Archers Brook SEMH School

Inspection of Archers Brook SEMH Residential School Chester Road, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH66 2NA

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a strong, nurturing and aspirational ethos that shines through. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Relationships between pupils and staff are positive and warm. This helps pupils to feel happy and thrive. Pupils develop resilience and learn from enriching experiences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of what the school does. Many pupils have had disrupted school experiences before arriving at Archers Brook. Staff get to know pupils exceptionally well. They provide pupils with highly individualised support programmes. The school has high expectations for all pupils’ achievement. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils follow well-established routines. They learn to self-regulate their behaviours over time. They feel accepted and engage well with each other. Pupils’ behaviour improves over their time at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate in a wide range of activities, including walking in local parks, camping, kayaking and mountain biking. They enjoy a range of sports, including archery, football and netball. Pupils relish taking on roles to improve the school’s horticulture areas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils contribute to their local community, through the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, raising money for charities and volunteering to help others. These activities build their sense of responsibility and confidence. Pupils benefit from taking part in competitions, trips and visits, such as to art galleries and museums. These are linked to their curriculum learning.

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

The school has established an ambitious curriculum for pupils. Pupils study a wide range of qualifications, including GCSEs. They benefit from a tailored and flexible curriculum. The school quickly identifies the additional needs of pupils. Staff pay careful attention to pupils’ education, health and care (EHC) plans. They use these well to set personal targets and adapt the delivery of the curriculum. This helps pupils to reengage with their learning. Most pupils achieve well from their starting points.

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

The school has thought carefully about the knowledge it wants pupils to learn and the order in which this should be taught. Staff use their subject expertise effectively to select suitable visual resources and activities that help pupils to remember the curriculum. Typically, staff check pupils’ understanding carefully before they move them on to new learning. Staff make it a priority to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge and address misconceptions that pupils may have. This helps pupils to improve on their learning over time.

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

The school has prioritised reading. Younger pupils have opportunities to read for pleasure. Key staff are trained to deliver the phonics programme to weaker readers. Most pupils read books that are matched to the sounds that they know. Those with any gaps in their knowledge are typically quickly identified. For some pupils, the school’s actions mean that 17 and 18 June 2025

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their confidence and fluency in reading is improving. However, some of these initiatives are relatively new and not fully embedded. In addition, opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge of subject-specific vocabulary are not applied consistently across the curriculum. This impacts on pupils’ reading development.

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Pupils behave well across the school. Staff employ bespoke strategies to improve pupils’ emotional regulation. This supports pupils to move calmly between lessons and quickly settle into learning routines. Many pupils enter the school having a history of poor attendance and disrupted education. The school uses a variety of highly effective strategies to break down barriers for pupils. Consequently, pupils’ attendance improves over the time that they are at school.

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The provision for pupils’ wider development is woven throughout everything the school does. Pupils learn to understand how to care for themselves and how to maintain healthy relationships with others. Pupils’ understanding of finances helps to foster their financial independence. They learn the importance of respecting others.

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Careers advice and guidance is of high quality. Pupils enjoy working on many projects with a range of employers, including from the health, construction and catering sectors. These develop pupils’ social interaction skills well. All pupils move on to education, employment or training.

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Staff morale is high at Archers Brook. Staff praise the school’s support for their professional development and well-being. Governors take an active interest in supporting the school. They ask pertinent questions to understand what the school is doing well and where it needs to improve further. This has helped to improve the quality of education for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum for reading is not fully embedded and is not implemented consistently. This means that some pupils do not access the learning opportunities they need to build on their reading knowledge in a timely manner. They do not achieve as well in reading as they could. The school should ensure that its programme for reading is fully considered and is implemented consistently across school. 17 and 18 June 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). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.archersbrook.cheshire.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school educates pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs with associated communication and interaction difficulties. These needs are often linked with autism, learning difficulties and adverse childhood experiences. Every pupil has an EHC plan.  Since the last inspection, pupil numbers have increased from 86 to 105. This was to accommodate pupils with additional needs.  The school does not make use of 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.  The school offers residential provision to a very small number of pupils on a flexible basis. This provision is inspected separately by Ofsted. 17 and 18 June 2025

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Information about this inspection

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.

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Information about this inspection

 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 spoke with the headteacher and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with two representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences in school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation documents and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  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

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Information about this inspection

the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, including English, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Ahmed Marikar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Bailey Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 June 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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