Ovingham Church of England First School

Inspection of Ovingham Church of England First School Ovingham, Prudhoe, Northumberland NE42 6DE

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Andrew Hudson. This school is part of the Cheviot Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the co-chief executive officers, Simon Taylor and Alice Witherow, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Carvin. 11 and 12 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and they feel safe here. The school’s values of ‘faith, hope and love’ are embedded through the school and its curriculum. Pupils know and understand these values, which are regularly reinforced in collective worship. Leaders and staff expect all pupils to do their best, and most pupils live up to these expectations. Pupils achieve highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well in and around school. They have a clear understanding of the school’s behaviour systems. Staff monitor behaviour at playtimes and lunchtimes effectively, intervening to enable positive play when necessary. Support for pupils with additional needs makes a difference to their behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the chance to take on additional responsibilities, such as being school councillors, playground buddies and carrying out tasks around the school. Pupils understand different types of bullying and know what to do if they have any concerns. Pupils know how to report their concerns to adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has close links with the local community. Pupils have many opportunities to learn, both in the school grounds and the local area. Effort and quality work are celebrated, both in classes and across the school.

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better?

The school has reviewed the curriculum since the COVID-19 pandemic. They have implemented changes to ensure that pupils know and remember more. They make sure that pupils study a broad range of subjects. There is no curriculum narrowing.

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better?

The school makes reading a priority and pupils are encouraged to read regularly. Libraries, classrooms and the Reading Den promote a broad range of engaging books that pupils enjoy. Most pupils become fluent readers quickly. Staff ensure that, right from Reception, weaker readers are given the help they need to keep up with their peers. This includes supporting pupils who are new to learning English. Teachers read a range of fiction and non-fiction texts to pupils regularly. The school’s approach to teaching phonics is well organised and successful. All of this means that most pupils are fluent and confident readers by the time they enter Year 3. Pupils enjoy reading and see it as an important thing to do.

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better?

The school has carefully sequenced opportunities for learning. In art and design, pupils build up skills sequentially, recording ideas and work in sketchbooks to use as an aide-memoire for future learning. In Reception, children explore media and colour, developing techniques that are built on again in the following key stage. In religious education (RE), pupils talk confidently about aspects of different religions. They use a range of recording opportunities to express their ideas and opinions.

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better?

The school is developing its approach to teaching mathematics so that pupils develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts before they move on to 11 and 12 October 2023

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new learning. Pupils’ learning is sequenced to help them build up their knowledge in a logical order. Pupils use their knowledge to solve mathematical problems. Teachers check pupils’ knowledge and understanding and this helps to plan and provide future learning. This approach is becoming increasingly embedded across the school, and where it is, it is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning. However, not all teachers are yet fully conversant with this approach. Leaders have already identified this and work to bring about greater consistency is under way.

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Teachers are clear which pupils need extra support. Adults and resources are deployed effectively to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities get the help they need. Staff are equally ambitious for what these pupils learn, adapting their teaching when needed. Pupils are also supported by a range of additional support, for example with phonics or mathematics. In a minority of lessons, some pupils quickly lose focus, such as when their work is too difficult. Intervention by staff does make a difference, but opportunities to do so are sometimes missed.

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Pupils can talk about British values and some protected characteristics. However, some pupils are still developing their understanding of tolerance and respect for others, particularly those with a different gender. As a result, some pupils feel that their peers do not value their opinions. This does not help to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Governors are highly effective and knowledgeable. They provide a good balance of challenge and support for the headteacher. Staff are proud to work at the school and agree that leaders ensure that their workload is manageable. Governors and leaders know there is still more work to do to make the curriculum even better. There are clear plans, based on the analysis of evidence, in place to do this. Most parents say positive things about the school and its strong community ethos.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils know the school’s Christian values well. However, a minority of pupils do not fully comprehend some of the wider British values. The school needs to ensure that teaching extends and makes links to respect and tolerance for those with a different gender. This should enable pupils to be better prepared for life in modern Britain.  Teachers plan their lessons effectively and the curriculum is well organised so that pupils achieve highly. There are occasions when teachers and support staff miss opportunities to intervene when pupils are either off task or find new learning difficult. Leaders need to monitor how pupils are supported to maintain their 11 and 12 October 2023

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focus on learning. This is to ensure that staff know when to intervene or support pupils where focus is lost or there are misunderstandings.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 October 2023

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School details

Website www.ovinghamfirst.northumberland.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Ovingham Church of England First School converted to become an academy in September 2019. When its predecessor school, Ovingham Church of England First School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  Ovingham Church of England First School is now part of the Cheviot Learning Trust. The school joined the trust in September 2023.  The school’s religious character has not been inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 since it converted to academy status. The last section 48 inspection (conducted by SIAMS) was in September 2017. That school, Ovingham Church of England First School, was judged to be outstanding.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 11 and 12 October 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff. Inspectors spoke with the assistant director (school effectiveness) for the Dioceses of Newcastle and Durham, the vice-chair of the Cheviot Learning Trust, a co-chief executive officer of the Cheviot Learning Trust and governors, including the chair of the local governing board.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics, RE, and art and

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design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. Inspectors also spoke to leaders and pupils about the curriculum in other subjects and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation shared by school leaders, including the school development plan, self-evaluation documents, reports from external advisers and minutes from meetings of the governing body.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, information submitted by parents, and the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

David Hodgkiss, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jill Bowe Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 October 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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