be themselves. Pupils enjoy learning because staff provide them with meaningful, engaging lessons. The work in pupils' books shows how hard they work and the care they take to do their best. From their starting points, pupils progress well. To enhance the curriculum and pupils' wellbeing, pupils regularly participate in a wide range of broader experiences. These include community walks, visiting museums, swimming lessons and even being visited in school by therapy animals. Pupils show kindness and respect towards one another, offering support and encouragement. Pupils behave well and incidents of bullying are rare. There is a genuine family feel evident throughout the school because relationships are positive and nurturing, creating an atmosphere filled with smiles and laughter. This warm and supportive environment helps pupils to feel settled, confident and able to achieve their best. Staff provide careful supervision and are trained well to recognise any safeguarding or health risks to pupils. As a result, pupils feel safe because trusted adults are always on hand to help. Parents and carers were keen to tell inspectors how their children have grown in confidence since starting here. Pupils are at an early stage of communicating with one another, although they show respect and thoughtfulness towards one another, as these qualities are consistently modelled by staff. This results in Wonder Star being a happy place that pupils genuinely enjoy attending.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders should further refine the curriculum so that it more clearly identifies the fundamental and most important knowledge and skills within each subject and lesson that pupils must master.
• Leaders should continue to strengthen the consistency of curriculum delivery to ensure all pupils experience consistently high-quality teaching across all curriculum areas, so that they can achieve their full potential.

Wonder Star School excels at helping pupils who have struggled in education before. The caring staff know each child well, create a calm and nurturing atmosphere, and use personalised support to help previously disengaged learners want to succeed. Pupils benefit from meaningful lessons, a wide range of enriching community activities, and strong relationships that help them develop confidence and independence.

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

School council, charity events, local community farm volunteering, therapy animal visits, swimming lessons, community walks, museum visits, places of worship visits, supermarket visits, library visits, boating trips, equine therapy

Bus Stops