Educ8 Liverpool

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 May 2025

Almost all pupils at the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). When they join this school, pupils have often been out of education for some time. The school helps them to restart their learning journey. Pupils learn what they need in order to gain qualifications in English and mathematics. However, the school's expectations for what pupils can learn and achieve are often low. Many pupils do not achieve as well as they should. This school has not done enough to foster an inclusive environment. Many pupils do not attend the school often enough. Some pupils also miss out on their education when the school sends them home as a result of negative behaviour. These pupils are not supported to make positive choices. Added to this, weaknesses in the culture and practice of safeguarding mean that the school does not fulfil its duties to protect pupils from harm. Even though pupils may feel safe at this school, they are not. Other pupils experience the school differently. Those who attend regularly are typically happy at school. Through the caring relationships that staff build with them, these pupils begin to put any previous difficulties behind them. Their behaviour, and their attitudes to learning, improve throughout their time here.

What the school should improve

• The proprietor body has not fulfilled its statutory duties to safeguard pupils. This has put pupils at risk of harm. In addition, weaknesses in the implementation of some of the school's policies has the potential to result in harm to staff. The proprietor must take immediate steps to address the school's ineffective safeguarding arrangements and ensure the safety and well-being of pupils and staff.
• The school's curriculum is neither broad nor rich. Pupils, especially those in key stage 3, miss out on building their knowledge of a wide range of subjects. For some, this limits their future ambitions. The school should roll out its plans to implement the broader, more ambitious, curriculum that it has designed.
• Some staff do not have secure enough subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum as effectively as leaders intend. This hinders some pupils in learning the curriculum as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff receive the guidance and support that they need to deliver the curriculum well.
• The school does not identify thoroughly enough the specific aspects of reading that pupils struggle with. Pupils do not get the right kind of support to improve their reading. This hinders their achievement across the curriculum. The school should ensure that its programme of reading support is well matched to the gaps in pupils' reading knowledge. This includes a phonics programme, when required.
• Pupils' absence rates are high. The school does not keep a close enough track of pupils' attendance, or their whereabouts when they are absent. This puts some pupils at risk of harm. It also means that they miss much of their education. The school should maximise its efforts to ensure that all pupils are helped to attend school regularly, following up any absences rigorously.
• Some aspects of the school's personal development programme are limited. Pupils do not benefit from a wide set of experiences that enable them to develop new skills and interests. This hinders pupils' preparedness to lead fulfilling future lives. The school should ensure that pupils can engage in a wider range of experiences to enrich their learning and help them to gain additional skills.
• The proprietor has not ensured that the actions necessary to bring about sustained improvement to the school have happened with enough urgency. In addition, the proprietor has not demonstrated the knowledge and understanding required to meet the standards consistently. This has led to insufficient oversight of the quality of the school's provision. The proprietor body must ensure that arrangements to check that all the standards are consistently met are rigorous and effective.

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