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This is a warm and welcoming school where parents and carers appreciate the positive ethos. As one parent, who expressed a view typical of many, said: 'Overdale Infant School is a family.
It is a lovely community.' Pupils are happy and safe.
The school is ambitious for all pupils to flourish and succeed.
Pupils achieve well.
The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct. Most pupils respond well to these.
A small number of pupils need some reminders about the school's expectations to respect one another at social times of the day. Pupils are confident that trusted adults in school address any poor behaviour choices promp...tly.
Pupils enjoy responsibilities such as the school council and eco-ambassadors.
They are proud of roles to help in class as 'fireflies.' Pupils are keen to help with play equipment and make sure everyone has a friend to play with during social times.
Pupils enjoy the range of sporting opportunities that nurture wider interests and talents.
Dodgeball, gymnastics and football are popular clubs available to all. The school prioritises pupils' well-being and character development by encouraging pupils to think about 'character muscles' such as being resilient.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Pupils make a strong start in pre-school.
The aspirational pre-school curriculum and learning environment inspires children to learn through play. Staff nurture children well to be independent and curious. The school lays firm foundations for learning mathematics across the early years.
Children secure number facts and counting through appropriate activities. Children use the language that they hear in stories when they play. Some aspects of the early years curriculum in the Reception Year do not provide sufficient progression from pre-school.
The school's curriculum is not as embedded in Reception as it is in pre-school.
Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. The school accurately identifies their needs.
Staff skilfully provide clear steps for them, alongside the teacher. Activities are well-selected.
The school's curriculum has been improved considerably since the previous inspection.
It is well-sequenced and provides demanding work for pupils' learning. The curriculum builds on pupils' prior understanding, providing opportunities to revisit important knowledge so that pupils remember well. For instance, this approach is applied well in science and history.
A few subjects are new and not embedded. Sometimes, pupils' understanding is not always well-developed or secure in those subjects.
The school provides high quality professional development to staff.
Leaders' personalised coaching at every opportunity ensures that staff implement the curriculum well. Staff model clear steps of manageable content to pupils effectively. They ask appropriate questions to check pupils understand.
They repeat important vocabulary so that pupils can practise and rehearse new words. On occasions, the checks that staff do are not always acted on to address misconceptions or pupils' next steps. This includes within the early years.
Reading is prioritised. The school has embedded its approach to phonics well. Staff expertly introduce new sounds with precision.
The school successfully supports pupils who struggle with learning to read, or speak English as an additional language. Staff guide these pupils very well. The school has thoughtfully considered books with cultural diversity.
High-quality texts ensure that pupils enjoy reading different authors and poetry through 'book talk' opportunities. Pupils achieve well with reading.
Classrooms are calm and orderly.
Staff remind pupils about concentration and good listening. Pupils respond appropriately to reminders about the school values. The school is developing more effective ways to manage attendance well.
It has reduced the number of pupils who are late to school. While some pupils have improved their attendance, some pupils are absent from school too often. They miss important learning.
The school has a personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum that is relevant for pupils and includes appropriate topics such as relationships and families. The school teaches pupils about safety, for instance, stranger danger and online safety. Pupils have a growing understanding of life in modern Britain such as democracy.
They are beginning to recall some knowledge of different religions and beliefs. They understand what it means to respect others. Pastoral support for pupils' well-being is strong.
Leaders have improved the collective and ambitious approach to school development. They invite external audits to give comprehensive assurances to trustees about improvements. The productive review days in school enables link local governors, trustees and school leaders to reflect upon priorities together.
Governors are effective in their roles. Leaders give staff well-being and workload careful consideration. Staff value the high-quality support they get from leaders for their ongoing development and their positive working environment.
Many parents value the opportunities to come into school, for instance, the well-attended reading visits.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• The ambitious intent in a few curriculum subjects, is not fully embedded.
This means that the school's curriculum implementation is variable in its effectiveness and as a result, some pupils' knowledge is insecure. This includes the aims for curriculum progression in Reception from pre-school. The school should continue to embed the curriculum so that pupils build on prior learning securely.
On occasions, teachers do not always act on their checks of pupils' understanding well enough to recognise and address misconceptions. This means that pupils have errors that are not corrected and do not always benefit from the most appropriate next steps to deepen their understanding. The school should continue to support staff with strategies to check and respond to pupils needs so that pupils achieve as well as they should.
• Although some pupils have strong attendance, some pupils are absent from school too frequently. This means that they miss too much important learning and do not benefit from the good education that the school provides. The school should continue to work with families to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.
