St Andrew's Church of England Infant School

Inspection of a good school: St Andrew’s Church of England Infant School Upper Church Lane, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7PW

p.1

Outcome

St Andrew’s Church of England Infant School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

St Andrew’s is a happy place to learn. Parents and carers are full of praise for this friendly, nurturing school. Many told us that their children thrive here. The school’s Christian values of justice, fellowship, resilience and trust can be seen in the way both staff and pupils work together. Well-supervised playtimes are busy and sociable. There is plenty to do and pupils of all ages mix cheerfully together. Pupils are safe and well looked after.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard and try their best because they know that their teachers want them to succeed. Clear expectations for behaviour and familiar routines help pupils to know exactly what they need to do. As a result, pupils behave well. Any fall-outs are dealt with quickly and pupils are helped to repair friendships if they break down. Bullying is extremely rare.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy many opportunities to learn outdoors. For example, they take turns to visit the school’s allotment to grow vegetables and learn about science. Some pupils recently released butterflies in nearby meadowland. Teachers make the most of the school’s town- centre location by going out and about to bring learning to life in the community. The school proudly won awards in this year’s ‘Farnham in Bloom’ competition.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Strong leadership ensures that St Andrew’s still provides a good quality of education. Over the last two years, the school’s approach to pupils’ learning has had a complete overhaul. Leaders want pupils to aim high, achieve well and feel good about themselves. Clear policies and useful staff training result in calm, well-organised classrooms. By the end of key stage 1, the standards pupils achieve in English and mathematics are in line with those seen nationally. Pupils are well prepared for the demands of key stage 2.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils read widely and often. Pupils love reading and enjoy several storytimes a day. Books are cleverly used to inspire pupils to write or link up their learning in other subjects. For instance, in Year 2, pupils keenly shared a story about a baker’s boy because 27 November 2019

p.1

2

they are studying the Great Fire of London in history. Pupils enjoy borrowing books each week from the well-stocked, recently revamped library. Knowledgeable staff are determined that pupils will learn to read swiftly. Phonics is taught right from the start in Reception. Most pupils move quickly through the school’s carefully structured phonics programme. Pupils who need help to keep up, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), get the right support. Leaders are reviewing the school’s reading scheme to ensure that early reading books are always matched closely to pupils’ phonic ability.

p.2

2

Pupils learn a broad range of subjects. Plans for subjects, such as in mathematics and physical education, explain to teachers what to teach and in what order. Expectations for learning in key stage 1 are linked appropriately to the national curriculum.

p.2

2

In some subjects, such as English, teachers’ assessments focus sharply on whether pupils know more and remember more over time. Teachers use this information to carefully plan next steps in pupils’ learning. However, sometimes, particularly in some foundation subjects, assessment is not reliably sharp enough. It evaluates whether pupils have completed activities rather than their understanding of specific knowledge. As a result, sometimes following tasks are not matched precisely enough to pupils’ learning needs.

p.2

2

Children settle into the Reception class quickly and get off to a good start. They share resources and take turns happily. Children concentrate well because activities capture their interest. For example, some children were starting to learn about scientific forces as they investigated with magnets.

p.2

2

Leaders ensure that there are lots of opportunities for pupils to develop their interests out of the classroom. Lunchtime activities, such as yoga and pompom club, are fun and relaxing. Some pupils represent others on the school’s ‘well-being council’. Here, they learn to be ‘courageous advocates’ for others, for example by deciding which charities to support for the year.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Staff know what they need to do to keep pupils safe. They are well trained and recognise the signs that may indicate a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff know how to report any concerns because the school’s safeguarding procedures are clear.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils’ welfare is a top priority for the school. They respond promptly to any concerns that are brought to their attention. Appropriate referrals are made to outside agencies. The school recently received an award for its positive work to support pupils who are young carers. 27 November 2019

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment in some subjects, particularly in foundation subjects, is focused on whether pupils have completed activities rather than the subject-specific knowledge and skills that pupils have learned. Leaders need to ensure that assessment evaluates whether pupils know more and remember more, without unduly adding to teachers’ workload.  Work given to pupils in some subjects is not always matched closely enough to pupils’ specific learning needs. Where assessment is less well developed and is not focused sharply enough on the knowledge that pupils have learned, activities do not always match the curriculum aims well enough. Leaders need to ensure that tasks and activities enable pupils to build their subject knowledge and skills over time.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Andrew’s Church of England Infant School, to be good in January 2014.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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 27 November 2019

p.3

4

pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 27 November 2019

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10111426 Type of school Infant

p.5

School details

Headteacher Jayne Venables (Executive headteacher)

p.5

School details

Website www.standrews-infant.surrey.sch.uk/

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 St Andrew’s Church of England Infant School converted to become an academy on 1 March 2017, when it joined the Good Shepherd Trust. When its predecessor school, also called St Andrew’s Church of England Infant School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is federated with Potters Gate Primary School, which is also part of the Good Shepherd Trust.  In September 2017, the executive headteacher became the executive headteacher of both St Andrew’s and Potters Gate. She had previously been the headteacher of Potters Gate and before that, the headteacher of St Andrew’s. The executive headteacher and executive deputy headteacher now work across both schools.  There is one local governing body for both St Andrew’s and Potters Gate schools.  Subject leaders work across both schools.  St Andrew’s is a Church of England school within the Diocese of Guildford.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 We met with senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. 27 November 2019

p.5

6

 We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and physical education. We discussed the curriculum design with subject leaders, carried out a series of lesson visits, scrutinised pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and teachers about the curriculum.  We evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding. The school’s single central record was reviewed. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead, scrutinised documentation (including a sample of case files), and spoke to pupils and staff.  The lead inspector met with six governors.  The lead inspector met with the Director of Education from the Good Shepherd Trust.  We met with pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils informally about the school. There were 30 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  We took account of the 28 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, and 18 additional free-text responses.

p.6

6

 We considered the views of 20 members of staff who had responded to Ofsted’s staff survey.

p.6

Inspection team

Claire Prince, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Doug Brawley Ofsted Inspector 27 November 2019

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

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

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7