Over St John's CofE Primary School

Overview

Over St John’s C of E Primary School continues to be a good school, where pupils are described as “happy, safe and nurtured.” The inspection confirms that the school maintains high expectations for achievement, with pupils developing a “strong sense of belonging” and behaving well. Leaders have taken decisive action to address previous shortcomings in writing and mathematics, resulting in improved pupil outcomes.

Strengths

• A “strong culture of reading” is fostered, with effective phonics teaching ensuring most pupils read fluently by the end of key stage 1.
• The curriculum is “ambitious and carefully designed,” motivating pupils and helping them achieve well in most subjects.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from “appropriate adaptions” that enable them to learn successfully alongside peers.
• Staff morale is high, with leaders supporting workload management and professional development, while governors provide “rigorous challenge and support.”
• Pupils are “well prepared for growing up in modern Britain,” demonstrating a strong understanding of fundamental British values and healthy relationships.

Areas to improve

• In some subjects, teachers occasionally fail to help pupils link new learning to prior knowledge, which hinders the development of a “deep and rich body of subject knowledge.” The school must ensure teachers are equipped to support these connections.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”