Nether Stowe School
Lichfield, WS13 7NB · Staffordshire · secondary school
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53rd of 56 secondary schools in Staffordshire we can score, 70 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 1.7/10 against 637 of them, against 1.4/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ofsted | 2 | 35% | 0.07 |
| Grade 5+ English & maths 2025/26 | 31.3 · 17 | 30% | 0.52 |
| Progress 8 2023/24 | -0.7 · 8 | 25% | 0.21 |
| Attainment 8 2025/26 | 39.6 · 18 | 10% | 0.18 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Nether Stowe School overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 23.6% of pupils achieved Grade 5 or above in English and maths. Attainment 8 was 38.7, compared to the national median of 44.6. Progress 8 was -0.7 in 2023/24, indicating pupils did worse than those nationally who started from the same place. Its results are much the same when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds, so the gap is not explained by intake (0.9 out of 10 either way). Ofsted inspected the school in March 2026 under the new framework, which grades areas separately without an overall grade.
Getting in
The published school roll is 692 pupils against a stated capacity of 944. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils to close the gap between their current attainment and the national median? What specific steps are taken to improve progress scores for students starting from similar backgrounds? How does the new Ofsted framework influence current teaching priorities?
What Ofsted said about Nether Stowe School
Overview
Nether Stowe School is described as “a school that is improving,” though these changes are recent and follow a period of “negative experiences” including closures and staff changes. While historical achievement and attendance were weak, leaders have raised expectations, resulting in pupils making “better progress through the curriculum” and showing increased commitment to attending school.
Strengths
- Pupils are “learning key vocabulary and concepts more securely,” with work becoming more detailed and reading ability improving.
- The gap between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and their peers is “narrowing.”
- Pupils “generally behave well” and “treat each other and staff with respect,” with bullying incidents being reported and dealt with effectively.
- There is a “thriving programme” of arts education and shows that pupils value, alongside a wide range of enrichment activities.
- Leaders have established a “warm and interesting” new library to support reading fluency.
Areas to improve
- Leaders must ensure professional learning is “sharply focused on identified weaknesses” and rigorously evaluated to improve teaching, particularly for post-16 students.
- Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities requires strengthening, specifically regarding the “precision with which pupils' plans are reviewed and evaluated.”
- Leaders should continue to improve attendance and strengthen communication and engagement with parents, while addressing staff workload.
Safeguarding
The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing “an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns actively identified and managed.
Results over time
Attainment 8, the years we hold.
| Year | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 38.5 |
| 2024/25 | 38.7 |
| 2025/26 | 39.6 |
| England | 44.9 |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 3,682 state schools in England we hold a 2025/26 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2026
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2027
- Secondary application deadline31 Oct 2027
- Secondary National Offer Day1 Mar 2028
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