Overton Grange School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 December 2024

The school is a community where everyone is treated fairly and equally, and where pupils feel valued. Positive working relationships exist between staff and pupils. This ensures pupils feel safe. The school has experienced some turbulence, but leaders have now established stability and recent changes are having a positive impact. Pupils behave well during lessons and around the school's site. Improved systems are in place to support staff when any low-level disruption takes place. Pupils are polite and courteous and enjoy being in school. They are well supported by staff. Pupils study a broad curriculum. Staff are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In some subjects, pupils develop a better understanding of what they have learned. In other subjects, pupils' knowledge is more variable. This is because the delivery of the intended curriculum is inconsistent in these areas. As a result, published outcomes, including in the sixth form, are variable. Pupils have access to a range of wider opportunities. This includes a variety of sports teams, debating and creative clubs. Students in the sixth form take part in weekly enrichment activities. These opportunities help pupils to develop a range of skills and prepare them for their future.

What the school should improve

• The precision of curriculum thinking is not consistent in some subjects and across year groups, including the sixth form. This means that sometimes teaching is not explicit about what key knowledge and skills are being taught. As a result, some pupils are not able to connect what has been taught previously to new learning. The school should ensure that all subjects are clear about what is being taught and when, to ensure consistent implementation of the curriculum.
• There is too much variance in the implementation of the curriculum across the school. This includes the regular checking of learning and addressing of pupil misconceptions in a timely way. This has resulted in pupils in some subjects not achieving high enough outcomes in public examinations at key stages 4 and 5. The school must ensure that teaching uses assessment effectively and consistently to help pupils embed and use knowledge fluently and reach the potential of which they are capable.
• At times, the level of pupils' engagement in their lessons is not as focused as it could be. This means that some pupils are not fully involved in their learning which results in their lower achievement in some subjects. The school should ensure that recent improvements in the behaviour of pupils extends to their attitudes to learning so that they feel more challenged and motivated to succeed.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)