The Plumstead secondary school where pupils ‘don’t trust staff if they need help’

Plumstead Manor School in Greenwich borough was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ in its latest inspection published on October 19.

The inspector said in their report: “Pupils have mixed experiences during social times. While leaders do not tolerate bullying, some pupils do not trust adults in school to help them if they need it.”

The school is located on Old Mill Road in Plumstead

The report said “too many” pupils do not attend school regularly and miss important learning. It said that staff expectations of pupils’ behaviour in Years 7 to 9 was too low and lesson time was “wasted”.

The inspector said: “In Years 7 to 9, pupils do not routinely work hard and pay attention during lessons. Many pupils shared that they do not enjoy their experience at school.”

Despite the criticisms, the inspector said in their report that the mixed school was a welcoming place and pupils were kept safe.

The school was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ in all areas apart from its sixth-form provision, which was deemed to be ‘Good’.

Pupils in Years 10 and 11 were said to have positive attitudes to learning and students in the sixth form reportedly achieved well.

The report said: “Staff are well trained and know how to identify pupils at risk of harm. leaders understand the risks faced by pupils in the local community and work well with a range of external agencies. This ensures that pupils and their families get the help they need in a timely way.”

A Plumstead Manor School spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Plumstead Manor School was inspected by Ofsted in June 2023, and a number of areas were highlighted during the inspection as requiring attention.

“The school’s leaders and governing board have already taken urgent and significant steps to address these, and in this are being fully supported by the local authority. It is notable that the school’s popular sixth form was deemed to be ‘Good’.”

The inspection was the first one the school has received since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The school currently has 1,503 students enrolled, of which 303 are in the sixth form.