The Observatory School
| Type | Special School / Community special school |
| Age Range | 7-16 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Bidston Village Road Bidston Prenton Merseyside CH43 7QT |
| Phone | 01516527093 |
| Reference Number | 127715 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 142 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 82.39%
Girls: 17.61% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 68.1% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 0.7% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 9 | Unknown | 9 |
| 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | 2 | Unknown | 2 |
| 6 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
| 7 | 20 | 5 | 25 |
| 8 | 27 | 3 | 30 |
| 9 | 21 | 3 | 24 |
| 10 | 15 | 2 | 17 |
| 11 | 12 | 10 | 22 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 95.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 1.4% |
| White, Other | 0.7% |
| White & Asian | 0.7% |
| Unclassified | 0.7% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.7% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | As of September 2024, Ofsted no longer give a one word rating for schools. See our blog post for more details. |
| Last Inspection Date | 2025-03-05 |
| Date | Description | Report |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-01-14 | School inspection | School inspection |
| 2018-03-14 | Short inspection | Short inspection |
| 2012-11-21 | Full inspection: | Full inspection: |
| 2011-06-17 | Curriculum and development visit | Curriculum and development visit |
| 2010-01-12 | Full inspection: | Full inspection: |
| 2007-06-20 | Full inspection: | Full inspection: |
Ofsted Parent View
The latest published parent view scores are from 2022. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don't Know | Total Responses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My child is happy at this school. | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 2. My child feels safe at this school. | 24 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 |
| 3. The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved. | 12 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 33 |
| 4. My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively. | 20 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 5. The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year. | 20 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 6. When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly. | 5 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 7. My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed. | ||||||
| 8. The school has high expectations for my child. | 19 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 9. My child does well at this school. | 21 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 10. The school lets me know how my child is doing. | 17 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 11. There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school. | 21 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 12. My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school. | 25 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 33 |
| 13. The school supports my child’s wider personal development. | 17 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 33 |
| 14. I would recommend this school to another parent. | 32 | 1 |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 7.3 | Unlock | Unlock |
Progress 8 Score
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| School Score | Percentile (loc) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| -1.36 | Unlock | Unlock |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Sample
UnlockProgress 8 Score
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 92 | Unlock | Unlock |
| Maths | 91 | Unlock | Unlock |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -7.9 | Unlock | Unlock |
| Maths | -7.8 | Unlock | Unlock |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
Data relates to students who sat their GCSE's in 2022 and was last updated in May 2024.
| Staying in Education | Unlock |
| > Further Education | Unlock |
| > School Sixth Form | Unlock |
| > Sixth Form College | Unlock |
| > Other Education | Unlock |
| Apprenticeships | Unlock |
| Employment | Unlock |
| Not in education or employment | Unlock |
| Unknown | Unlock |
| Name | Distance |
|
Bidston Village CofE (Controlled) Primary School
Ballantyne Drive, Bidston, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 7XG |
0.15 miles |
|
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School
Gautby Road, Bidston, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 7DU |
0.53 miles |
|
St Paul's Catholic Primary School
FARMFIELD DRIVE, BEECHWOOD, PRENTON, MERSEYSIDE, CH43 7TE |
0.56 miles |
|
Manor Primary School
Beechwood Drive, Birkenhead, Wirral, Merseyside, CH43 7ZU |
0.72 miles |
|
Leasowe Primary School
Oxley Avenue, Leasowe, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 1RU |
0.75 miles |
|
Bidston Avenue Primary School
Tollemache Road, Claughton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 0DQ |
0.86 miles |
|
Sandbrook Primary School
Stavordale Road, Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 9PS |
0.87 miles |
|
Castleway Nursery School
Castleway North, Wirral, CH46 1RN |
0.92 miles |
|
Orrets Meadow School
Chapelhill Road, Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 9QQ |
0.96 miles |
|
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School
Danger Lane, Moreton, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 8UG |
0.99 miles |
|
Co-op Academy Portland
Laird Street, Claughton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 0AB |
1.09 miles |
|
Holy Spirit Catholic and Church of England Primary School
Gardenside, Leasowe, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 2RP |
1.09 miles |
|
Hayfield School
Manor Drive, Upton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 4LN |
1.13 miles |
|
Castleway Primary School
Castleway North, Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 1RN |
1.13 miles |
|
Eastway Primary School
Rossall Road, Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 8TA |
1.16 miles |
|
Co-op Academy Hillside
Ridgeview Road, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 9HG |
1.31 miles |
|
Overchurch Infant School
Moreton Road, Upton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 4NS |
1.34 miles |
|
Overchurch Junior School
Moreton Road, Upton, 6 Berwyn Avenue, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 4NS |
1.34 miles |
|
Moreton Christ Church CofE Primary School
Upton Road, Moreton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH46 0PB |
1.4 miles |
|
St Peter's Catholic Primary School
St Peter's Way, Noctorum, St. Peters Rc Primary School, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 9QR |
1.45 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Clare Mount Specialist Sports College
Birket Avenue, Leasowe, CH46 1RA |
0.79 miles |
|
Wirral Hospitals' School
157 Park Road North, Claughton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH41 0EZ |
1.02 miles |
|
The Mosslands School
Mosslands Drive, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH45 8PJ |
1.12 miles |
|
Weatherhead High School
Breck Rd, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH44 3HS |
1.13 miles |
|
Birkenhead Sixth Form College
Park Road West, Claughton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH43 8SQ |
1.17 miles |
|
St Mary's Catholic College, A Voluntary Academy
Wallasey Village, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH45 3LN |
1.48 miles |
|
Kilgarth School
Cavendish Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 8BA |
1.5 miles |
|
Upton Hall School FCJ
Upton, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 6LJ |
1.56 miles |
|
St Anselm's College
Manor Hill, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 1UQ |
1.57 miles |
|
Birkenhead High School Academy
86 Devonshire Place, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 1TY |
1.62 miles |
|
Birkenhead School
58 Beresford Road, Prenton, CH43 2JD |
1.65 miles |
|
Ridgeway High School
Noctorum Avenue, Noctorum, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 9EB |
1.66 miles |
|
The Oldershaw School
Valkyrie Road, Wallasey, Merseyside, CH45 4RJ |
1.74 miles |
|
Birkenhead Park School
Park Road South, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH43 4UY |
1.75 miles |
|
Woodchurch High School
Carr Bridge Road, Woodchurch, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 7NG |
1.98 miles |
|
Meadowside School
Pool Lane, Wirral, CH49 5LA |
2.13 miles |
|
Meadowside School
Pool Lane, Woodchurch, Wirral, Merseyside, CH49 5LA |
2.13 miles |
|
Foxfield School
New Hey Road, Woodchurch, Merseyside, CH49 5LF |
2.16 miles |
|
Wirral Metropolitan College
Conway Park Campus, Conway Park, Europa Boulevard, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 4NT |
2.48 miles |
|
Progress Schools - Hamilton Square
60 Hamilton Square, Wirral, CH41 5AT |
2.75 miles |