Overstone Combined School

About Overstone Combined School

Just over two-thirds of parents who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend Overstone Combined School, with 69% saying yes. That’s a solid majority, though it leaves nearly a third who wouldn’t. The school is clearly popular enough to be oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 35 applications for 20 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.75. Only 14 of those applications were first-preference offers, suggesting that while many families put it on their list, it’s not always their top choice. The parent survey, based on 48 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, shows real strengths in happiness and safety: 85% of parents either agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 92% felt their child is safe. However, concerns around behaviour and SEND support are more mixed — only 71% agreed the school ensures good behaviour, and just 42% agreed that children with special educational needs get the support they need.

Academically, Overstone sits in the bottom half of primary schools nationally and within Buckinghamshire. Its key stage 2 results for 2023/24 show that 54% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well below the local authority average of 64%. In the Buckinghamshire rankings, the school places 104th out of 137 primaries, putting it in the bottom 50% of the LA. Individual subject scores tell a slightly more nuanced story: 76% of pupils met expectations in writing, compared with 66% in reading and 59% in maths. Higher-standard attainment is low across the board — 22% in reading, 12% in maths and 10% in writing. Ofsted’s most recent inspection in July 2025 judged the school as Requires Improvement overall, though it noted that behaviour and attitudes, personal development and early years provision are all Good. Leadership and management, and the quality of education, both remain Requires Improvement.

The school serves 179 pupils against a capacity of 218, so there is some room to grow. It offers a nursery provision for children from age three, and the facilities include a forest school, sensory room, sports hall and art studios. Clubs range from art and gardening to drama, choir and chess, and sports on offer include athletics, gymnastics, football and netball. Overstone’s SEND provisions cover specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, visual impairment, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder — but given the parent survey feedback, families with SEND children may want to investigate further. The school has a non-religious character and is a mixed, state primary in Buckinghamshire. It will suit families who value a community feel and a broad range of activities, but who are realistic about the academic challenges and the current Ofsted rating.

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