The Observatory School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 January 2025

Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. Adults develop strong and trusting relationships with pupils. Pupils feel accepted, valued and well cared for. They say that staff help them to make friends, recognise their achievements and help them to learn. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils know that the school wants them to succeed. Most pupils achieve well. The school harnesses pupils' interests and talents. For example, pupils can take part in sports, the arts and vocational options. The school supports pupils to achieve their ambitions. Visits, including from ex-pupils, inspire pupils to think about their own future aspirational career choices. Pupils learn about their emotions and understand how this can affect their behaviour. The school helps pupils to learn the strategies they need to regulate their behaviour. Over time, pupils learn to manage their behaviour well.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the curriculum does not meet the needs of all pupils. In these subjects, pupils do not learn or achieve as well as they could. The school should evaluate where refinements need to be made to subject curriculums to ensure that they meet the needs of all learners.
• The school has not ensured that its policies and practices have been applied consistently during a period of rapid expansion. This has impacted on some pupils' behaviour and has contributed to some disruption to learning. The school should ensure that its policies are implemented effectively and consistently across all school sites to help pupils to learn the curriculum well and without interruption.

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