Merstone School

Merstone School is an all-through community special school for pupils with severe, profound and multiple learning difficulties and complex autism. Following a full inspection in March 2026, the school has been graded as 'Strong standard' across every area of its provision, including achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, personal development, and post-16 provision. Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding. The school is part of the Forest Oak School and Merstone School Federation, has a new executive headteacher, and serves a highly disadvantaged community with 100% of pupils having an EHC plan and over 60% eligible for free school meals. There are no significant concerns; the school's next step is to share its effective practice more widely with other special and mainstream schools. The inspection found that pupils thrive in a caring, highly inclusive community. Education is shaped by well-focused EHC plans, and pupils make strong progress from their starting points, achieving well across a range of nationally recognised qualifications. Staff are experts at supporting pupils with SEND, using precise assessment and highly focused support. The curriculum is carefully ordered and adapted, with a strong focus on independence. Early years provision is joyful and nurturing, and post-16 provision is highly individualised, preparing students well for adulthood. Pupils behave well, attendance is in line with similar schools, and disruption is rare. Leaders and governors are ambitious, inclusive, and committed to continuous improvement. They ensure staff are well trained and well supported, and they are mindful of workload and wellbeing. The school's personal development programme is highly individualised, offering rich opportunities through sport, performing arts, community visits, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The only area identified for further development is for leaders to establish and re-establish wider relationships with special and mainstream schools to share effective practice and support improvement in other settings.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve very well because education is shaped by well-focused education, health and care plans.
• Pupils make strong progress from their starting points and produce consistently high-quality work.
• Staff identify pupils' needs accurately and provide precisely targeted support.
• Pupils gain knowledge and skills across ambitious, meaningful qualifications.
• Attendance is carefully analysed and supported, with effective pastoral work to reduce absence.
• The school environment fosters a strong sense of belonging and enjoyment of school.
• Staff are highly skilled at supporting pupils to regulate emotions and behaviour, making disruption rare.
• The curriculum is carefully ordered across all subjects and pathways from early years to post-16.
• Leaders check teaching effectiveness regularly and provide timely, targeted support for teachers.
• Staff use highly focused assessment to track academic, social and physical progress in detail.
• The school provides an extensive range of interventions, therapies and other services.
• Early years provision is joyful, nurturing and carefully planned around each child's needs.
• The school is highly inclusive, with precise assessment and bespoke adaptations for all pupils.
• Additional funding is used effectively so disadvantaged pupils achieve and thrive alongside peers.
• Leaders and governors know the school's strengths and next steps well and have clear ambition.
• Staff are experts through focused training, and leaders are mindful of staff workload and wellbeing.
• Personal development is highly individualised, with rich opportunities in sport, performing arts and community visits.
• Pupils are well prepared for adulthood, including through self-care, independence and careers guidance.
• Post-16 provision is highly individualised with preparation for adulthood at its heart.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Limited wider sharing of effective practice with other special and mainstream schools.

In 2024–25 pupils at Merstone School attended 87.4% of sessions (the national figure for special schools was 87.2%). 42.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 35.3%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.8% of pupils at Merstone School were suspended at least once (nationally 5.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Merstone School had 7.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for special schools was 6.6). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.5%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26 Merstone School had 166 pupils, 98.8% of them with an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 99.5%).

It says it provides for: severe learning difficulty; profound and multiple learning difficulty; hearing impairment; vision impairment; multi-sensory impairment; autistic spectrum disorder; other difficulty or disability.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded special school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Merstone School received £22,941 and spent £23,206 for each of its 377 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £176,000 (£466 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). This school files a single return with the other schools in its federation, so the figures are for the whole federation.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Merstone School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Merstone School is Strong standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Merstone School last inspected by Ofsted?

Merstone School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Merstone School have?

Merstone School has 166 pupils on roll.

What age range does Merstone School cover?

Merstone School for pupils aged 2 to 19.

What are Merstone School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 0% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Merstone School?

Merstone School is at Windward Way, Smith's Wood, Birmingham, West Midlands, B36 0UE.