Welcome
I would like to extend a warm virtual welcome to our extraordinary school. The Observatory School is a very special place for both pupils and staff alike. Spanning two campus, just under 3 miles apart, both sites are designed in harmony with nature and to meet the needs of our pupils. The two campus are separated by the Birkett River. The Vyner campus, housing our upper school is located in the medieval village of Bidston.
The Vyner campus is nestled at the foot of Bidston Hill, famous for its Viking and Roman pasts and more recently the Bidston coastal observatory to which the schools name is derived from. Vyner school boasts start of the art classrooms, specialist outdoor spaces that sit in harmony with the local conservation area.
The Leasowe campus, housing our lower school, is currently based in a highly modified early years and family centre, built between 1953 and 2006. At Leasowe we enjoy start of the art classrooms blended with mature forested grounds and carefully architected outdoor spaces.
Both sites are places where ambitions, aspirations and talents are nurtured to achieve remarkable things. If your child is lucky enough to be with us, or join us in the future, our truly remarkable team of highly qualified staff will wrap around your child and family and encourage significant change. I took over as Headteacher in 2015, we set out on a journey, the destination being to establish excellence in our school. In doing so we have blended innovation in teaching with interventions to support, nurture and challenge all of our pupils to be the best they can be. Be that in our classrooms, outside areas or on astonishing adventures around the world.
Our ambition is for each child, whatever their starting point, to achieve highly academically, socially and spiritually, leaving us prepared for the next phase in their lives. In my role as Executive Headteacher I ensure that my staff have all they need to nurture, support, stretch and challenge our pupils to fulfil their full potential. Children in my school are kind and act with integrity and know that success is a measure of not just their academic ability, but their personal, social and emotional progress and overall wellbeing. It is my commitment to everyone at this school that I will work hard to ensure the very best levels of social, emotional and academic achievement are made possible at my school. I hope this message and the wealth of information available to you virtually gives you hope.
Please contact me directly, through either of the school offices if you would like to talk about what we can offer. Best wishes, Mr Gregory Chiswell, Executive Headteacher
Admissions
We are of course a specialist school, but we will consider admissions for children from all four broad areas of need, whatever their current ability or starting point or previous experience in their current school. We have three pathways available to children with EHCP’s in KS2, 3 and 4 (age 9 to 16). We will sometimes take children without an EHCP if their Local Authority has agreed to conduct an assessment. At the Vyner site, we have 18 classrooms, including 11 specialist ‘Nurture Bases’, Science Lab, Art room, Food technology suite and an Engineering workshop. Most children attend school full time, but we can offer bespoke teaching programmes and very specialist individualised programmes of education, depending on your child’s individual needs and aspirations. We do not only cater for children from the Wirral, a small number of our pupils come from all over the United Kingdom.
More Information
As an indication of the quality of our new provision, the school is heavily oversubscribed and there is a waiting list for admission into every year group. If we can though, we always will try and work with you and your child’s Local Authority to get the very best education offer for your child, and can support you while you are waiting for a place to become available. TOS Local Offer. Our work has supported schools internationally, with our staff and pupils working and supporting schools in Finland, Spain, France, Italy and Turkey. Professionals from those countries have also spent time learning about our pedagogical approaches, adapting them for their schools. Go to international page here.