Eversley Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Eversley Primary School Crest Avenue, Pitsea, Basildon, Essex SS13 2EF

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

Eversley Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Eversley Primary School fosters a nurturing and inclusive community. Pupils thrive, personally and academically. Eversley’s values, ‘be kind, be brave, be the best you can be’, are embedded in its culture. Pupils live up to these values and are proud to be part of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations for behaviour. Pupils appreciate the calm, orderly environment. They follow routines, are warm and welcoming to visitors, and demonstrate respect towards peers and adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for its pupils. It sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. The school works hard to ensure that pupils from early years to Year 6 achieve their best in a supportive and aspirational environment. Pupils engage positively in their learning as they progress through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate in and enjoy a wide range of well-planned enrichment activities and character-building experiences, described by the school as the ‘Eversley Endeavours’. These include many interesting and developmental clubs, such as the pantomime club, Lego club, musical theatre and several successful sports teams.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and designed carefully, ensuring that pupils learn essential knowledge. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They present information clearly. Pupils apply this knowledge in lessons and present their learning with pride in their work. 21 and 22 January 2025

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Pupils with SEND are well supported to learn effectively. The school identifies and meets the needs of pupils with SEND with precision. Staff make meaningful adaptations to activities so that pupils can access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Reading is a priority. The school has implemented a comprehensive reading programme from Reception through to Year 6, fostering a love of reading. Children in Reception enjoy books, receive recognition for their achievements in celebration assemblies, and benefit from parental engagement and support. The school has introduced an effective phonics programme that has sharpened the focus on early reading. The programme ensures that pupils at the initial stages of learning to read, or at risk of falling behind, get timely support. However, staff do not provide the precise guidance needed to enhance pupils’ comprehension and fluency consistently.

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The curriculum builds on the strong foundations laid in Reception, increasing in challenge through to Year 6. In mathematics, a focus on problem-solving and reasoning enables pupils to develop a deep understanding of key concepts. In geography, younger pupils learn about towns and cities, while, by Year 6, they explore complex topics such as how South American countries use natural resources. The high-quality work in pupils’ books reflects their excellent attitudes to learning.

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However, in some subjects, teachers do not extend pupils’ understanding sufficiently well. Where this happens, more complex ideas and vocabulary are not explained and explored in depth, and misconceptions are not identified consistently. In these instances, pupils do not deepen their learning in the way they should.

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Eversley School has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour, and pupils successfully meet them. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes toward learning and take pride in attending school. During social times, older pupils actively lead play activities for younger children in Reception. The school is committed to fostering strong family engagement and provides support to ensure excellent attendance.

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Eversley School offers rich opportunities for character development, equipping pupils with resilience, teamwork skills and a strong sense of community. The ‘Eversley Endeavour’ curriculum challenges pupils through activities like rock climbing, choir performances at the O2 Arena and enterprise projects. A typical comment from a pupil is, ‘We get pushed out of our comfort zone.’ Pupils’ active participation is celebrated through achievement points, motivating pupils to engage in school life.

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Diversity and inclusion are integral to the school’s ethos, fostering respect and tolerance. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Workshops on topics such as online safety prepare pupils for challenges beyond the classroom. Leadership roles, including on the school council, develop pupils’ confidence and responsibility.

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Those responsible for governance meet their statutory duties effectively. They have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Governors are committed to sustaining and improving performance across all areas of the school. Staff receive 21 and 22 January 2025

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effective professional development. Their well-being and workload are managed thoughtfully, allowing teachers to focus on delivering high-quality education. This has helped to ensure that staff turnover is low. Staff are proud ambassadors of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some instances, staff do not provide precise enough guidance for pupils about how to develop their learning and address misconceptions consistently. This sometimes limits pupils’ ability to develop deeper knowledge and understanding. In reading, this impacts on the development of pupils’ fluency and comprehension skills. The school should ensure that staff are skilled in identifying pupils’ misconceptions and next steps, so that pupils can deepen their knowledge and understanding and meet the school’s ambitious aims for their achievements even more.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in March 2016. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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’ 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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 December 2019

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspector discussed any continuing impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior staff, including the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector spoke with the chair of the local governing body and other governors.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to leaders about the curriculum and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered 21 and 22 January 2025

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils interests first.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspector considered the responses and free-text comments received to Ofsted Parent View during the inspection. There were no responses from the pupil or staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Jason Carey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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