Wirral Hospitals’ School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Wirral Hospitals' School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this warm and inclusive school.

They benefit from a culture that celebrates difference. Pupils join the school having had difficulties in previous settings. Here, they rebuild their trust in adults and their optimism for the future.

Pupils enjoy exceptionally strong, caring relationships with adults who know them very well. This helps pupils to feel happy. They know that there is always an adult available to support them if they are worried.

Staff are passionate about providing the very best education for pupils. There is no ceiling to the school...'s high ambitions for what pupils can achieve. Pupils, all of whom have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve highly.

They are exceptionally well prepared for their next steps in education.

Pupils are extremely respectful of others. They behave in an exemplary manner around school, and they are excellent role models for their peers.

Staff are experts at noticing when pupils experience distress or discomfort. They respond quickly and sensitively.

Pupils enjoy impressive opportunities that promote their wider development.

They delight in enrichment activities such as gardening, running, cooking and theatre productions. The chance to participate in a residential trip helps pupils to discover their hidden strengths and to develop their independence and resilience.

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

The school has designed an exceptionally ambitious curriculum.

This curriculum is highly developed and reflects a strong resolve that every pupil will achieve all that they possibly can. It also helps pupils to be well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Teachers are confident in the subjects that they teach.

They pride themselves on finding inventive and interesting ways to explain new ideas clearly. This helps pupils to remember important learning. Teachers skilfully use the information that they have about each pupil to break learning down into small, manageable steps.

They have a thorough understanding of how to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for each pupil.

Learning goals in pupils' education, health and care plans (EHC plan) are interwoven into all aspects of the curriculum. As a result, pupils build their confidence well and they flourish in their learning.

Reading has a particularly high profile in this school. There is an excellent understanding of where pupils are in their reading development. Adults provide highly effective support for pupils who find reading difficult.

For example, these pupils benefit from revisiting early reading strategies and developing their comprehension skills further. Staff's own passion for reading is infectious and in turn, fosters a love of reading among pupils. The well-stocked library is regularly used by pupils as a safe haven, where they can unwind and immerse themselves in books.

Pupils behave extremely well in lessons. Many are highly motivated to learn. If struggling to concentrate, pupils are free to quietly step out of class.

Most pupils join the school after having long periods of non-attendance in previous settings. The school analyses and tracks absence thoroughly. It is successful at re-engaging many pupils back into school.

Staff do all that they can to re-establish positive attendance habits.

The school offers pupils many high-quality opportunities to develop themselves personally and to prepare themselves for life beyond school. For example, pupils learn communication and interaction strategies so that they have the skills and confidence to successfully manage a range of social situations.

Comprehensive and extremely well-thought-out careers education, information, advice and guidance are available to pupils. An annual enterprise week offers pupils the chance to see the huge range of professions and careers that are available to them. It also provides a taste of the world of work by providing them with real-life experiences to plan, promote, create and sell products.

This amply reinforces the school's belief that there are no limits to what pupils can achieve.

Governors share the school's high ambition for pupils. Staff value the support that they receive for their workload and well-being.

For example, they appreciate the time that they are given to develop an exciting and inspiring curriculum. Staff are proud to work at the school. They are determined to make a real difference to the lives of pupils and their families.

Typically, parents said that the school is 'amazing' and a 'lifesaver' for their children and families.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in November 2014.