Over Hall Community School

Over Hall Community School has made significant progress since its previous inspection and is now rated as good overall, with outstanding personal development. The school is known for its strong community ties and nurturing environment, which support students both academically and socially. The leadership team, alongside the trustees, has effectively implemented an ambitious curriculum and maintains high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, despite these improvements, the attainment levels of Year 6 pupils have been below the national average, reflecting challenges from previous curriculum weaknesses and the pandemic's impact.

Strengths

• Strong community ties that enhance pupil support and involvement.
• Outstanding personal development opportunities for students.
• High standards of behaviour and trusting relationships between pupils and staff.
• Ambitious and well-designed curriculum across all year groups.
• Effective support for pupils with SEND to ensure academic success.
• Strong leadership and management that engages staff and improves morale.

Areas for Improvement

• Some older pupils struggle with reading fluency and expression.
• Inconsistencies in pupils' ability to recall previously learned material in certain subjects.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Over Hall Community School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.7% of pupils at Over Hall Community School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Over Hall Community School had 19.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 19.6% of pupils at Over Hall Community School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Over Hall Community School received £9,122 and spent £8,107 for each of its 172 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £165,000 (£960 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Expedition Schools, income was £7,320 and spending £6,995 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Winsford · Cheshire West and Chester local authority: places and applications

Over Hall Community School is part of Expedition Schools, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• Hebden Green Community School Winsford
• Kelsall Primary and Nursery School Tarporley
• Bexton Primary School Knutsford
• Manor Park Primary School and Nursery Knutsford
• Boughton Heath Academy Chester
• Mill View Primary School Chester
• Brookhurst Primary School Wirral
• Woodfall Primary and Nursery School Neston
• Rock Ferry Primary School Birkenhead
• Pinehurst Primary School Liverpool

What is Over Hall Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Over Hall Community School is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Over Hall Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Over Hall Community School was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Over Hall Community School have?

Over Hall Community School has 158 pupils on roll.

What age range does Over Hall Community School cover?

Over Hall Community School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Over Hall Community School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 38% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Over Hall Community School?

Over Hall Community School is at Ludlow Close, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 1LX.