Merryfields School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Merryfields School Hoon Avenue, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5 9NY

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Outcome

Merryfields School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Neil Brannigan. This school is part of Manor Hall Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Philip Harrison, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Edward Fitchett.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in the school’s calm, nurturing and welcoming environment. The school’s mission of ‘nurturing a love of learning for life’ is a reality for staff and pupils here. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ academic and wider success. These expectations are realised, and pupils achieve very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff understand the special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) of their pupils exceptionally well. Pupils enjoy strong, respectful relationships with staff. They are supported with high levels of care and dignity. Consequently, pupils are settled, safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Strong foundations for pupils’ enduring success start in the early years. Children’s communication and interactions, and independence are highly prioritised. The school promotes a wealth of opportunities for pupils to share their voice, including through visual boards, objects of reference and suitable electronic devices. This means that pupils communicate their thoughts, feelings and needs throughout the day very effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a wealth of wider opportunities. These are carefully designed to prepare pupils for life beyond school. Pupils practise what they learn in the classroom within the wider community, for example by visiting a cafe, trips to the library and going shopping, where pupils learn to manage their money. 13 and 14 May 2025

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

The school is unwavering in its commitment to deliver high-quality education for its pupils. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and starts in the early years. There is a sharp focus on supporting pupils’ academic and wider developmental needs. In many subjects, including personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), the school has identified clearly the specific knowledge and skills pupils will learn over time. For example, in preparation for their first trip outside of school, pupils learn about the importance of sitting safely in a vehicle and how to use a seatbelt. However, in a few subjects, the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils learn are too broad and not identified precisely enough. This means that, sometimes, pupils’ knowledge does not build on their prior learning in a consistent way.

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

The needs of pupils with SEND are accurately identified and met exceptionally well. Staff support the wide range of SEND needs with expertise. The school provides a plethora of personalised interventions to help pupils. It checks closely the impact of these interventions and pupils achieve strong outcomes. This is particularly effective in areas such as regulation, sensory processing and communication.

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

The school promotes pupils’ love of reading. Pupils enjoy daily stories, rhymes and phonics teaching. Staff are well equipped to teach pupils how to read. Misconceptions are identified early and addressed quickly. Pupils with additional and specific SEND needs engage with sound and print in a meaningful way. This supports them to quickly move on to a more structured phonics programme. As a result, many older pupils leave school reading key texts accurately.

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

In lessons, staff skilfully adapt teaching to meet pupils’ SEND needs and abilities. There is a strong focus on retrieval, repetition and practice of important information. Activities and resources are well matched to pupils’ individual starting points.

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

Positive behaviour and attitudes are a strength. Pupils are calm, settled and know the school’s routines well. Staff respond with empathy and consistency. They skillfully support pupils when they spot changes in pupils’ behaviour or manner. Staff know precisely how pupils may be communicating a need with them. They act quickly when these changes arise. Pupils’ mental health and well-being are considered well. Pupils share their worries and readily identify and name trusted adults.

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

The support for pupils’ personal development is effective. Pupils learn important life skills from a young age, including money management, healthy relationships and personal safety. These important life skills start in the early years, where children go on weekly visits out into the community. Pupils learn about different religions. They visit synagogues, mosques and the local church. They experience a range of leadership opportunities, such as being part of the school council, as head boy and head girl. This promotes pupils’ confidence very well.

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

The school is led with care, compassion and high expectations for staff and pupils. All decisions are made in the best interests of pupils. The school is supported very well by 13 and 14 May 2025

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the trust and by its local governing body. The school shares expert knowledge and practices with other schools. Staff are proud to work here. Most parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school’s supportive ethos and the progress their children make.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school has not identified precisely the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils should learn. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not build on their prior learning in a clear and cumulative way. The school should define the precise knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils will learn across the curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Merryfields School, to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2014. 13 and 14 May 2025

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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). 13 and 14 May 2025

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School details

School category Academy special converter

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new assistant headteacher took up post in September 2024.  Merryfields School is a specialist provider for pupils with SEND needs, including autism spectrum condition, severe learning difficulties, sensory and medical needs. All pupils have an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school. 13 and 14 May 2025

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 The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, two assistant headteachers, the chair of the trust, governors, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They also talked with parents. Inspectors also talked informally with staff, including transport assistants and drivers.  The lead inspector met with the CEO, the chief education lead and the trust’s school improvement lead.  The lead inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke with teachers.  Inspectors looked at a sample of individual education plans for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils, formally and informally, about their learning and experiences at school.  Inspectors observed informal times to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.

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 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 considered responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments. Inspectors also looked at responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation, school policies, curriculum documents and SEND records.

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Smith Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 May 2025

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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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