Overbury CofE First School

Inspection of a good school: Overbury CofE First School School Lane, Overbury, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 7NT

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Outcome

Overbury CofE First School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Overbury CofE First School is a warm, welcoming and happy place. Relationships are strong. The headteacher and staff know every pupil well. For example, when it is a child’s birthday, staff fly the flag outside school. Pupils care about each other and know that adults care about them. Pupils feel safe and well looked after. Staff listen to their concerns. Incidents of bullying are dealt with well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects. Leaders and staff are ambitious in their expectations of what all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. Pupils talk excitedly about their learning and how their teachers support them to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of behaviour, and pupils behave well. Playtimes are sociable, enjoyable occasions, during which pupils make good use of the wonderful outdoor environment. In classrooms, pupils work with enthusiasm. Staff develop and nurture these positive attitudes from children’s very first days in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that leaders have regarding their personal development. Pupils are proud to take on leadership roles, such as organising and running the Christmas Fayre. They make a positive contribution to important school matters.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school is led and managed well. Leaders, including governors, are clear in their ambition for pupils. Every staff member plays their part in helping pupils to achieve their best. They ensure that pupils are motivated and engage well in learning. Therefore, low- level disruption is rare.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders ensure that all groups of pupils have access to a broad, relevant and exciting curriculum. The curriculum is enhanced by links with the local community, for example with the Overbury Estate, and also covers global issues. 4 January 2023

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Most of the curriculum is ambitious. In English and mathematics, leaders have identified the precise knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. For example, the mathematics curriculum is coherently sequenced and has made clear the important information pupils need to learn. Teachers build on this in later years. Pupils can talk confidently about their learning in mathematics. Pupils demonstrate a wide range of mathematical knowledge and competence from an early age.

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Teachers have good subject knowledge in many subjects. They explain new learning well and build pupils’ understanding of new concepts step by step. However, in a few foundation subjects, the knowledge and skills that pupils are expected to learn are not as well defined. This means that teachers are unsure about what pupils need to know and remember in these subjects. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects.

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Regular assessments in mathematics and English check pupils understanding. Teachers identify gaps and adjust learning to address them. However, assessment in a few of the foundation subjects lacks precision. The curriculum in these areas does not clearly identify the key knowledge that teachers need to cover. This can mean that teachers are not always making the right checks to ensure that pupils are remembering prior learning in the long term.

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Leaders prioritise reading. Staff benefit from high-quality training and deliver the phonics curriculum confidently. Children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, learn new sounds in a logical order. Pupils read with increasing fluency and independence. Pupils practise their reading using books that are matched well to their phonic knowledge. Leaders have rightly identified where some pupils have gaps in their reading knowledge. Staff ensure appropriate support is put in place to enable these pupils to catch up quickly. This includes those in key stage 2 who struggle with their fluency skills. Pupils understand the importance of being able to read. Staff read to pupils every day from a range of books. This supports their comprehension skills and vocabulary development effectively. Pupils enjoy reading.

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The school offers a wide range of experiences for pupils. These include learning a musical instrument, such as the ukulele and cornet. Pupils talk enthusiastically about trips out of school, such as a visit to the local art gallery. All pupils can take part in a presentation to show parents and carers what they have learned.

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Leaders identify pupils with SEND early. Teachers are well trained so they can adapt the curriculum to these pupils’ needs skilfully. As a result, pupils receive effective, tailored support. Leaders involve external agencies where relevant. Pupils with SEND thrive in an environment where they can fully take part in school life.

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Staff are proud of their work and proud of their school. Leaders consider the well-being of all staff members. Staff are positive, overall, about the actions taken to reduce their workload.

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Governors share the ambition of the school’s leaders. They are knowledgeable about the school’s effectiveness and offer strategic support. They work in partnership with school leaders to further develop and strengthen the quality of education. 4 January 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Leaders ensure that staff receive regular safeguarding training. Staff know how to spot changes in pupils that could signal they are at risk of harm. Leaders prioritise pupils’ well-being and make sure that staff are sensitive to any concerns pupils may have. Leaders ensure that pupils benefit from appropriate support without delay. This includes working with safeguarding partners and other agencies when necessary.

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Safeguarding

Staff teach pupils how to stay safe. Pupils understand internet safety and know how to seek help if needed, such as contacting Childline. Leaders make the right checks on staff who join the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not made clear the key knowledge that pupils need to learn in a few of the foundation subjects. This means that teachers are not always clear about what pupils need to know and remember. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders should define the precise key knowledge that needs to be taught.  Assessment in some of the foundation subjects lacks precision. This is because the curriculum in these areas does not clearly identify the key knowledge that teachers need to cover. This can mean that teachers are not always making the right checks to ensure that pupils are remembering prior learning in the long term. Leaders should ensure that teachers assess the retention of the key knowledge identified in the curriculum and use this information effectively to inform future planning.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the third ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013. 4 January 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 4 January 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England primary school. It is part of the Diocese of Worcester. The last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 took place in December 2019.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the school improvement adviser, groups of staff and representatives from the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects. 4 January 2023

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 The inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences in school and observed their behaviour around the school. Inspectors also met with a group of pupils to talk about the curriculum and their learning.  The inspectors spoke to members of staff and pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of the safeguarding arrangements in the school. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding leads to discuss the school’s policies and procedures. During these meetings, records were scrutinised, including those relating to the safer recruitment of staff. Case files were sampled to explore how the school identifies and supports pupils at risk of harm. Inspectors also spoke with a range of pupils and staff to evaluate the school’s safeguarding culture.  The inspectors spoke with staff and considered the responses from staff to the online inspection questionnaire.  The inspectors spoke with parents and considered the responses, including written

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responses, to Ofsted Parent View, the online questionnaire.  The views of pupils were also considered.

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Inspection team

Lynda Townsend, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Onyon Ofsted Inspector 4 January 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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