St Giles' CofE (Aided) Infant School

Inspection of an outstanding school: St Giles’ CofE (Aided) Infant School Dene Road, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 1EA

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like their school and come ready to learn. Pupils told inspectors that the staff make school a safe and happy place. Staff and pupils treat each other with kindness and respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff set high expectations for pupils’ academic success and their personal development. This helps pupils to learn well and understand how to play an active part in the life of the school. Pupils benefit from a wide range of carefully planned, extra opportunities, such as choir and the chance to be on one of the three school councils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave sensibly in lessons and around the school. They use the outside spaces thoughtfully. Pupils trust their teachers to take any concerns they have seriously. Pupils say that bullying, if it did happen, would be dealt with effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff live out the school’s Christian values of ‘Compassion, Friendship, Thankfulness, Respect, Courage and Forgiveness’. When asked what it was that pupils liked about the school, one pupil said, ‘It’s the people’. All parents who responded to the parent survey would recommend the school to another parent.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Despite the many opportunities, pupils do not achieve as well as they could across the full range of subjects.

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

Leaders and teachers have put in place a thoughtfully designed curriculum. In most subjects, they usually plan sequences of lessons that support all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to learn well. Teachers engage pupils in lessons and their learning. Curriculum plans are ambitious and typically 16 November 2021

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structured so that pupils can make connections between subjects. This enables pupils to apply what they know when they are learning something new. However, the curriculum is not planned with sufficient precision in all subjects. As a result, pupils do not gain the rich knowledge that they could across the whole curriculum.

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Pupils achieve well overall. This is because they know and remember what they have been taught. Teachers use assessment information effectively. This helps them to plan what pupils need to learn next and identify those who need extra guidance. If some pupils, such as those with SEND, need the curriculum broken down into smaller steps, or to practise their previous learning, staff provide intensive support. Occasionally, the work set for some pupils does not result in them using and applying their understanding and knowledge deeply enough. This means that some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could.

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Leaders place a high importance on reading. Children are taught phonics and early reading from the beginning of the early years. Training has ensured that staff have strong expertise to teach phonics. All staff work hard to develop a love of reading in pupils. In Reception, children practise their phonics knowledge across a range of activities, both indoors and outside. As pupils move through the school, the reading curriculum continues to be designed carefully. This ensures that pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to be confident and fluent readers.

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Pupils, including children in the early years, have positive attitudes to learning. Leaders and staff set high and clear expectations for behaviour. Pupils fully understand what is expected from them. There is very little disruption in lessons. Consequently, pupils focus on their learning and work diligently.

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The curriculum is enhanced further through a wide range of opportunities. The school teaches pupils how to stay healthy. Playtime and lunchtime activities encourage pupils to cooperate and be active. Pupils understand and can explain the importance of democracy and taking responsibility. This is because pupils have meaningful leadership roles, helping with different aspects of the school’s work.

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Leaders and staff accurately, jointly and quickly identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They are ambitious for these pupils. The provision for pupils with SEND in the early years and for the older pupils is effective. This is because it is well organised and systematically reviewed. Teachers adapt their plans so that pupils with SEND can be successful across the curriculum.

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Governors know the school and use their knowledge effectively to hold leaders to account. Governors are aspirational for the pupils and have a strong vision for the school’s further development. Leaders, including governors, are mindful of staff workload. Leaders ensure that staff only carry out necessary tasks. Staff say that they feel valued and supported by leaders.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that ensuring that all subjects are planned and sequenced fully effectively may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 16 November 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know pupils well. Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate training. This helps them to know what to do if they have concerns about pupils’ safety. Checks are made on all staff to ensure their suitability to work with pupils.

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Safeguarding

Leaders engage with other agencies and professionals. This ensures that pupils and their families receive any additional help that they may need. The school follows up on the support provided to ensure that it has a positive impact.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, through the curriculum, ensure that pupils develop a broad knowledge about how to stay safe, including about risks associated with the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subjects in the wider curriculum, such as history, are not planned and sequenced with sufficient precision. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in all subjects. Leaders should identify and sequence the knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in these subjects.  Teachers do not consistently plan work for pupils that helps them deepen their knowledge and challenge their understanding. Consequently, some pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that teachers plan work that supports pupils to use and apply their understanding and knowledge at a deeper level.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding on 20 and 21 January 2016. 16 November 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 16 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199506 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 and 21 January 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England infant school. The school’s next section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools is due in the next two years. The last inspection of this type took place in June 2016.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, a senior leader, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also conducted a telephone call with the diocesan representative and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, 16 November 2021

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visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils about their learning, safety and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation relating to safeguarding and spoke with pupils and staff.  The inspectors spoke with parents informally and considered 38 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, 11 replies to the survey for staff and 43 responses to the pupils’ survey. Inspectors also considered correspondence sent by parents alongside other evidence.

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Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz McIntosh Ofsted Inspector 16 November 2021

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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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