Surrey Hills Church of England Primary School

Surrey Hills Church of England Primary School School Lane, Westcott, Dorking, Surrey RH4 3QF

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leadership is inadequate. Leaders have not always managed risks arising from allegations against staff properly. The school’s work to safeguard pupils and ensure their welfare is inadequate, both in the main school and in the early years. Both the main school and the early years are therefore inadequate overall.  Governors have not fulfilled their statutory safeguarding responsibilities. They have not always checked that leaders have managed allegations against staff effectively.  Sometimes, pupils are not challenged highly enough across the full national curriculum.  External support, provided by the local authority and its contractors, has not been effective in helping the school to fulfil its statutory safeguarding responsibilities. Poor communication, and sometimes contradictory advice, have contributed to school leaders’ uncertainty over how to manage risk assessments consistently well and report concerns to the appropriate agencies.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 There are occasions when teaching does not fully meet the range of needs in each class, notably those of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders at all levels have worked effectively to make sure that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved since the last inspection. This has led to good outcomes for pupils throughout the school.  Pupils’ behaviour is good around the school and in lessons, including in the early years. Pupils are polite and respectful of each other and of adults. They work hard and are very willing to learn.  Staff are well trained in understanding how to support children who have particular social, emotional and welfare needs.  Middle leaders have improved their skills. With senior leaders, they have created a strong culture of continuous improvement in teaching so that teachers and their assistants refine their skills still further.  Pupils’ outcomes have risen since the last inspection. Their attainment is above national averages in the early years, in phonics and by the end of key stage 2. Pupils’ progress in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

reading, writing and mathematics has improved and is now good.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently review and sharpen safeguarding processes so that: – leaders and governors understand and fulfil their statutory safeguarding responsibilities to ensure that pupils are safe, and that suitable processes are in place – risk assessments relating to allegations against staff are always robust, checked and monitored.  Minimise remaining inconsistencies in the quality of teaching so that: – the progress of all pupils, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities, is equally good – pupils, particularly the most able, are challenged to make good progress across the wider curriculum. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Safeguarding is not effective. Governors and senior leaders have not consistently responded well enough when dealing with serious allegations against members of staff. Risk assessments put in place are not always robust enough to deal with the circumstances involved and are not routinely monitored effectively. Consequently, leaders cannot guarantee that pupils are safe.  Leaders’ knowledge around safeguarding, including that of the headteacher and of other designated safeguarding personnel, is not secure. For example, leaders did not fulfil their statutory duties to report concerns about staff promptly.  External support received by the school has not been effective in helping the school to fulfil its statutory safeguarding duties. Poor communication, and sometimes contradictory advice, has contributed to school leaders’ uncertainty over what actions to take. An external audit of safeguarding procedures did not identify that risk

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

assessments are not always effective. Leaders, governors and the local authority recognise, in hindsight, that better communication between external agencies is required.  Since the previous inspection, leaders at all levels have worked effectively to improve many aspects of the school. External support brokered by the local authority and from the diocese has helped leaders at all levels to improve teaching. Senior leaders now have a more accurate understanding of the school’s effectiveness in this regard.  The leadership of teaching, learning and assessment is much improved. Senior leaders, governors and leaders at other levels have created a culture of continuous professional development where teachers and teaching assistants work effectively together to meet pupils’ needs. Improved monitoring and feedback for teachers help them to constantly refine their skills. Better understanding of assessment information means that teachers’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

planning is much sharper. Because of this work, the quality of teaching is now good, and pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics have risen and are also now good.  Teachers appreciate the training and support from subject leaders which have helped them to improve their knowledge across the range of national curriculum subjects. Subject leaders make sure the curriculum is planned well so that pupils gain knowledge, understanding and skills in a broad range of subjects. For example, in science, pupils enjoy ‘working scientifically’ as they investigate issues and draw conclusions based on the evidence. In art, when creating their own impressive artwork, pupils use their knowledge of how famous artists painted. Leaders’ next steps are to make sure that work in these subjects is appropriately challenging, particularly for most-able pupils.  Leaders make sure that funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively. Leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

identify accurately the different barriers these pupils face, adapting spending and evaluating what works. Consequently, teachers have a much-improved understanding of how to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils, so that they now make strong, and often rapid, progress.  Pupils are being prepared well for life in modern Britain. Younger pupils attend the forest school, where they participate in activities which help to develop their social, emotional and physical skills well. The curriculum provides numerous opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, termly themes linked to the school’s Christian values are explored in assemblies and in class. During the inspection, pupils reflected on the theme of peace as they maturely considered what it might feel like to be a refugee having to leave home urgently.  Pupils enjoy participating in the many extra-curricular activities and clubs available.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

Many learn to play a musical instrument, the ukulele being especially popular. Sporting clubs such as gymnastics and netball are well attended, with the school being increasingly successful when participating in local competitions.  The sport premium is used effectively to promote a variety of sports. Leaders track the impact of spending well, showing that participation rates have increased, including those of disadvantaged pupils.  Leaders have recently reviewed how funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is spent, and there are early signs that it is now used effectively. For example, leaders have provided additional training for teaching assistants and reorganised how they work in school. However, leaders do not routinely check carefully enough that teaching in day-to-day classes meets these pupils’ needs well enough.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have not fulfilled all their statutory duties to keep children safe.  Governors have not fully understood their statutory responsibilities to report concerns to relevant external agencies promptly.  Governors have not ensured that risk assessments relating to members of staff are invariably effective.  Governors have improved their skills in some areas so they now challenge school leaders to improve aspects of the school effectively. They have especially made sure that leaders’ focus on improved teaching and outcomes is sharper than previously. Governors are knowledgeable about these improvements, visiting the school for themselves to monitor the impact of leaders’ work.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  Following one serious incident, leaders worked with a range of outside professionals, including the police and local authority, to review the school’s safeguarding procedures, particularly those surrounding whistleblowing and mobile phone use. Much of this work has been effective. For example, staff are very aware of their responsibilities around the safe use of mobile phones.  However, following a separate incident last year, insufficient attention was paid to assessing risk in relation to an allegation against a member of staff. Some external advice was unhelpful and unclear. In addition, leaders and governors were not aware of and did not fulfil their statutory duties, for example to report concerns appropriately.  During the inspection, school procedures relating to this incident were not followed closely enough. There were gaps between what was expected in the risk assessment

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Safeguarding

and what actually happened, which put pupils potentially at risk.  Nevertheless, staff have received some useful training in safeguarding and child protection. Records show that they support pupils promptly when they have a concern, and that the school makes good use of outside agencies to support pupils who need additional help.  Leaders make sure that safer-recruitment procedures are followed effectively. Appropriate checks are carried out when adults apply to work in the school, and are recorded accurately on the single central record.  Children say they feel safe and confident that adults will help them if they have any worries or concerns.  The curriculum includes helpful advice on e-safety. Pupils know to tell an adult if they are worried about something online.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching has improved so that it is now good. This is because teachers use assessment information well to plan pupils’ next steps in learning, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers’ focus on providing more challenging work for the most able pupils in these subjects has been effective, so that these pupils now make better progress than previously. Similarly, teachers’ improved understanding of how to meet the learning needs of disadvantaged pupils is helping these pupils to catch up.  Most teachers use questions effectively to check pupils’ understanding and to address misconceptions quickly. Teachers have targeted improving pupils’ resilience to help build their confidence as they learn. This is working. Pupils work hard in lessons, persevering when work is challenging. Pupils help each other with their work, for example by checking each other’s writing is accurate, or by discussing the best way to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

attempt to solve a mathematical problem.  Teachers make sure reading is taught very well. Pupils in the early years and in Year 1 make a strong start because phonics teaching is tailored closely to pupils’ starting points. Teachers and teaching assistants skilfully help pupils to recognise and blend different letter sounds. Pupils happily practise putting newly learned words into sentences.  Older pupils continue to read regularly at home and at school. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to read for different purposes, such as to find information from a text and to make predictions about what might happen next. Consequently, pupils’ progress in reading is better than that of pupils nationally.  The teaching of writing has improved. Teachers’ expectations that writing across the whole curriculum should be of a similar high standard is ensuring that pupils’ progress in writing is better than in the past. Pupils use technical language and grammatical

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

structures adeptly. For example, pupils in the Years 3 and 4 class wrote a detailed account of the story of Rama and Sita. They chose descriptive words to make their writing more interesting and checked their work carefully to make sure they had spelled them correctly.  Mathematics is taught well throughout the school. Recent training and teachers’ own research have improved teachers’ skills. Good-quality resources, including new mathematical apparatus, are helping pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, to make strong progress. The most able pupils are challenged regularly to apply their understanding to solve problems and develop their reasoning skills. Several pupils say that they really like the challenge offered by mathematics, and that it is their favourite subject.  Leaders’ help and support have reduced inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. Where teaching is most effective, teachers and teaching assistants deftly adapt

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

teaching to help most pupils make good progress. Extra challenge for most-able pupils develops their thinking skills well. However, most-able pupils are not challenged highly enough across the wider range of national curriculum subjects. Help provided for disadvantaged pupils is targeted carefully to diminish any differences between their attainment and that of their peers.  However, from time to time, work is not matched precisely enough to meet pupils’ needs, and pupils are not supported quickly enough to improve their understanding. When this happens, progress slows and pupils do not achieve as well as they should. This is particularly true of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate. This is because leaders have not always robustly followed procedures for dealing with allegations against staff. Consequently, leaders cannot guarantee that pupils are safe.  Nevertheless, much of the school’s work to promote pupils’ welfare and development is effective. Leaders make sure that pupils who require support to maintain strong emotional well-being are supported well. Pupils are confident that, if they put their name in the ‘worry box’ in class, the teacher will check if they are okay. Pupils especially praised the work of the educational learning and support assistants (ELSAs), with one saying: ‘The ELSAs have helped me to stand up for myself. I’m much more confident now.’  Surrey Hills is an inclusive school. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils, including pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, receive carefully tailored support should they

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Personal development and welfare

need it. This includes prompt help from adults in school and from additional external agencies should this be necessary.  The breakfast club provides a healthy start to the day for those pupils who attend it. Pupils’ understanding of a healthy lifestyle is also evident in the increased participation rates for extra-curricular sporting activities.  Pupils say that this is a friendly school. They report that bullying is rare but that, if it were to happen, staff would sort it out quickly. School records confirm this.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are confident when speaking to adults and are keen to learn. Pupils behave well in class and as they move around the school. Staff supervise playtimes well. Routines are well established and lead to a calm and orderly school.  Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. Leaders’ work to support the families of the few pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils, who are persistently absent is increasingly effective. Case studies examined during the inspection show that many of these pupils have this year improved their attendance and are more punctual.  Pupils are provided with many ways to develop their leadership skills and to show that they can act responsibly. For example, the sports crew set up games for pupils to play during lunchtimes, and librarians help their peers to choose new books and listen to younger pupils read. Pupils proudly showed inspectors their ‘tree of care’, which is full

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Behaviour

of the names of pupils who have demonstrated the school’s core values of ‘care, achieve, respect, enjoy’.  Very occasionally, when teaching is not well matched to pupils’ needs, some pupils lose concentration and make slower progress.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ outcomes across the school have improved steadily since the previous inspection, as a result of improvements in the quality of teaching.  In 2017, pupils at the end of key stage 2 made good progress in writing and mathematics, and very good progress in reading. Consequently, pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics is above average, with attainment in writing remaining broadly average.  Leaders and teachers are raising aspirations of what pupils can achieve in reading, writing and mathematics. Last year, most-able pupils leaving Year 6 made rapid progress, so that the proportions achieving the higher standard in these subjects were well above average, particularly in reading.  Children in the early years make strong progress from their different starting points. Leaders identify accurately any lag in children’s progress, and provide rich learning opportunities to help children catch up. Consequently, above-average proportions of

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Outcomes for pupils Good

children reach a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.  Pupils make consistently good progress and achieve standards above the national average in phonics. Pupils enjoy developing their phonics skills because they are taught skilfully and in ways which maintain their interest.  As pupils progress through the school they develop strong reading skills. The well-used library is a hive of activity and pupils regularly choose new books to read. Pupils read fluently and expressively. Most-able pupils choose challenging books, one telling an inspector that he especially likes ‘modern classics’ such as ‘The Borrowers’ and ‘Harry Potter’.  Last year, leaders recognised that the progress of pupils in Year 2 had slowed. They provided effective support for this year group, with the result that when these pupils reached the end of key stage 1 they achieved standards just above average in reading

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Outcomes for pupils Good

and mathematics, and broadly average in writing.  Disadvantaged pupils reaching the end of key stage 2 made rapid progress to achieve standards in reading in line with others nationally. However, their progress in writing and mathematics was slower. Improved use of assessment and better teaching for current disadvantaged pupils mean that most are making rapid progress to catch up with pupils nationally.  Where the progress of some pupils is currently weaker, leaders have scrutinised why this is the case and are acting to address this. For example, leaders know that the progress of some pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is too slow, and have rightly highlighted this as a priority for improvement.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 The issues which affect the safeguarding of pupils also affect children in the early years. As a result, safeguarding is ineffective and the early years provision is inadequate.  Leaders work closely with parents to assess children’s starting points, and use this information to plan a curriculum which provides interesting and stimulating experiences which help children to learn well. For example, excited by the current theme of ‘those who help us’, children pretended to receive emergency calls, writing notes to tell the fireman where to go. They were engrossed in the activity and developed strong communication and speech skills as they played.  Parents visit regularly to see what their children are doing and to take part in activities. For example, each week a parent acts as a ‘mystery visitor’, describing an activity they are interested in. This is enjoyed by all, and strengthens children’s vocabulary and

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Early years provision Inadequate

communication skills as they try to find out what the mystery is.  Many children start the Reception Year with skills above those typical for their age. Staff identify children’s starting points quickly and make sure that activities provide enough challenge so that they make rapid progress.  Leaders also accurately pinpoint any aspects of learning that some children need extra support with. This year, leaders identified that some children need extra help with speech and language. Pupil premium funding is being used effectively to help improve this area of their development.  Over time, above-average proportions of children reached a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year. However, last year some of these children were not prepared well enough for Year 1 because leaders and teachers did not ensure that they developed sufficient concentration and independence skills. Leaders have addressed

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Early years provision Inadequate

this by rearranging how the early years is structured, so that current children are already learning to concentrate and be independent. In addition, pupils now in Year 1 are being supported to catch up with these skills.  There is a range of resources set out for children to access both inside and outside. Frequent opportunities for children to practise their reading and writing skills help them to make good progress. Adults support children’s language development well, for example by providing commentary as they play. However, children are sometimes reluctant to interact fully with activities outside because the area is uninviting and cluttered.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.surreyhillsprimaryschool.org.uk/

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School details

Email address westcott@surreyhills.surrey.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1–2 December 2015

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Information about this school

 Surrey Hills is an average-sized primary school. It operates on two sites. The Abinger site caters for pupils in Reception and key stage 1. The Westcott site accommodates pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2.  Most pupils are White British.  The school has a smaller-than-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils.  The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is smaller than average.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.  The school operates a breakfast club for pupils on the Abinger site, which was observed as part of the inspection. The breakfast and after-school clubs on the Westcott site are not run by the school, so did not form part of the inspection.  Since the last inspection, the local authority brokered support for the school from St

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Information about this school

Martin’s Primary School. This support ended in July 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in all year groups and on both sites. Some of these observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work during lessons and, formally, with a group of middle leaders.  Inspectors held meetings with a range of staff and with governors. Inspectors met, and spoke with on the telephone, representatives from the local authority, the diocese and Babcock, which is employed by the local authority to carry out school improvement work and human resources provision.  Inspectors scrutinised key documents, including minutes of governors’ meetings, school improvement plans, safeguarding information and risk assessments.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils by speaking to them during lessons and at playtimes, as well as by meeting with a group of pupils in key stage 2. They also examined the 14 responses to the online pupil survey. Inspectors heard some pupils

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Information about this inspection

read. The head boy and head girl gave one inspector a tour of the school.  Inspectors talked to parents from both sites at the school gate at the start of school. They considered parents’ views by looking at the 62 confidential responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.  Inspectors took account of a qualifying complaint made in advance of the inspection. This involved allegations made against staff, and how these had been managed by the school. Inspectors also became aware of the conclusion of a court case in July 2017 involving a previous member of staff, who worked at the school between 2011 and 2013.

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Inspection team

Catherine Old, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Dunmall 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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