Overleigh St Mary’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to come to school each morning. Their teachers and Ziggy the school dog greet them warmly.

Everyone is made to feel welcome, especially those who have arrived from different countries from around the world. Pupils take pride in their language and culture and that of their friends. Pupils benefit from a strong sense of belonging to the school community.

Pupils behave exceptionally well. In class, they respond to the high expectations that the school has of them. Pupils listen attentively to their teachers as well to as each other.

Relationships between staff and pupils are highly respectful. Pupils are very keen to try their best in all that t...hey do. As a result, the school is calm and purposeful.

Teachers encourage pupils to reach their potential. In lessons, pupils with English as an additional language (EAL) are supported to learn alongside their friends. By the end of Year 6, pupils leave ready to meet the demands of secondary school.

Pupils benefit from the broad range of clubs on offer. This includes gymnastics, British Sign Language and gardening. Pupils enjoy developing their skills and talents.

They take pride in representing the school at local sporting events and are especially delighted when they experience success.

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

There is a high priority placed on early reading. In Nursery, children delight in listening to stories and join in with songs and rhymes.

In Reception, the phonics programme starts swiftly. Well-trained staff deliver phonics effectively. Most pupils keep pace with the programme.

Staff provide support for those pupils who find reading more difficult to enable them to catch up. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading. Older pupils talk about books and authors that they like with confidence.

However, pupils at the early stages of reading have not benefited from sufficient opportunities to practise and apply their phonics knowledge in their writing. On occasion, this slows the pace at which they become fluent writers.

The school has carefully considered each subject's curriculum.

It has identified the small steps of learning so that staff know what to teach and when. Typically, teachers design learning which helps pupils to learn well and remember what they have been taught. Staff check pupils' learning in order to identify any gaps or misconceptions.

In a small number of subjects, pupils have not had the opportunity to develop deep knowledge over time. This is because the school has not determined the knowledge that pupils need to learn in these curriculums in sufficient detail. Occasionally, this hinders how well some pupils understand key concepts in these subjects.

The school swiftly identifies the support that pupils with additional needs require. Staff ensure that learning activities are adapted so that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. A small number of pupils access support which is tailored for their needs.

In the main, SEND pupils progress well through the curriculum.The school has carefully considered its provision for pupils' personal development.Pupils are encouraged to be active local and global citizens.

For example, pupils donate to the local foodbank and to their twin school in Uganda. The many nationalities represented across the school are celebrated. This has enabled pupils to develop important values such as empathy and kindness.

Pupils demonstrate these important traits in all that they do. This can be seen in the way that they listen to one another's ideas. Pupils are proud to take on a range of leadership roles and contribute to the smooth running of the school.

For example, the pupil parliamentarians have been pleased to see leaders adopt their suggestions for aspects of school life that could be improved.

In the playground, pupils of different ages play happily together. They continue to demonstrate the high standards of behaviour that they display in classrooms.

Year 6 pupils enjoy the great sense of reward that they get from supporting the youngest pupils at lunchtime. The atmosphere in school and outside is harmonious. Pupils feel very well cared for at this school where staff know them well.

Attendance has a high priority across the school. The school has worked very successfully with the families of those pupils who previously struggled to get to school on time every day. This support and challenge has led to a notable improvement in the attendance of these pupils.

Governors know the school's priorities. They ensure that they are well-informed. This means that they offer appropriate support and challenge to the school.

They are especially mindful of staff workload and do all that they can to ensure that staff are given the time that they need to complete essential tasks. Staff enjoy working at the school and feel valued.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils who are the early stages of reading to practise the sounds that they have learned in their writing. This hinders some pupils' writing fluency as they move into the key stage 2 curriculum. The school should provide regular opportunities for these pupils to practise their phonics knowledge so that they can become fluent and confident writers.

• In a small number of subjects, the school has not thought out the curriculum design in sufficient detail. This means that some pupils in these subjects do not learn and remember as well as they could. The school should refine these curriculums so that pupils build a deep body of subject knowledge over time.

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