Ashford CofE Primary School

Inspection of Ashford CofE Primary School School Road, Ashford, Surrey TW15 2BW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 5–6 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a positive climate for pupils to learn. Pupils are happy and safe. They feel valued and listened to by adults in school. They are confident that if they have any worries or concerns, they are given the help and support they need. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They enjoy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a sense of responsibility. They understand that it is important to treat one another with respect. Pupils are friendly and welcoming. Most of the time, pupils work with enthusiasm and concentration. Effective routines mean that pupils settle quickly to their tasks.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils play together happily. They enjoy playing a range of games that keep them active. Pupils say that any unkind behaviour, including the rare incidents of bullying, is dealt with quickly and effectively by the adults in school. Peer mentors also provide support for pupils in the playground. They look out for pupils who may be alone and invite them to join in games.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are aspirational. They have set high expectations for what pupils can achieve. However, not all teachers share these high expectations.

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better?

Leaders have focused sharply on improving the school. Their work has had a positive impact and the school is heading in the right direction. There is still work to be done to improve the quality of education. Senior leaders have made sure that the right people are in the right positions to make the necessary improvements.

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better?

Leaders have developed a well-planned, challenging curriculum. For example, the mathematics curriculum has been designed to make sure that pupils’ learning builds on what they already know and can do. Pupils benefit from lots of opportunities to solve mathematical problems. They are expected to justify their answers with reasons. Pupils do well in mathematics.

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better?

The teaching of phonics is also effective. Children get off to a good start with learning phonics in the early years. Teachers plan interesting activities that help children to learn and practise their phonics. In Year 1, pupils continue to build strong phonics knowledge. Pupils use this knowledge to read unknown words confidently. As pupils move into key stage 2, they further develop key skills in reading. They become confident readers, with a love of reading.

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better?

In some subjects, the planned curriculum is not delivered well enough. For example, the teaching of writing does not build well enough on what pupils are already able to do. At times, teachers do not plan tasks that are sufficiently challenging. Sometimes, teachers do not address pupils’ misconceptions in their writing. Sometimes, pupils lose interest in their learning and become distracted, although this rarely disrupts the learning of other pupils. Pupils are not achieving as highly as 5–6 November 2019

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For some subjects, leaders have trained teachers so that they have secure subject knowledge. For example, effective training in mathematics has improved teaching in this subject. In some subjects, such as music, however, teachers do not have strong enough subject knowledge. Sometimes, the explanations they give to pupils are confusing. As a result, pupils do not develop a secure understanding of different musical concepts.

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The newly appointed special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has worked quickly to improve the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and for those who are disadvantaged. She has assessed pupils’ needs effectively. She has worked with teachers to plan effective support for these pupils. It is still early days, but it is clear that this work is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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Children do well in the early years. Leaders have established a carefully planned early years curriculum. Teachers have created a calm, purposeful learning environment. They plan learning that interests children and helps them to develop key skills across the curriculum. Children play and learn together well. By the end of Reception, children are ready to make a flying start in Year 1.

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Pupils have lots of opportunities to learn about different cultures, for example in dance and music. Pupils understand that people hold different beliefs and that it is important to respect people’s differences. Teachers choose topics for discussion and debate that broaden pupils’ thinking, for example challenging stereotypes. Teachers also plan ‘careers weeks’ to raise pupils’ aspirations. During these weeks, pupils are introduced to people who work in a wide range of different careers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school’s safeguarding team has made sure that pupils’ welfare is a priority. The team has trained all staff so that they have a very good understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know that there is always a trusted adult they can go to with any worries. Pupils also know that any worries posted in the ‘worry box’ will be read by an adult. This will ensure that they get any support they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders plan different opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. Pupils develop a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Senior leaders have made sure that they have appointed the right people to the right leadership positions. Subject leaders have strong subject knowledge and are passionate about the subjects that they lead. Leaders have planned a challenging curriculum in all subjects. Leaders must now ensure that this curriculum is delivered effectively in all subjects. Leaders must also provide teachers with specific training in subjects such as music. This is to ensure that all teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach all subjects well.  Leaders have set high expectations for all pupils. However, not all teachers have high enough expectations for what pupils can achieve. Leaders need to ensure that all staff share their high expectations. Teachers need to make effective use of assessment to identify any gaps in pupils’ understanding and to tackle pupils’ misconceptions. Teachers should also use assessment to make sure that learning

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

is sufficiently challenging and that it builds on what pupils already know and can do, particularly in writing.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 5–6 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111157 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Mr Neil Meehan (executive headteacher)

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School details

Website www.ashford-primary.surrey.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 September 2018

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Information about this school

 Ashford CofE Primary School is located in the Diocese of London. Its last section 48 inspection took place in March 2019.  The school is a larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school is in a temporary partnership with another local school, Laleham CE VA Primary School. The schools share an executive headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, we met with the executive headteacher, the co-heads of school and the SENCo. We also met with governors, a representative from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  We met with the school’s designated safeguarding leads and scrutinised the school’s safeguarding records. This included a check on the single central record of recruitment checks on adults working with pupils. We also looked at the school’s attendance and behaviour records, including records of bullying and exclusions. 5–6 November 2019

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 During breaktime and lunchtime, we observed pupils’ behaviour and spoke to pupils informally. We also met formally with a group of pupils. We considered the 64 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  We took into account the 117 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 57 free- text comments. We also considered other feedback from parents and carers, including meeting with parents at the beginning of the first day.  We met with a range of staff during the inspection, including teachers and support staff. The 41 staff responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey were also considered.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, writing, history, personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education, and music. This included meeting with the curriculum leaders for these subjects, visiting lessons, talking to pupils, listening to pupils read, speaking with teachers and looking at pupils’

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Inspection team

Leah Goulding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Redman Ofsted Inspector 5–6 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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