Orion School, Birmingham

What it's like to be a pupil at Orion School

Orion School helps pupils to re-engage with education. Many pupils have experienced disruption to their education and arrive with social and emotional difficulties. This has affected their confidence and behaviour. Staff build strong, trusting relationships with pupils and understand their needs and anxieties well. Over time, this helps pupils to settle, feel valued and begin to see themselves as successful learners. Pupils, parents and carers are extremely positive about the difference this school makes to their lives. Many parents feel this is the first time they have been able to celebrate their child's success. Pupils enjoy their learning, particularly when it is practical and linked to their future ambitions. They value opportunities such as motor vehicle studies, where they develop an understanding of vehicle systems and complete tasks such as dismantling and rebuilding components. However, missed opportunities to address gaps in pupils understanding in other areas of the curriculum, mean that not all pupils achieve as well as they could. While, staff are ambitious for pupils to achieve, not all receive the necessary support to enable them to do so. Pupils feel safe and cared for. They say that staff listen to them and take concerns seriously. Pupils understand that bullying is unacceptable. When it does occur, staff deal with it quickly and effectively. Pupils trust adults to keep them safe. Most pupils behave well. They understand what is expected of them and respond positively to staff support. Staff manage any signs of anxiety or frustration calmly. This helps pupils to control their behaviour and return to learning quickly. Pupils benefit from a range of wider opportunities, including visits, work experience and activities such as sport and creative projects. These experiences help them to develop independence and confidence. Pupils who attend regularly feel a stronger sense of belonging and engagement. However, those that do no, are unable to benefit from these opportunities.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders should ensure there are are sufficient trained numbers of staff to administer first aid, including when pupils are off-site, to ensure that health and safety requirements are implemented effectively.
• Leaders should strengthen their oversight of the curriculum so that identified areas for development are acted on quickly and followed through systematically. They should ensure the independent school standards are met consistently over time.
• Leaders should ensure teaching is consistently adapted to meet pupils' needs. They should ensure that the agreed approaches of modelling and scaffolding are used effectively so that all pupils can access learning.
• Leaders should support staff to improve the clarity and accuracy of feedback so pupils understand how to improve their work and avoid repeating errors.
• Leaders should ensure that there are clear expectations for pupils who miss lessons, so that gaps in essential knowledge identified and addressed.
• Leaders should analyse attendance patterns more precisely. They should use this information to strengthen expectations and improve attendance, particularly for those who are persistently absent.

Orion School excels at helping pupils who have experienced disrupted education and emotional difficulties to rebuild confidence and re-engage with learning. Staff create strong, trusting relationships that make pupils feel understood and valued, with many parents celebrating their child's success for the first time. The school offers a well-planned personal development programme with practical opportunities like work experience and motor vehicle studies that connect to pupils' futures.

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.

Work experience placements, motor vehicle studies, visits and activities, teamwork experiences, careers guidance

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