Ormskirk School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 January 2025

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this school. They value the caring ethos and the kind way in which they are treated by staff. Strong relationships underpin the high levels of pastoral care that pupils receive. The school has high academic expectations of all pupils. It ensures that pupils are prepared well for their next steps after school. Typically, pupils and students in the sixth form are learning well across the curriculum. There is a calm atmosphere in lessons and around the school. Pupils generally follow the school's rules. They are polite and friendly. In most lessons, pupils learn free from distractions. The school has improved the support that it gives to the very small minority of pupils who struggle to regulate their behaviour. Pupils are keen to help others. For instance, sixth-form students organise donations for a food bank, pupils attend charity fundraising discos, and charity bake sales are very popular. Pupils enjoy whole-school events that bring the school community together, such as sports day and the school production. Some pupils engage well with the range of clubs on offer, such as journalism, coding and guitar clubs, that help them to develop their skills and interests.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, teachers do not adapt learning sufficiently well for pupils with SEND. As a result, on occasions, some pupils with SEND are not supported to access the curriculum as effectively as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped with the knowledge and expertise to be able to make effective adaptations to learning so that pupils with SEND achieve well.
• Some teachers do not check regularly enough what pupils have learned and understood. This can sometimes mean that some pupils have misunderstandings or gaps in their knowledge that are not addressed as swiftly as they could be. The school should ensure that teachers are supported to check pupils' learning systematically so that misconceptions can be addressed before learning is moved on.
• The attendance of some pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND, is not as high as it could be. This means that these pupils are missing out on valuable learning time and all that the school has to offer. The school should ensure that it employs the most effective strategies to improve pupils' attendance.

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