Orrets Meadow School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Orrets Meadow School Chapelhill Road, Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside CH46 9QQ

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Outcome

Orrets Meadow School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value being a member of this exceptional school community because they feel part of the ‘Orrets Meadow family’. They speak highly of the support and kindness they receive from the committed staff team. Pupils are happy and appreciate the time taken by staff to get to know and understand them as unique individuals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm oasis for pupils. A warm welcome from staff in the morning and staff’s establishment of clear routines ensure that pupils are ready for the day. If needed, pupils are provided with brief support from well-trained, expert staff. This helps them to make a positive start to the day. They thrive on the close relationships they form with others and settle swiftly into school life. Staff manage behaviour in a remarkably uniform way.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Orrets Meadow. The school has soaring expectations for pupils’ achievement. There is an unrelenting ambition from everyone in school for the pupils in their care. From their individual starting points, pupils make exceptional strides in their learning. Staff skilfully prepare pupils for the next stage in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience many trips which bring the curriculum to life for them. They spoke enthusiastically about visiting a real-life court of law when discussing the fundamental British value, the rule of law.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s curriculum is expertly crafted. It is designed to ensure that pupils gain the knowledge and skills that they need to be successful in their future. The school uses its comprehensive knowledge of pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to ensure that pupils receive an exceptional quality of education.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has set out in different subjects the knowledge that pupils need to know to achieve well. Staff are expertly trained to break this knowledge down for individual pupils 19 and 20 March 2024

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into logical steps. Staff use the systematic assessment strategies for different subjects to expertly check on pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This means that staff know when pupils are ready to take the next step in their learning. Moreover, it also means that staff are aware when pupils need to revisit a key piece of learning to ensure that they have fully understood it. As a result, pupils build up secure knowledge of the different topics that they have studied.

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There is a noteworthy focus on reading throughout the curriculum. The high-quality literature that staff expose pupils to ignites pupils’ love of reading. Reading features strongly in many curriculum subjects which further enhances pupils’ reading experience. The school has a bespoke phonics curriculum in place. Staff are well trained to support pupils. They help pupils to overcome any barriers they have in developing their phonics knowledge. As pupils progress through the school, they become more confident, fluent readers.

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The school’s relentless focus on ensuring that pupils attend school as often as possible is admirable. Pupils’ attendance is exceptionally high. The school understands any potential reasons as to why pupils might not come to school. Leaders’ careful analysis of pupils’ attendance contributes to the whole-school culture around attendance. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Although classrooms are a hive of activity, pupils focus exceptionally well on their learning. They commit to their learning in everything that they do. Pupils’ respect and support for each other is tremendous.

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The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum is central to the school. Weekly curriculum enrichment sessions provide an extensive range of opportunities to learn about different cultures, religions or beliefs. There are a plethora of lunchtime clubs in which pupils’ confidence and interests flourish. Pupils’ ability to speak in public situations about different, current issues is enhanced magnificently by the debating club. The school ensures that pupils value the diversity of the wider world. For example, pupils’ deep understanding of different disabilities was enhanced through a visit from a disabled athlete. Pupils understand the need to help others when they can. They provide support to others in their local community. In addition, pupils experience well-designed lessons around developing their life skills.

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Governors want the school to be the best that it can be. They manage this in a way that does not create unnecessary pressure on staff. Staff report high levels of support for their workload. For example, they value the curriculum guidance that subject leaders provide for them. This helps staff to understand how to implement the curriculum as effectively as they can.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 19 and 20 March 2024

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in October 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 October 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 All pupils who attend this school have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The school caters for pupils with autism, speech, communication and language needs and/or moderate learning difficulties.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  There are no pupils on roll in the early years foundation stage.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and PSHE. Across the deep dives, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons, talked with pupils and staff and looked at examples of pupils’ work. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders to discuss pupils’ rates of attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors met with senior leaders to discuss pupils’ wider development.  The lead inspector met with some governors, including the chair of governors. He also met with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector met with the school improvement partner.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school. They scrutinised leaders’ records of behaviour.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school development plan and the school’s self-evaluation document.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Stuart Perkins, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Gary Kelly Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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