Oversands School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 July 2025

Pupils feel safe and well cared for in school. Most have experienced disruption to their learning in the past. Some have missed considerable periods of their education altogether. The school helps pupils to put these difficulties behind them. Once they join the school, they settle in quickly and make friends. The positive encouragement that they receive from staff helps pupils to feel at home and to re-engage with learning. Pupils know that staff expect them to work hard and to achieve well. Pupils typically rise to this challenge. In lessons, pupils commit to their learning. For example, they concentrate on the work that they have to complete. They seek help if they do not understand something. Pupils achieve relevant qualifications that support their future aspirations. This includes achievement at GCSE level, where appropriate, in a range of subjects. Pupils generally behave well in school. They learn to manage their emotions. This helps them to make positive choices about how to behave. Pupils are provided with a range of enrichment opportunities. For example, they attend theatre performances and participate in sports, such as kayaking and horse riding. Pupils especially enjoy caring for the school's hens, guinea pigs and pet gerbil. These experiences contribute effectively to pupils' personal development.

What the school should improve

• On occasions, the activities that staff provide for pupils do not support them to learn the intended knowledge. When this happens, pupils do not remember this key knowledge as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff routinely provide activities that are carefully matched to the intended learning, so that pupils remember important knowledge over time.
• At times, pupils at the early stage of learning to read have limited opportunities to use their phonics knowledge when they write. This hampers their ability to practise applying this developing knowledge correctly in different situations. The school should ensure that pupils are given sufficient opportunities to apply their phonics knowledge correctly and consistently in a range of contexts.

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