Nutfield Church CofE Primary School

Nutfield Church (Church of England) Primary School 59 Mid Street, South Nutfield, Redhill, Surrey RH1 4JJ

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Nutfield Primary has improved rapidly over the last year and continues to improve.  Pupils, many parents, staff, governors, the local authority and the Diocese speak passionately about the positive changes to the school’s culture and ethos brought about by the arrival of the new headteacher. As one parent put it, ‘The school has moved forward in leaps and bounds.’  Good teaching and assessment, which are especially strong in the early years and in Years 1 to 3, are lifting the quality of pupils’ learning and progress securely. Current pupils are making quicker progress right across the school than those in the recent past.  Teachers make pupils work hard and pupils are keen to do well. Work in pupils’ books shows a considerable amount of learning already this year.  Pupils enjoy the wide range of opportunities provided in the vibrant life of the school. These promote their good personal development, behaviour and welfare.

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This is a good school

 Leaders and governors at all levels know very well which areas need further attention and where to refine practice in their shared ambition for the school to be outstanding.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 While teaching is now good overall, some improvements are less securely established in Years 4, 5 and 6.  Teaching and tasks do not have precisely the right level of challenge often enough to secure the highest quality of learning, particularly in mathematics.  Teachers’ questioning does not always make pupils think hard enough to really challenge pupils and deepen their understanding, especially the most able.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that strengths in teaching are embedded as consistently strongly in Years 4, 5 and 6 as they are lower down the school, including always giving pupils opportunities to follow the advice given in teachers’ marking and respond to it as appropriate ensuring pupils always apply their developing spelling, grammar and punctuation skills when writing making sure that adults and pupils are clear about which reading skills are being learned by the fluent readers.  Make sharper use of the range of available assessment information so that teaching and tasks are always pitched at just the right level to promote the best learning, including for the most able and those that need to catch up with their peers, particularly in mathematics.  Broaden the range of questions that adults ask to make sure that pupils, including the most able, are regularly required to think deeply to answer.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The new headteacher has secured the confidence of most who know the school. The full range of views and other inspection evidence indicates overwhelmingly that this is a rapidly improving school.  Leaders at different levels, from the effective governance to the strong leadership of the early years provision, have shown that they are able to successfully improve the school. The headteacher values both the challenge and support provided by the local authority and the Diocese. This has contributed very well to the strides forward made by the school.  Clear systems and support mean that although middle leaders are new in post, they know what needs to be done. They have a secure understanding of their role and the expectations upon them.  The headteacher promotes professional dialogue with teachers. When providing feedback to teachers, her challenging questions help them to be reflective and improve their practice. In turn, this means the impact is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

quickly seen. This open and professionally challenging culture also supports staff right across the school to put in place the agreed approaches, for example in the marking policy or timetable.  Parents are mostly positive about what the school offers and how this has improved. Many commented on the positive changes since the arrival of the headteacher. The view of one parent, typical of other parents’ feelings, and a view also supported by inspectors was, ‘…a new ambition and rigour has been brought to the discipline, teaching and management of the school’. However, as a rapidly improving school, leaders recognise that they have not yet won the full support of all parents.  Pupils learn a broad range of subjects and topics. Teachers maintain their high expectations across subjects, for example expecting pupils to do their best writing whether it is in English or science lessons. Ongoing training is helping teachers as they work towards mastering the new national curriculum requirements,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

especially with securing pupils’ deep understanding before rushing on to new content, so that it leads to the highest possible outcomes for pupils.  Careful thought and planning is invested in the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils relish new opportunities, including those provided by the wide range of extra-curricular activities and visits to places locally and further afield. During the inspection, pupils were excited to welcome the Bishop of Croydon to open the school’s new kitchen and tour classrooms. Pupils have well-planned opportunities to learn about different faiths and lifestyles.  Leaders consider carefully how the school is promoting British values and how these align with the school’s own values of: ‘Community and peace; Hope and Love; and Grace and Joy.’ Pupils are proud of the school’s ‘Peace Makers Charter’ which states, ‘…we are all different and we like it that way.’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Leaders have used additional sports funding in a variety of ways to good effect. This has included training for staff to enhance their skills when teaching physical education as well as enhancing the offer for pupils, for example, through additional dance provision or outdoor learning. The proportion of pupils involved in extra-curricular or inter-school sports has risen, with the large majority of pupils accessing a wide range of sports tournaments.  The governance of the school The governing body has worked hard and with success to increase its own effectiveness. Governors’ ambition and passion for the school is clear, and this has been well channelled to provide school leaders with a helpful balance of support and challenge. Governors keep a close watch on how well the school is improving through information provided by the headteacher, their own visits to the school, seeking the views of staff, parents and pupils and using

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

information about the school’s performance. As a result, they know the school well. There are systems and procedures in place to check that additional funding is making a difference, for example pupil premium or the sports premium. The very small numbers of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding mean that comparisons between years or with other pupils nationally are misleading. However, leaders do track the spending and can show the positive impact it has, for example in accelerating rates of progress, increasing pupil engagement and improving attendance. Leaders and governors have asked for an external review of pupil premium funding in order to refine their practice and at the time of the inspection were awaiting the official report.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s policies and procedures are kept under regular review and scrutiny to ensure the safety and protection of pupils. Leaders and governors closely

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

monitor processes to ensure that they are followed as intended. Checks on staff are robust and ensure that they are qualified and trained appropriately.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers expect pupils to work hard. Pupils are keen to do well and rise to these expectations. Their work across subjects is of a good quality and there is clear evidence that their learning is moving forward well, including those working hard to catch up with their peers. Most parents believe that their children are taught well.  Teaching assistants make a positive contribution to pupils’ learning. When the teacher is teaching the whole class, they often check that pupils with special educational needs or those that need to catch up understand key learning points such as technical vocabulary. When supporting groups and individuals, their effective questioning often helps pupils to grasp their learning securely without stopping them from learning on their own or doing tasks for them.  During lessons, teachers and teaching assistants check pupils’ understanding carefully, either by looking at their work or by asking them questions. This helps them to identify any misconceptions quickly and give

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

feedback to the pupils to tackle them. Pupils are clear that they can learn from their mistakes and have positive attitudes to correcting these.  Teachers mostly make good use of information about what pupils already know and can do to plan their lessons. However, sometimes this information is not used well enough, particularly in mathematics, to ensure that pupils move on at precisely the right time.  Many aspects of teachers’ questioning are developing well across the school. However, questions are not always demanding enough to really explore pupils’ thinking, or require them to think harder to come up with more developed or considered answers. This is the case for the most-able pupils.  The school’s clear marking policy of identifying what has gone well with a ‘star’ and the ‘next steps’ that pupils need to take to improve is carried out attentively by teachers. Pupils report that they find this helpful

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and many are getting into good habits of responding to what the teacher has written and following the advice. Sometimes these opportunities are missed, particularly across older year groups, which means the impact is lost.  The weekly newsletter that goes out from every class outlining what pupils have been learning and the nature of that week’s homework is above and beyond what might be seen in many schools. Most parents agree that their child receives appropriate homework, but nearly one quarter of parents who responded to Parent View disagreed that they receive valuable information about their child’s progress. Pupils’ annual written report and schedule of opportunities for parents to meet the teacher is typical of those seen in many schools.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are keen to do well, sometimes relishing the challenge when stretched. They take a real pride in their work, making sure they are careful with their handwriting and presentation.  Pupils embrace the range of opportunities that the school has to offer. During the inspection, they participated enthusiastically in the special sports event to celebrate a recent award. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves healthy through diet and exercise.  There is a strong awareness of bullying. Pupils have a good understanding of issues surrounding bullying and that over the last year, it was dealt with well. School documentation supports pupils’ views. The majority of parents agree, although a small minority of parents still lack confidence in this area.  Pupils consistently told inspectors that they feel safe in school and their above-average attendance and

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Personal development and welfare

conduct, both inside and outside would support this. Pupils are actively encouraged to discuss any concerns, for example through ‘talk-time boxes’ or with the learning mentor.  Pupils learn well how to keep themselves safe and this is given a high priority. During the inspection, Year 6 children were learning how to ride their bikes safely on the road and the school was hosting a workshop for parents about e-safety and keeping children safe online.  The broad range of roles that pupils take on to help in the smooth running of the school contributes well to pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils take on responsibilities, including peer mediator, faith team and school council representative, with a mature attitude.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are friendly, polite and warmly welcome visitors to the school. Manners and conduct around school have been a strong focus. For example, pupils mostly remember to hold doors open and allow others to pass through smaller gaps. The school has a calm and orderly atmosphere.  Behaviour outdoors and in the dining hall at lunchtime is positive, including during the nasty weather experienced during the inspection. Pupils mix well and have plenty to do in the spacious grounds.  Pupils’ positive attitudes mean that they mostly behave well in class. A few do sometimes lose interest during lessons and stop working or chat off-task, which slows their progress. Pupils told inspectors that occasionally this is distracting, although they are confident that behaviour has much improved and is good.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The extensive, good-quality work in pupils’ books and the school’s assessment information show that current pupils, including the most able, are making good progress and doing well in a broad range of subjects.  The strong teaching across Key Stage 1 is helping pupils to build on the good start that they make in the early years. Across Key Stage 2, boys and girls in the school now have made much better progress over the last year than has previously been the case. As a result, in mathematics, for example, the current Year 6 is nearly a year ahead of the cohort that left in 2015.  Regular opportunities to solve problems in mathematics give pupils the chance to apply the skills that they are learning and so develop a firmer understanding. Pupils are working hard to increase their fluency and recall of key number facts through daily sessions and homework, rightly identified as a priority by leaders.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Younger pupils quickly learn letters and the sounds these make (phonics). Results in the Year 1 phonics screening check are above the national average. Pupils learn how to use this knowledge to read and write, drawing systematically on their skills when tackling unfamiliar words. Where necessary, this is reinforced as pupils move into Key Stage 2.  Pupils enjoy reading and access a wide range of good quality texts. They are keen to read aloud and do so with increasing fluency and expression as they move through the school. Older pupils and the most-able pupils tackle more challenging texts confidently, although they are not always certain of the advanced skills they need to develop to understand these texts fully. As pupils move towards the top of the school, the teaching of reading still does not always make these skills clear enough.  The progress in pupils’ writing is characterised by good development in the organisation of ideas in extended

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pieces of writing and use of adventurous vocabulary, often a focus of reading sessions as well. Pupils write with a good sense of interest and purpose, aiming to engage the reader. As pupils move through Key Stage 2, their grammar, punctuation and spelling are less well developed. Additional teaching of these skills is in place, but older pupils are not yet applying this consistently enough when writing, including the most able.  Work in the books of disadvantaged pupils reflects the same high expectations as for all pupils. Where pupils are behind their peers, these gaps are identified and targeted. Taking the full range of evidence into account, these pupils typically make at least similar progress as their peers and sometimes better progress.  Pupils with special educational needs make good progress in line with other pupils. Several parents of children with special educational needs particularly praised the school’s work in this area. By the time that

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Outcomes for pupils are good

they leave, the gaps between the levels reached by these pupils and all pupils nationally are smaller than average.  Any pupils that need to catch up are given the necessary help, so that by the end of each key stage, attainment is at least in line with national averages and sometimes higher. Together with pupils’ good personal development, this prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years provision is a strength of the school. Reflective leadership and effective teaching, grounded in a strong understanding of how children at this age learn best, ensures children’s needs are well met.  From starting points that overall are typical for children’s ages, the proportion that reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception year, and are therefore ready to start Year 1, is above the national average.  Detailed checks of what children already know and can do are being used carefully to identify each child’s next steps and support their learning towards these. Observations and assessments are logged accurately to support this process.  Where children are not displaying the knowledge, skills or understanding that the school might expect for their age, these areas are quickly identified and prioritised to ensure that children can catch up quickly. This may include seeking external advice for special educational needs or the use of additional funding to help

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Early years provision is good

narrow the gap for disadvantaged children, although the numbers of these are typically very small with none currently in the early years.  The most able are also challenged at their own level. For example, they are encouraged to blend their sounds to read in phonics, solve problems for themselves in their play, or write more through varied activities. Adults’ effective questioning and prompting as children choose their own activities is a key part of this, although this is not consistently strong among all adults, meaning that some opportunities are missed.  Children settle quickly, learning to share and work things out with others. They mix well and are sometimes beginning to work together for a common goal, for example making a boat to float in the large puddle that had appeared in the outdoor area. The new rolling ‘snack shop’ means that learning time is not interrupted at a fixed point. Instead, children are developing their social skills and getting into good routines and habits.

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Early years provision is good

 The carefully organised and stimulating environment, inside and out, gives children many opportunities to explore and make choices in their learning and play. Children enjoyed assuming the various roles in the ‘doctors surgery’ role-play area, busily making diagnoses and writing prescriptions before carrying out treatment.  More formal teaching sessions, for example in phonics, are short and effective. The skilful teaching takes account of the different needs in the group through targeting questions and ensuring all children are challenged by what they are asked to do. The children are quickly getting into positive habits for this style of learning, modelled well by the teaching assistants. Consequently, during the phonics session observed, children were engrossed throughout.  The school encourages parents to engage with the school to benefit their child’s learning and experience, including through home visits, contact books and contributions to the initial assessment of children’s

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Early years provision is good

knowledge and skills. The views of parents of early years children responding to Parent View were overwhelmingly positive. One parent, typical of the views expressed, described how their daughter, ‘…literally cannot get to school quick enough each day.’

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School details

Unique reference number 125193 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10006374 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 204 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Vicky Wool Headteacher Imogen Woods Telephone number 01737 823239 Website www.nutfieldprimary.co.uk Email address info@nutfield.surrey.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 July 2013

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Information about this school

 Nutfield Church (Church of England) Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support from pupil premium funding (additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils looked after by the local authority) is below average. Typically, the number of these pupils in each year group is very low, often considerably fewer than five.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those identified with special educational needs is broadly average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been a number of significant leadership changes since the previous inspection. The headteacher was appointed in September 2014.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school provision, known as ‘Turtles Club’.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited all classes to observe teaching in lessons, looked extensively at work in pupils’ books and talked with a wide range of them about their learning.  They involved the headteacher in a number of these visits and held ongoing discussions with the headteacher and acting deputy headteacher throughout the inspection.  Inspectors also met with other leaders, teachers, staff, members of the governing body and spoke with representatives of the local authority and Diocese.  They spoke informally with parents and took account of 80 responses to Parent View available at the time of the inspection. Inspectors also analysed 21 questionnaires returned by members of staff.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and examined a range of the school’s documentation, for example, documents relating to safeguarding, the quality of teaching and the school’s information about how well current pupils are doing.

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Inspection team

Clive Dunn, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Richard Blackmore Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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