Over Primary School

Inspection of Over Primary School Long Furlong, Over, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB24 5PG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school. There are warm relationships between pupils and adults. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and eagerly access a full range of curriculum subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically behave well. They participate readily in all opportunities provided to them. The playground is a hive of activity with all pupils getting along well. Older pupils love supporting their ‘buddies’ both in their learning and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A range of roles and responsibilities are available to pupils. These give them a voice and a chance to develop their leadership skills. The school’s ‘reading champs’ promote a love of reading across the school. They eagerly lead assemblies to promote exciting books and support younger pupils with their reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are benefiting from newly established leadership at the school, but many recent changes are not fully in place. While pupils receive a good quality of education, there are some aspects of the curriculum which are not as well organised. Upcoming further changes mean there remains fragility to the leadership at this school.

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better?

The school has undergone a period of instability in leadership since the previous inspection. Staff changes have been a common occurrence. This has caused some disruption to pupils’ learning. Some parents have lost faith in the school. Pupils have not always achieved as well as they should. With intensive support from the local authority, stronger leadership arrangements are newly in place. Positive changes are being made. Pupils are now learning successfully in most subjects.

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better?

Pupils are achieving well in core subjects such as English, mathematics and science. Staff teach these subjects knowledgeably and well. There is a consistent approach to teaching and learning in these subjects. Learning is checked carefully, and teachers make successful adaptations to lessons, so pupils typically achieve well.

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better?

While much of the curriculum is well thought through, some subjects are less well structured. Leadership is not fully established throughout the curriculum. Leaders have not yet had the opportunity to fully develop, or to quality assure, the curriculum in these subjects. This means that while pupils do learn some key knowledge in these subjects, it is not yet consistent. Some pupils develop gaps in their learning. Leaders have not yet identified these gaps so have not had the chance to address these. 19 and 20 March 2024

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The early reading curriculum is a strength. Pupils learn early reading skills well. Teaching builds pupils’ phonics knowledge step by step. Trained staff carry out checks on pupils’ reading skills. Pupils who need to catch up are supported quickly. Pupils practise reading with carefully chosen books. Staff are successfully developing pupils’ love of reading across the school.

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Children make a strong start in reception. The planned curriculum includes a range of adult directed tasks and linked activities chosen by the children. Children engage readily in the activities on offer. Adults keep a close eye on how well children achieve and then plan activities to meet their needs and interests. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Recent changes have strengthened provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Precise plans for these pupils are now in place. These are being used effectively in the class. This enables pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum alongside their peers.

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Behaviour is generally well managed. Leaders have ensured that there is an agreed behaviour system in place across the school. Pupils know and understand what is expected of them. This ensures that there is little disruption to learning.

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The school considers pupils’ personal development carefully. Pupils learn about different cultures and beliefs. They know the importance of tolerance and the need to be respectful to all. Pupils know how to stay safe online. Pupils’ experiences are enriched by a range of visitors and opportunities which raise aspirations and ensure pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff appreciate that leaders take account of their well-being in making changes. They appreciate recent improvements made.

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Governors recognise the journey the school has been on. They have offered support and challenge to the school through this period. They know the strengths of the school and understand what more needs to be done. While leadership has been stabilised, some leadership capacity remains temporary and too reliant on external support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There has been a significant period of instability at the school. This has meant some parents have lost faith in the school. There is a need to work 19 and 20 March 2024

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closely with the community to reassure them that the school is securing stable leadership and staffing arrangements. This will ensure that the members of the school community are supportive of the school on its improvement journey.  Some subjects do not have an established subject leader, and, where this is the case, the curriculum is less well developed. Leaders need to ensure that sufficient time is given to developing and monitoring the curriculum in these areas. This will ensure that a clearly planned and sequenced curriculum is securely in place across all curriculum areas, which will support pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

school, 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 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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 March 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school’s headteacher and deputy headteacher are currently absent. They were not in school at the time of inspection.  Interim headteachers are currently in post at this school. A new permanent headteacher will take up post in September 2024.  The local authority is providing intensive support during this period of change at the school.  The school makes use of one registered provider of 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. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the interim headteachers, subject leaders, staff, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. The lead inspector also listened to pupils read with a familiar member of staff.  Inspectors also considered curriculum documentation, spoke to leaders and pupils about the science and religious education curriculums.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, attendance records, pupil records, records of governing body meetings, school development plans and school self-evaluation documents.  Inspectors gathered parents’ views by speaking to some of them at the beginning of the school day and by reviewing the free-text responses submitted to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for school staff. Inspectors also met with staff throughout the inspection to gather their views.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils. Inspectors also spoke with pupils throughout the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Jonny Wallace, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Ayling Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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