Gilbrook School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Gilbrook makes an enormously positive difference to the lives of its pupils. From poor experiences and failed placements, many make such exceptional strides in their academic and personal development, that they are able to re-join mainstream schools and enjoy success there.

In a secure and caring environment, pupils quickly settle and develop vastly improved attitudes to their learning, resulting in rapid progress, particularly noticeable in their excellent literacy and numeracy achievements. The quality of teaching is outstanding. Teachers set ambitious targets for their pupils and they, along with their teaching assistants, are highly s...killed at using a range of strategies to help their pupils achieve them.

Pupils are unanimous in stating that Gilbrook is 'the best school ever'. They recognise how much it develops their confidence and helps them learn to manage their behaviours. Pupils contribute to their own behaviour targets and are eager to achieve them.

Senior leaders, including governors are extremely well-informed about how well individual pupils are doing. The school has been led and managed exceptionally well to provide stability over a long period. They have ensured the school has been focussed on improving teaching and pupil achievement.

Because they know the school so well, leaders recognise the need to further improve the skills and knowledge of staff in working with the increasing number of pupils with autism spectrum conditions. Parents have nothing but praise for the school. Several parents commented that the school had transformed the lives of their children and of their families.

Information about this school

Gilbrook School provides for primary-age pupils who have a statement of special educational needs for social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Most pupils have additional learning difficulties and disabilities including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, autism spectrum conditions, specific and moderate learning difficulties, and communication difficulties. The proportion of pupils with additional complex needs, particularly autism, is increasing.

The school admits pupils from across the whole of the Wirral local authority at any stage in their primary education. At present there are no pupils below Key Stage 2 and there are only two girls. Pupils often spend less than three years at the school and it is becoming increasingly common for pupils to be admitted in Years 5 and 6.

The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is exceptionally high. Pupil premium is additional funding from the government for pupils who are eligible for free school meals and for those children in the care of the local authority.

The school manages a behaviour support service on behalf of the local authority, providing advice and support to all of the Wirral's primary schools. It has recently agreed to offer temporary provision to pupils from the sixth day of an exclusion from other primary schools. Since the previous inspection, the school has been re-located to a new site in a refurbished school building.