Northampton school with ‘happy pupils’ and ‘strong community ethos’ continues to be good, says Ofsted

Ofsted has found that Overstone Primary School, which has a “strong community ethos”, continues to be good.

The primary school, situated in Sywell Road, was given an ungraded (Section 8) inspection just before Christmas and - in a report published this week - inspectors ruled that it continues to be good for the second time since its last full inspection in 2013.

The report describes pupils as feeling “happy and safe” in school and “well-rounded individuals.”

One pupil told an Ofsted inspector: “We have nice teachers and get to do fun things.”

Pupils also enjoy taking on extra responsibilities and representing the school in a variety of competitions and performances such as local dancing competitions, an inspector added.

Staff were commended by Ofsted for having zero tolerance for bullying, keeping classrooms “calm and purposeful” and planning trips and experiences that help prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

Inspectors found the curriculum at Overstone Primary School to be ambitious and well planned for all pupils including SEND pupils, who are well supported. Relationships with families of pupils with SEND are strong and communication is regular, the report states.

Every day, class teachers in all year groups lead a ‘reading for enjoyment” session. Ofsted had high praise for leaders, who ensure that pupils gain the knowledge and skills to become confident, fluent readers. Chosen texts include classics but also expose pupils to cultural diversity.

The report said: “Pupils recognise and celebrate differences and understand why this is important.”

In the foundation subjects, teachers use a range of methods to assess whether pupils are knowing and remembering more but, in some subjects, pupils remember activities and events more than the intended knowledge.

Ofsted have advised leaders to ensure that teachers have a secure understanding of how to check pupils’ learning in all the foundation subjects. In order for Overstone Primary School to improve, leaders should also make sure that the knowledge pupils should learn is identified in all subject areas.

When a school is judged to be ‘good’, Ofsted will normally visit the school again once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

Read the full Ofsted report here.