Aurora Severnside School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 July 2025

Positive relationships, respect and kindness are at the centre of everything the school does. Pupils develop trusting relationships with staff and benefit from a caring environment. Staff know the pupils well and understand their needs, talents and interests. This builds pupils' self-confidence and the belief they need to thrive. Staff tailor provision for each pupil to effectively meet their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils re-engage with education and succeed. Many pupils arrive here with a negative experience of education. The school's curriculum prioritises a therapeutic approach so that pupils settle quickly. Over time, pupils' behaviour and attendance improve. The school is aspirational for all pupils. Pupils respond well to this and gain a range of vocational qualifications and GCSEs. The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour. When pupils struggle with this, staff use a range of personalised strategies to help manage their emotional and behavioural needs. This means that pupils learn in a calm and inclusive environment. The school provides an extensive selection of additional opportunities based on individual interests. This includes a trip to a local water park and litter picking in the local community. Pupils learn new skills such as 'doggy day care' and coaching in football and boxing.

What the school should improve

• On some occasions, teachers do not have high enough expectations of the quality of pupils' written work. At times, pupils' accurate use of grammar, sentence construction and transcription skills are not addressed. This limits how highly some pupils can achieve. The school should ensure that all teachers set high expectations so that pupils take pride in their work and demonstrate their writing skills successfully across the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)