The Meadows School, Oldbury

Requires Improvement
Special
Community special school
Mixed
Ages 1119

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mr James Horspool
Pupils:262 / 215 capacity
LA:Sandwell
Phone:01215697080
Address:The Meadows School, Dudley Road East, Sandwell, Oldbury, B69 3BU
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open
Opened:1 September 2000

Ofsted Rating

Requires Improvement

Overall

URN:132231
UKPRN:10009680
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:West Bromwich
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The Meadows School excels at understanding and meeting each pupil's individual needs through highly personalised support including adapted equipment, communication aids and bespoke routines. Staff are trained to recognise that behaviour often reflects unmet needs, responding with patience and calm rather than punishment. The school has created a genuinely inclusive environment where all pupils, including those with complex medical needs, feel safe, valued and happy while making meaningful progress in communication, independence and practical life skills.

Key Strengths

  • Highly personalised support with well-designed routines, visual timetables and bespoke communication aids that help all pupils participate and feel included
  • Strong focus on reading, communication and independence skills with staff using stories, songs and practical resources to build learning
  • Positive behaviour and relationships, with staff understanding that challenging behaviour reflects unmet needs and responding with patience and calm
  • Thorough inclusion of pupils known to children's social care, ensuring they access the same opportunities as their peers
  • Committed leadership with an accurate understanding of strengths and areas for improvement, supported by governors who provide appropriate challenge

Areas for Improvement

  • Not all staff consistently check how well pupils understand their learning before moving on to new content
  • Teaching quality varies between classes, with leaders continuing to work towards greater consistency
  • Further development needed in ensuring subject knowledge is secure across all curriculum areas
  • Additional layers of leadership need to be developed to share responsibilities and improve monitoring effectiveness

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, concerns are actively identified and managed, and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Visits to places of worship, travel training, nature exploration, therapeutic sessions, sensory space activities, gardening, enterprise projects, work-related learning, community activities

The Meadows School is a special school that provides education for pupils with complex needs including physical, sensory and communication difficulties. The school has created an inclusive environment where pupils feel safe, valued and happy, with personalised support tailored to each child's individual requirements.

At a Glance

57.8%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

Yes

Sixth Form

SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, VI - Visual Impairment, OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, HI - Hearing Impairment

SEN Provision

No

Special Measures

Class Sizes

0.0

Avg class size

0

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

122%

Over capacity

262 pupils

215 capacity

47 places over capacity

Area Demand Pressure - Oldbury

Low pressure
New homes approved:574
Projected new pupils:103

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Oldbury

Admissions Demand - Sandwell

Low demand0.84x oversubscription

Places available

5,176

Applications

4,326

Got 1st preference

81.1%

Got preferred school

95.9%

Secondary admissions across Sandwell (2025/26)

Inspection History(13)

Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement
Date not published by Ofsted
Requires Improvement

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

12.98155%

Overall absence

35.33333%

Persistent absence

150

Enrolments

Authorised9.26186%
Unauthorised3.7197%
Persistent (10%+)35.33333%
Severe (50%+)5.33333%

Absence trend

10.08712%
18/19
7.22985%
20/21
8.79718%
21/22
10.2826%
22/23
12.14821%
23/24
12.98155%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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