The Meadows School

Special school · Secondary, ages 11 to 19 · Mixed · Sixth form

The Meadows School, Dudley Road East, Sandwell, Oldbury, B69 3BU

0121 569 7080 · School website · Map and directions

Ofsted report card7 expectedSafeguarding met · 3 February 2026
Pupils262Room for 215 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 166 in 2019, 185 in 2021, 207 in 2022, 214 in 2023, 215 in 2024, 223 in 2025, 262 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals58%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 3 February 2026 , published 19 April 2026.

In short: 7 expected, and safeguarding met.

Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.

AreaGrade
SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. Met
InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Post-16 provisionSixth form or other study after 16. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

25 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 96% 83%
My child feels safe at this school 92% 85%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 88% 78%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 24 parents who had raised a concern 88% 74%
My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 25 parents of children with SEND 96% 63%
I would recommend this school to another parent 100%said yes 83%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 11%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

23 pupils in this year group.

100% — 10 points above the Sandwell average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolSandwellEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 90% 92%
School sixth form 0% 25% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 5% 13%
Further education college 0% 54% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 2% 3%
Work 0% 2% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
95%100%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Sandwell. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Sandwell

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Specific learning difficulties (such as dyslexia); Visual impairment; Other difficulties or disabilities; Hearing impairment; Speech, language and communication needs; Autism; Social, emotional and mental health needs; Multi-sensory impairment; Physical disability; Moderate learning difficulties; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolSandwellEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 54.7% 56.7%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 99.6%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.4%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 35.9% 17.3%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 13.0% 12.6%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 35.3% 35.4%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.0 7.3 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 0.0% 4.2% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.10% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 8.3 6.9 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.6 2.7 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 10.3% 10.5%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Nearby special schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is The Meadows School's Ofsted rating?

The Meadows School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 3 February 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 7 expected, and safeguarding was met.

Would parents recommend The Meadows School?

100% of the 25 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend The Meadows School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.