The Observatory School is a council-run special school in Prenton, Wirral, for children and young people aged 7 to 16. It supports SEMH.
- Ages 7–16
- 174 pupils
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 7 to 16
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 174 (places for 160)
- Headteacher
- Mr Gregory Chiswell (Acting Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 2005
- Free school meals
- 66.1% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Wirral
- School reference (URN)
- 127715
Needs it supports
1 need: SEMH
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Social, emotional and mental health
- Social, emotional and mental health Other schools for this in Wirral (15)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Wirral council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Graded by area, January 2025
Inspected in January 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Bidston Village Road, Bidston, Prenton, CH43 7QT
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Bidston Village CofE (Controlled) Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–11 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.1 miles
- Manor Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Requires improvement 0.6 miles
- Wirral Wrap Independent · Ages 11–16 · Ofsted: Good 0.7 miles
By need in Wirral: Autism (22) · SEMH (16) · Speech and language (13) · Moderate learning (10) · Severe learning (7) · PMLD (4) · Dyslexia and SpLD (4) · Hearing (3) · Vision (3) · Multi-sensory (3) · Physical (3)
Questions about The Observatory School
How do I get a place at The Observatory School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult The Observatory School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does The Observatory School support?
Social, emotional and mental health. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does The Observatory School take?
Aged 7 to 16, boys and girls.
What is The Observatory School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is The Observatory School?
Bidston Village Road, Bidston, Prenton, CH43 7QT, in Wirral.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.