Orrets Meadow School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school The headteacher and governors have created a culture where only the best will do. Their vision and determination has ensured that the school has improved further during a period when pupils' needs have become more complex and diverse.

Leaders have ensured that all members of the school community subscribe to the school's ethos and aims. Pupils pledge to support the school's simple but profound values of being nice, working hard and never giving up. Leaders have an intimate knowledge of the school's effectiveness.

Their plans to improve the school are ambitious and meticulous. Staff form a dynamic and cohesive team. They are except...ionally motivated and keen to contribute to improvements.

Teachers and other adults have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teachers use their comprehensive understanding of pupils' needs to ensure that pupils of all abilities complete work that challenges and motivates them. The curriculum is broad, balanced and inspiring.

Leaders regularly review its effectiveness to ensure that pupils are fully prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils' behaviour is impeccable. They are friendly, considerate and hugely appreciative of the school's work.

Pupils make outstanding progress across the full curriculum during their time at the school. This is because of the high-quality teaching they receive and the relentless focus on equipping pupils with the skills to overcome their barriers to learning. Pupils make remarkable progress in their reading and writing.

They also make consistently fast progress in mathematics, although the gains they make are not quite as dramatic as they are in English. Pupils benefit from exceptional opportunities for their personal development. Leaders have ensured that physical education and activities to promote emotional well-being assume a central role within the curriculum.

Pupils' enjoyment of learning is palpable. They feel safe at school and greatly value their relationships with adults. Pupils are rarely absent from school and attendance figures are well above the national average for all schools.

Leaders have recently introduced systems to track the social and emotional development of pupils. These systems will enable them to measure how much progress is being made in these key areas. Parents are hugely appreciative of the school's work.

Many parents feel that the school has transformed the lives of their children and the wider family.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. All pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan.

Since the previous inspection the school has catered for pupils who have a broader range of special educational needs and/or disabilities. The majority of pupils have additional needs relating to speech, language and communication. An increasing proportion of pupils have autism spectrum disorder and/or social, emotional and behaviour difficulties.

Admissions to the school are controlled by the local authority. In 2014, the school started to accept pupils in key stage 1. There are currently a small number of pupils in Year 2.

The majority of pupils join the school during key stage 2 and transfer to mainstream secondary schools at the end of Year 6. Occasionally, a pupil will spend Year 7 at the school. The school is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.

The proportion of boys is much higher than the national average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well below average. There are currently no pupils who speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above the national average. The school provides an outreach service to schools within the local authority. The school currently supports over 70 local schools with training, assessment and advice services for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.