Horsell CofE Aided Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Horsell CofE Aided Junior School Meadway Drive, Horsell, Woking, Surrey GU21 4TA

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Outcome

Horsell CofE Aided Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Horsell are polite, well mannered and proud of their school. They take their learning seriously and enjoy working hard in lessons. Pupils learn in an environment with a strong Christian ethos, which is accepting of all families, regardless of faith or belief. The school lives up to its vision of a ‘rich and inclusive education for every member of our school family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers want the best for pupils. They have high expectations of what pupils can learn and how well they can behave. Teachers provide pupils with interesting tasks and activities. Lessons capture pupils’ imagination, developing a passion for learning. Pupils particularly like their opportunities to learn outside. This might be discovering insects in science or building a ‘den’ to help with team building.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils want to achieve and help make their school better. Forming the Eco committee is one of the ways they are making positive changes. Pupils show care for one another. Year 6 pupils like the responsibility of acting as a ‘buddy’ for new pupils. Pupils say that if bullying occurs, staff deal with it quickly. Pupils feel this way because, they say, ‘There is always someone you can talk to if you are worried.’

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

Leaders have maintained a good standard of education since the previous inspection. They are ambitious for pupils and want them not only to achieve academically but to become well-rounded young people. Leaders have looked critically at what pupils are learning. They have made sure that every subject’s content covers what pupils need to learn. Teachers have identified areas where learning can be brought to life. Pupils really enjoyed visits to the planetarium in Year 5 or Windsor Castle in Year 4.

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

Leaders have looked at the sequence of learning in subjects such as science to make sure that pupils are learning the right concepts in the right order. There is a detailed plan in 14–15 January 2020

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place to make sure that this happens in all subjects. Leaders know the importance of completing this work so that learning in every subject is equally well planned.

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Pupils reach higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics than those achieved nationally. Lessons are well planned to build learning across year groups. There are helpful opportunities for pupils to practise basic skills so that they remember them over time. Teachers check carefully what pupils know and understand. Work is set at the right level so that pupils can learn effectively, building upon what they already know.

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Reading is well taught in the school. Pupils read every day. Teachers focus on developing vocabulary and comprehension so that pupils read with expression and fluency. Pupils are encouraged to read independently, using the school’s ‘reading passport’. Pupils record and review the different books they read, often passionately. The school successfully fosters a love of reading, with high levels of support from parents. Pupils who find reading more difficult get the right help to catch up. Well-matched support builds up pupils’ confidence and develops their positive attitudes to reading.

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Pupils enjoy learning. In lessons there are very few instances of misbehaviour. Pupils are conscientious and enjoy the opportunities they are given to discuss their ideas. In science, pupils could carry out experiments with light, concluding that it only travels in a straight line. In mathematics, pupils who find this subject difficult were determined to learn and achieving well. Pupils were plotting co-ordinates using the correct mathematical language. Number is well taught in the school and pupils have plenty of opportunity to practise their skills before moving on.

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Disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive extra help to make sure that they are confident learners. Work is set at the right level to help them know more and remember more. School clubs such as ‘Hand bells’ help these pupils develop confidence which they then take back into the classroom.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Pupils’ welfare and safety is seen as everybody’s responsibility. Parents are appreciative of the care pupils receive. Staff are well trained so that they are confident to take the right action should a concern arise. Pupils feel safe and receive regular information in lessons about how to stay safe while online. Leaders have good relationships with families and work effectively with outside agencies so that they get the support that they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school has looked critically at the content within individual subjects to ensure the full coverage that the national curriculum requires. In addition, they have looked at opportunities to enhance pupils’ learning by identifying areas where it can be brought to 14–15 January 2020

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life, such as visits or organising special themed days. The school must continue to implement its action plan so that pupils know more and remember more over time across the full range of subjects.

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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.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Horsell CofE Aided Junior School to be good on 7–8 June 2016.

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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.

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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 are the school and you are 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. 14–15 January 2020

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Pauline Stanmore

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School details

Website www.horsell-junior.surrey.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7–8 June 2016

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Information about this school

 Horsell CofE Aided Junior School is larger than the average-sized school.  A new headteacher was appointed in June 2019.  As a school with a distinctive Christian ethos, the school was last subject to an inspection under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in March 2016, when it was judged to be good.

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Information about this inspection

 All year groups were visited by the inspector, mostly accompanied by the headteacher. During visits to lessons I talked to pupils about their work.  I met with senior leaders, the governing body including the chair, and a representative of the Diocese of Guilford.  I did deep dives into these subjects: reading, mathematics and science. This involved meeting leaders who are responsible for these subjects and visiting lessons to observe learning. Meetings were held with pupils to talk about their learning and with teachers to discuss pupils’ understanding. 14–15 January 2020

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 I gathered a range of evidence regarding safeguarding, including from discussions with parents, pupils and staff, training logs and safeguarding records.  In addition to meeting eight parents, 95 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 48 written responses, were considered. I also took account of the views of 53 pupils via the pupil survey and 23 staff via the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Bill James, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14–15 January 2020

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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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