Cam Everlands Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Cam Everlands Primary School Birch Road, Cam, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 5SF

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s mantra, ‘believe, achieve and celebrate’, is at the heart of its work. The school provides high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families. It teaches pupils how to be safe, keep mentally well and stay active.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for its pupils. Staff want them to do well. Pupils are keen to learn, and most achieve well. However, some pupils do not remember the knowledge they have been taught, which slows the progress they make. In addition, a number of pupils do not attend school well enough and, therefore, are missing out on their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils and staff follow the school’s approach to behaviour. Pupils behave sensibly in lessons and during social situations. When pupils struggle with their emotions, staff take effective and supportive action. This enables pupils to get back to their learning. Pupils know the importance of being respectful, trustworthy and empathetic, three of the school’s core values. Pupils show kindness and are supportive of one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The provision for pupils’ wider development is a strength. Pupils enjoy the opportunities on offer, such as cross-country, Young Voices and gardening. These activities develop pupils’ interests and talents well.

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

The school provides pupils with an exciting curriculum. It identifies the knowledge, skills and vocabulary for pupils to learn. However, the school has been right to identify that more work is needed to ensure that checks on what pupils know and remember are 8 and 9 April 2025

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implemented consistently well across all subjects. Some pupils are not able to remember the knowledge they have been taught, which hampers the progress they make.

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Too many pupils do not attend school regularly. This impacts on how well these pupils learn and how securely they build their knowledge over time. Nonetheless, pupils demonstrate positive behaviours and are keen to learn when they are in school. For example, pupils transition quickly and quietly following social times to ensure there is a prompt start to their lessons.

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Staff see reading as the gateway to future success. Staff are skilled in the teaching of reading. They quickly spot pupils who are falling behind and provide support to help them catch up swiftly. Books are carefully chosen to ensure they precisely match pupils’ phonics knowledge. Pupils become fluent readers. Pupils enjoy story time. They listen carefully and are keen to join in.

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As soon as children start in the early years, they learn how to play together and work independently. A strong focus is on children’s early communication skills and language development. For example, children could explain the importance of electricity to make fridges and televisions work. Children can speak in short sentences with confidence. They start to build their early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge well. Children quickly learn the routines and behaviours staff expect. As a result, children are ready for Year 1.

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The school was quick to analyse why the published outcomes in 2024 for key stage 2 pupils in grammar, punctuation and spelling were lower than it had hoped. As a result, action has been taken. There is clear evidence that current pupils’ spelling and grammar are improving through regular spelling practice, but these improvements are not always reflected in their written work.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are at the core of the school’s work. Staff identify pupils’ barriers to learning accurately and efficiently. Adaptations are made to ensure pupils get the support they need. This helps pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers, but they often struggle to remember the essential knowledge.

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The school provides pupils with plentiful opportunities to expand and develop their interests and talents. There is a wealth of sporting activities that pupils enjoy, such as athletics, hockey and netball. Pupils relish the chance to develop their interest and love of music, which includes learning to play brass and woodwind instruments. Older pupils spoke eloquently about their involvement in the debating club. This develops pupils’ ability to listen and to appreciate and respect different views.

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Pupils welcome the roles and responsibilities on offer, which include house captains, school councillors and reading ambassadors. Pupils lead on lunchtime clubs to promote physical activity. These and other activities help build confidence and develop organisational and leadership skills. 8 and 9 April 2025

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The school faces challenges in recruiting governors, and some vacancies remain. Most governors are new to role. This means they have not had the time to assure themselves of the impact of the school’s work to ensure pupils receive the very best quality of education.

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Staff are extremely proud to work at the school and comment how it is a ‘supportive and rewarding place to work’. They welcome the support and consideration of leaders to manage their workload and well-being.

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Parents and carers are highly positive about the work of the school. They comment typically on how the school is ‘warm and nurturing with staff that genuinely care about children’ and ‘go over and above to include all children’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, these pupils do not build their knowledge well over time and have gaps in their learning. The school needs to continue to modify and implement the attendance strategy and work with families in ensuring that pupils attend regularly to enable them to learn more successfully over time.  Some pupils are not able to remember the key knowledge across the subjects they study. This can hinder the depth of their learning. The school should ensure that the implementation of the curriculum enables pupils to secure their knowledge more deeply.  Many of the governing body members are new to the school, and there remain several vacancies. Therefore, they have not had the time to assure themselves of the impact of the school’s work in all areas. The school needs to continue to develop the role of the governors so they can hold leaders to account and fully develop the strategic oversight

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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. 8 and 9 April 2025

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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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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2016.

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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). 8 and 9 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes use of one unregistered 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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, heard pupils read, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and wider staff.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The inspector held telephone conversations with a school improvement adviser from the local authority and the school improvement partner. 8 and 9 April 2025

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 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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered key documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and the school development plan.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. She met with school leaders to discuss and review how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  The inspector considered the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free- text comments.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 April 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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