Voluntary controlled school · Primary
Prenton · CH43 7XG · Wirral
Ages 2–11
Status: Open
0.2 miles away
OpenURN 127715
The Observatory School
Community special school · Prenton · CH43 7QT
Age range
Ages 7–16
Pupils
174
Local authority
Wirral
Age range
Ages 7–16
05111619
Provision snapshot
Based on official GIAS characteristics
1 / 6
- Nursery
- Sixth form
- BoardingNo boarders
- Special school
- Independent
- Academy
Local context
How this school sits among open establishments in its area, using official GIAS records. These are counts, not rankings.
Mixed community special school, Ages 7–16, in Prenton, Wirral, 174 pupils on roll. Notable characteristics: special school. Free school meals: 66.1%. SEN provision includes: SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health.
Nearby schools
Open schools within about 3 miles, prioritising the same phase where possible. Distances are approximate from GIAS coordinates.
- Compare
- Compare
Voluntary aided school · Primary
Birkenhead · CH41 7DU · Wirral
Ages 3–11
Status: Open
0.5 miles away
- Compare
Voluntary aided school · Primary
Prenton · CH43 7TE · Wirral
Ages 2–11
Status: Open
0.6 miles away
- Compare
Other independent special school
Birkenhead · CH43 9LB · Wirral
Ages 11–16
Status: Open
0.7 miles away
- Compare
Academy converter · Primary
Wirral · CH43 7ZU · Wirral
Ages 3–11
Status: Open
0.7 miles away
- Compare
Community school · Primary
Wirral · CH46 1RU · Wirral
Ages 3–11
Status: Open
0.8 miles away
- Compare
Community special school
Leasowe · CH46 1RA · Wirral
Ages 11–19
Status: Open
0.8 miles away
- Compare
Academy converter · Primary
Birkenhead · CH41 0DQ · Wirral
Ages 3–11
Status: Open
0.9 miles away
Overview
- School type
- Community special school
- Age range
- 7–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Status
- Open
- URN
- 127715
Location
- Address
- Bidston Village Road, Bidston
- Postcode
- CH43 7QT
- Town
- Prenton
- County
- Merseyside
- Local authority
- Wirral
- District
- Wirral
- Constituency
- Birkenhead
- Urban/rural
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Size & intake
Pupil numbers and free school meals come from the GIAS school census fields. Capacity fill is calculated when both pupils and capacity are published. Census date: 15 Jan 2026.
- Pupils on roll
- 174
- Boys / girls
- 141 / 33
- School capacity
- 160
- Capacity fill
- 174 / 160 (109%)
- Free school meals
- 66.1%
- FSM pupils
- 115
- Gender
- Mixed
School characteristics
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Special classes
- Has Special Classes
- Governance
- Community special school
SEN & specialist provision
SEN types and resourced/SEN unit places as recorded in GIAS. This is provision detail, not an Ofsted judgement.
- SEN types
- SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Special classes
- Has Special Classes
Contact
- Headteacher
- Mr Gregory Chiswell
- Telephone
- 01516527093
Official links
Ofsted
Latest inspection outcomes from Ofsted monthly management information. Report-card grades use the current framework where published; older OEIF grades are shown when that is the latest graded inspection.
Headline
Not judged
Inspection date
2025-01-14
- Overall effectiveness
- Not judged
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Safeguarding effective
- Yes
Performance
Official school-level results from DfE school and college performance tables. Figures are not rankings — suppressed or unavailable values are omitted.
Key stage 4 (2023/24)
- Attainment 8
- 7.3
- Progress 8
- -1.4
- English & maths grade 5+
- 5%
- English & maths grade 4+
- 5%
- EBacc entry
- 0%
- EBacc APS
- 0.6
Key stage 2 (2023/24)
- Expected standard (RWM)
- 0%
- Higher standard (RWM)
- 0%
- Avg scaled score — reading
- 92.0
- Avg scaled score — maths
- 91.0
- Avg scaled score — GPS
- 90.0