Offenham Church of England First School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Offenham Church of England First School Myatt Road, Offenham, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 8SD

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Outcome

Offenham Church of England First School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Jayne Nicol. This school is part of The Diocese of Worcester Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Vicki Shelley (CEO), and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher Stephens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Offenham Church of England First School sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour. The school’s vision, ‘love, transformation, growth’, underpins these high expectations. Each day pupils try hard to live this vision. Pupils attend school regularly. In class, pupils work hard and want to do their best. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a safe and positive environment for pupils. Staff make sure that pupils consistently follow the school’s rules and routines. Social times are calm and orderly. Pupils are polite and well-mannered. They know the consequences of not following the school’s behaviour approach. Rare behaviour incidents are swiftly resolved following the school’s restorative approach. Pupils feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are highly positive about the school. One parent’s comment, typical of many, said: ‘My children love going to school at Offenham. The school provides them with a wide range of activities and opportunities. They are excited to tell me what they learn each day.’ 1 April 2025

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better?

The school has adopted an ambitious curriculum for its pupils. Right from the start in the early years, language and communication are prioritised. The knowledge and skills pupils need for future success are clearly sequenced. Teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the majority of subjects well. They present subject matter clearly and engage most pupils well in their learning. Teachers recall and build on learning over time. This helps pupils to know and remember more of the curriculum. Handwriting is well taught. Pupils learn to position themselves correctly when writing. They form letters accurately and develop an effective pencil grip.

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better?

In the main, teachers check learning in lessons and over time. They use this information to plan the next steps or identify any gaps in learning. However, teachers’ checks do not always flag when pupils are ready for more challenging reasoning activity in mathematics. This means that pupils do not get enough opportunities to use known mathematical facts across the different aspects of the mathematics curriculum.

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better?

Early reading is prioritised. Staff are well-skilled in teaching phonics. Pupils practise new sounds by reading books that match these sounds. Pupils read regularly in school. Pupils who fall behind in their reading are swiftly identified. They quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified swiftly. The support they need to be successful is clearly planned, including external agency support. However, in classrooms, adaptions to teaching, resourcing or adult support vary across the school. In addition, there are sometimes inconsistencies in teachers’ checks on how well pupils with SEND learn in lessons. This means that some pupils with SEND find the work too easy or too hard, because they are not supported effectively. They do not achieve as well as the school intends.

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better?

Pupils are well-prepared for life beyond the school. The school values are routed in this aspect of the school’s work and develop pupils’ character, confidence and resilience. Choir club, music ensemble, art and sports clubs help pupils acquire new skills and interests. Visits to a synagogue, mosque and the local church help pupils to appreciate and respect difference. A visit to the Houses of Parliament and voting for pupil parliament roles in school help pupils to understand democracy. Pupils proudly undertake leadership roles in school. Play leaders organise and lead playtime games. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy and safe relationships. They know the qualities of a good friend. Pupils learn how to ‘speak up, stay safe’ to raise any concerns about safety on and off-line. There is a strong culture of safety and vigilance at the school.

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better?

Leaders, including trustees and governors, make decisions in the best interests of children. The trust effectively holds school leaders to account for the performance of the school. It provides the right challenge and support to school leaders. Be it subject 1 April 2025

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leader development, resourcing to develop early reading or computing. Staff are highly positive about the support they receive from leaders to manage their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers’ checks on learning do not always flag when pupils are ready for more challenging reasoning activity. This means that pupils do not get enough opportunities to develop reasoning skills in mathematics which impacts their ability to use known number facts confidently. The school should develop teachers’ confidence and expertise in providing mathematical reasoning so that pupils get more opportunities to use known facts across the different aspects of mathematics.  The school has not ensured that staff have the knowledge and expertise to adapt their approaches for pupils with SEND. This means that the planned support is not consistently delivered the way the school intends. As a result, sometimes pupils with SEND sometimes find their work too easy or too hard. The school should ensure that all staff have the expertise to adapt their approaches for pupils with SEND so that they can all achieve as well as they could.

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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. 1 April 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school Offenham Church of England First School to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 1 April 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Worcester Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England school. It received a section 48 inspection of religious education in March 2019. The next section 48 inspection in due in academic year 2025/2026.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for its pupils.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 1 April 2025

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 The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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.  The inspectors observed pupils at informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They met with the CEO and trust representatives and held a telephone conversation with a representative from the diocese. The inspectors also talked to pupils, staff and parents to gather information about school life.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments. The inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Janice Wood Ofsted Inspector 1 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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