Meadowside School

Inspection of Meadowside School Pool Lane, Woodchurch, Wirral, Merseyside CH49 5LA

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 4 and 5 March 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This school provides a nurturing environment where pupils and their families are valued and supported. Pupils and students in the sixth form enjoy coming to school. They are happy. Pupils feel well cared for and safe.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Staff take the time to get to know pupils. They understand their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and interests well. This helps staff work out the best way for individual pupils to learn the curriculum. Pupils receive different, personalised opportunities to learn new information. From their individual starting points, pupils achieve well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly, respectful and supportive of each other. When required, staff step in quickly when pupils need help to follow the school’s rules or to regulate their own emotions. Consequently, pupils’ behaviour is calm in lessons and at other times during the day.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for adult life. Pupils have many opportunities to practise different skills over their school career which support them to move successfully into adulthood. For example, students in the sixth form run a ‘community café.’ This gives them the chance to apply their skills of communication, teamwork and organisation. Students take these skills into their experience of employment.

p.2

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

The school has worked effectively to secure improvements to the quality of the curriculum since the last inspection. It has identified the building blocks of knowledge that pupils should know and remember. Learning is organised thoughtfully from key stage 3 to the sixth form. Pupils follow a curriculum pathway that is highly personalised to their individual needs. This helps all pupils, including those with profound and complex needs, to learn well.

p.2

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

The school ensures that staff have the knowledge and expertise that they need to deliver the curriculum effectively across a number of subjects. Staff use strategies to help pupils to learn in the most effective way. Typically, staff carefully check what pupils know and address any gaps in knowledge that pupils have. In the main, staff select activities that enable pupils to develop their knowledge in a logical and coherent way. Nevertheless, from time to time, some of the activities that pupils complete do not support them to deepen their knowledge as well as they could. Occasionally, this hinders how well some pupils learn.

p.2

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

Reading is a high priority. The school ensures that pupils at an early stage of learning to read develop their phonics knowledge and use their phonics skills. In the main, staff teach the school’s phonics programme skilfully. Pupils read books that help them to practise the sounds that they know. The school promotes reading for pleasure successfully. Pupils 4 and 5 March 2025

p.2

3

enjoy access to a wide range of books and reading materials. Many pupils develop into fluent and confident readers.

p.3

3

The school has established systems for checking and evaluating the delivery of the curriculum. However, in a small number of subjects, the school does not use these systems as effectively as it could. Consequently, the school sometimes does not identify, or address, the most important issues with how some curriculum content is delivered. On occasions, the curriculum is not delivered as intended. This hinders pupils’ learning.

p.3

3

All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. The school has effective strategies in place to identify and support any additional needs that pupils may have. Typically, classrooms are harmonious and purposeful. Pupils are polite and well mannered. The school makes clear the importance of regular attendance to parents, carers and pupils. Pupils, including students in the sixth form, attend school regularly.

p.3

3

Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of all that the school does. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to care for their physical and mental health. Pupils benefit from well-considered enrichment opportunities outside of the classroom. For example, they grow fruit and vegetables to eat, take part in swimming lessons and residential trips, and learn that they can make a positive difference by raising money for charities. Pupils gain helpful information for their next steps from independent careers advice and a well- considered package of careers education.

p.3

3

The school and governors are working together productively to improve the educational offer that pupils receive. Following positive changes to strengthen the knowledge and expertise of the governing body, governors provide a suitable level of challenge and support to the school. Staff benefit from appropriate guidance and support to carry out their roles effectively. Most staff said that the school provides effective support for their well-being and to ensure that their workload is manageable. Many are proud to be a part of the school community.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, learning activities are not well matched to what the school intends pupils to learn. As a result, some pupils are not building their knowledge securely. The school should ensure that suitable learning activities are used consistently so that pupils secure and deepen their knowledge and skills across all subjects.  In a small number of subjects, the school is not effective at evaluating the delivery and impact of the curriculum. This means that some weaknesses are not identified and 4 and 5 March 2025

p.3

4

acted on in a timely manner. In turn, this hinders pupils’ achievement in these subjects. The school should ensure that it gathers and evaluates information about the delivery of the curriculum effectively so that it can quickly address any shortcomings.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 4 and 5 March 2025

p.4

form

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

form

Date of previous inspection 6 February 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 All pupils in this school have SEND. The school provides education for pupils and students with complex learning difficulties. Many pupils have autism spectrum disorder and complex medical needs. All pupils and students have an education, health care plan.  The school makes use of one registered and one unregistered alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

p.5

6

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

p.6

6

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and with other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of governors, and spoke with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also observed some pupils from Years 7 to 14 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. They spoke with leaders

p.6

6

and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also reviewed

p.6

6

the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

p.6

Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Nigel Hunt Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7