Over Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Over Primary School Long Furlong, Over, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB24 5PG

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming and supportive school. They look after each other. Pupils treat each other with kindness and respect. Bullying is very rare. Pupils know that, should it happen, staff deal with it quickly. The school playground is a hive of activity. Older pupils teach younger pupils how to play games. They revel in this opportunity to be responsible and are also proud to be ‘buddies’ to the youngest children. Pupils behave well. They are happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond to teachers’ expectations for what they can achieve. They work hard in their lessons and want to do the best they can. Pupils enjoy learning about new topics in history, such as Ancient Greece. However, they have gaps in their knowledge in several subjects. This means pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school values of ‘academic excellence, ourselves and each other, and our environment’. They explain enthusiastically why these are important and how to show them at school. Pupils attend a range of clubs that give them many new experiences. They are especially proud to attend the school orchestra and ‘voice-over’ club, which provide them with the opportunity to take part in concerts.

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

Leaders have introduced new curriculums in several subjects in the past year. This includes the curriculum for the teaching of reading. Leaders’ curriculum planning in all subjects clearly sets out the important knowledge pupils will learn and the order they will learn it, from Reception to Year 6. In some subjects, the curriculum is more established. In these subjects, pupils have a more secure knowledge of the important content they have learned. In subjects where the curriculum has recently been introduced, there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge due to weaker teaching in the past. Teachers have not 28 and 29 March 2023

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identified what these gaps are precisely. This means that they do not always plan lessons that build effectively on what pupils already know. This is the same for the vocabulary that teachers introduce to pupils. Pupils do not always understand, remember or use the vocabulary teachers want them to because they do not have the prior knowledge they need of subject-specific vocabulary.

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Leaders have provided staff with training to develop their subject knowledge. Teachers mostly have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well. There are, however, inconsistencies in how effectively teachers present information to pupils and identify and address misconceptions that pupils have.

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Leaders prioritise reading across all year groups. Pupils love reading. Older pupils enjoy selecting their reading books from a range of high-quality texts. The new approach to teaching phonics helps pupils at the early stages of reading. Children in the early years are taught the sounds that letters make. They quickly learn to blend these sounds together to help them to read new words. Children begin to apply this understanding of phonics to their writing. Leaders are rigorous at identifying any pupil who is not keeping up with reading. Well-trained staff provide effective support for these pupils. This helps pupils to start to develop their fluency and begin to catch up with their peers.

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Leaders have focused on improving the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There is a consistent approach to supporting the needs of pupils with SEND. This helps pupils to manage their feelings and emotions. Learning support plans for pupils with SEND are precise and provide staff with the important information they need to help pupils. Staff use specific resources to support pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils behave well in lessons. Pupils’ learning is rarely disrupted by others’ behaviour. They learn how to be responsible and carry out helpful roles, such as being house captains and play leaders. Pupils run clubs, such as the computing club, for others. They enjoy learning about a range of people, cultures and religions. Pupils are respectful and interested to learn about others who are different to them.

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Staff and parents appreciate the recent improvements to the quality of education pupils receive. Leaders ensure that staff are supported to manage their workload, particularly around the many new approaches they have put in place. Staff feel very well supported by leaders. They are proud to work at the school. Governors have developed systems to hold leaders to account for the quality of education in the school. They do this effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular safeguarding training. Staff raise concerns promptly and record them consistently, following the school’s agreed procedures. Leaders respond to all concerns raised. They provide support for pupils and the families who need it. This includes working with external professionals. 28 and 29 March 2023

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The curriculum teaches pupils how to keep safe. Leaders are quick to respond to potential issues when they arise, such as pupils’ use of social media. Teachers make sure that they teach pupils the information they need to keep safe online.

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Leaders complete all required pre-employment checks on adults new to the school and record them accurately.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is new in several subjects. In these subjects, pupils have gaps in both their knowledge and their understanding of subject-specific vocabulary. Leaders must support teachers to precisely identify what pupils’ knowledge gaps are and how to adapt their teaching to address these gaps effectively. This is so that pupils secure their understanding of the key content and the vocabulary that leaders want them to remember in order to achieve well.  There are inconsistencies in how effectively teachers present information to pupils. There are also inconsistencies in how precisely teachers identify and address misconceptions. Leaders must ensure they continue to provide the training staff need to teach all subjects well. They must also continue to train teachers to precisely identify and address misconceptions pupils have.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2013.

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255181 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in April 2022.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provider.  There is a breakfast and after-school club run by an external provider on the school site.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Curriculum plans were considered in science and music, alongside examples of pupils’ work in science. The inspector also listened to pupils read with a familiar member of staff. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector scrutinised safeguarding policies, the school’s record of background checks of adults at the school, and a sample of child protection files. He also spoke with governors, the designated safeguarding lead, a deputy designated safeguarding lead, and staff about safeguarding practices at the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, subject leaders, staff, governors, four representatives from the local authority and some pupils.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, bullying records, pupils’ records, minutes of governing body meetings, minutes from rapid improvement group meetings, school improvement visit notes from the local authority, school development plans and school policies.  There were 96 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, which

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were considered.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils. The inspector spoke with pupils throughout the inspection to gather their views.  The 19 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for school staff were considered. The inspector also spoke with staff throughout the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Michael Williams, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 28 and 29 March 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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