Kirkham Pear Tree School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key Findings

Nothing other than 'outstanding' can describe this wonderful school.

It is a centre of pioneering innovation and goes to enormous lengths to meet the hugely complex needs of all of its pupils. It enjoys the total support of parents, staff are proud to be associated with it and pupils feel happy and safe. Achievement is outstanding.

From starting points that are frequently at the very earliest stages of learning and development, pupils make excellent progress. The school is keen to develop more advanced systems to check the significance of the tiny steps by which those pupils with the most profound and multiple learning difficulties make progress. Outstanding teaching is central to the success ...of the school.

Teachers are highly skilled in promoting communication through whatever means possible. They demonstrate an acute understanding of each pupil's needs, plan lessons immaculately to address these needs and ensure that activities to promote learning are vivid, exciting and memorable. Pupils demonstrate outstandingly good attitudes to learning and overcoming their difficulties.

They behave exceptionally well in all situations. Independence and responsibility are strongly promoted. Pupils are given eminently sensible advice on how to stay safe and recognise potentially unsafe situations.

Leadership, management and governance are outstanding. There is immaculate attention to detail in planning for improvement. All staff are strongly encouraged and enabled to take responsibility.

The positive impact of initiatives to improve teaching and learning is clearly evident. Leaders and managers have skilfully managed the evolution of a curriculum that inspires learning and supports pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development outstandingly well. The sixth form is outstanding.

The introduction of a greater range of vocational opportunities and improvements to the ways students can gain meaningful qualifications have been landmark improvements in recent years.

Information about the school

This is a school for pupils with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties. Many pupils have additional difficulties and disabilities including autism, sensory impairment and complex medical needs.

About a fifth of all pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. Most pupils are of White British heritage. Pear Tree is also a children's centre, providing services to families in the local community.

Although the centre is led and managed by the headteacher and governing body it was inspected separately and a report about its quality can be found on the Ofsted website. Since the last inspection, the deputy headteacher has left and has been replaced by two assistant headteachers. The school has received many awards since the last inspection, including becoming a specialist physical and sensory school and also a National College Leadership Development School.

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

Also at this postcode