Wallace Fields Junior School

Inspection of Wallace Fields Junior School Dorling Drive, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey KT17 3BH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and reflect the changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 17 and 18 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the way everyone is welcomed and included at Wallace Fields Junior School. The school’s ‘believe’ values underpin every aspect of school life and are exemplified by all pupils. Pupils love coming to this school to see their friends and to learn new things together. They are engaged in lessons because they are cared for by a team of committed staff who work together very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Happy pupils show high levels of respect for each other and for adults. Pupils care for and help one another, which builds on the strong support staff give to everyone. Pupils behave very well, and bullying is rare. When it does happen, it is dealt with quickly and effectively. Staff set high expectations that pupils delight in meeting. Pupils feel safe at this school, including within the spacious grounds. Sociable, well- supervised playtimes provide many activities for pupils to choose from.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace the very wide range of clubs, special events and visits designed to enhance the curriculum, including those intended to broaden their horizons. Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities, such as peer mentors, house captains and serving on the school council. They talk enthusiastically about the well-being provision, and about opportunities to become good citizens who contribute within and beyond the school.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils. They make clear what pupils have to learn and in what order. As a result, pupils’ learning builds securely on what they already know and can do. It also prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Staff design stimulating and engaging lessons that support pupils to achieve success. This is because teachers themselves have secure subject knowledge and are well supported by other colleagues.

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better?

The school’s ethos for inclusion and equality is clearly demonstrated by pupils eager to ‘learn more and become more’, in line with the school’s vision. However, although some pupils achieve exceptionally well, some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not consistently achieve well enough. While the school identifies and understands pupils’ individual needs, this is not accurate enough. Therefore, teachers are not meeting these pupils’ needs well enough across the school to help them know and remember more. Leaders are aware of this and have plans to address it.

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better?

Pupils’ reading is not as well developed as it should be. The teaching of phonics is inconsistent for those in the earliest stages of reading or those who have fallen behind. For example, there is insufficient focus to help the small number of pupils who have fallen behind to gain the knowledge and skills quickly enough. Nevertheless, pupils love reading, and most pupils achieve very well because there is an ambitious curriculum built securely on reading for pleasure. Pupils enjoy an inspiring range of high-quality texts in their lessons as well as those that reflect the 17 and 18 May 2022

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diversity in the school. Thought-provoking books captivate pupils, helping them to understand themselves and to widen their vocabulary. The well-stocked library is a great support for pupils who may not have many books at home or who want to widen their repertoire.

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Pupils behave well because staff model and praise the positive behaviour they expect. Systems for rewarding and challenging pupils are consistently used and applied across the school. Attitudes to learning are consistently strong. Pupils know how to learn, are resilient to setbacks and take pride in their achievements. Pupils move around the school sensibly and are very polite. They are proud of how kind and friendly their school is. Attendance of pupils has remained high because of the strong oversight and support provided by committed staff. Genuine relationships among pupils and staff reflect the positive school culture to ‘believe’ and achieve.

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Leaders prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. For example, character development is thoughtfully linked to personal, social and health education lessons, well-being initiatives and assemblies. In addition to the embedded ‘believe’ values, pupils are taught to become confident and independent learners. High-quality pastoral support is helping pupils to develop healthy minds, discuss their feelings and consider how to keep themselves healthier. Pupils value special events, such as diversity days. These opportunities encourage mature debate, with views, beliefs and opinions that may differ from their own.

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Leaders and governors know their school well. They recognise that their ambition could have even more impact in practice, for example prioritising achievement of the most vulnerable, including those pupils with SEND. Governors work well with leaders, offering useful support and challenge to help them achieve their goals. Staff are extremely proud to be part of the team. They appreciate and value the way that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make safeguarding a top priority. All staff know the importance of being alert to signs of abuse. Staff follow the school’s processes and leaders take effective action when concerns are raised. Leaders work well with external agencies to ensure pupils get the help they need quickly. Staff teach pupils how to be aware of risks. For example, pupils know how to stay safe online. They are clear about when they need to tell adults about worries. Leaders make the necessary checks on staff before anyone starts work. All aspects of safeguarding work are monitored carefully, and practice improves as a result. 17 and 18 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Support for weaker readers in key stage 2 is not helping them to catch up quickly enough. These pupils cannot read well enough to access the full curriculum themselves. Leaders should ensure that the help pupils receive is more precise, so that these pupils make even more rapid progress in reading.  Leaders do not have an accurate enough overview of the specific needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers do not always know how to adapt work or how best to support pupils with SEND, which hampers them learning the full curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that they improve the provision for pupils with SEND, including establishing rigorous procedures to monitor and review pupils’ individual plans.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 17 and 18 May 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.wallacefields-jun.surrey.sch.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 February 2008

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was absent from the school through serious illness from November 2020 until April 2021. The school was led by the deputy headteacher, who took on the acting headship, with support from existing staff.  Three leaders are new to their leadership role, and continue to benefit from ongoing mentoring and coaching from within the school and from external sources.  A new chair of governors began in November 2021.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 17 and 18 May 2022

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education, art and design and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed curriculum plans with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also heard pupils read.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors reviewed a wide range of safeguarding documentation, including the school’s recruitment checks and records of concerns about child protection. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and two deputy designated safeguarding leads. Inspectors also spoke with

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staff and pupils about safety and child protection.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation of the school and school improvement plans.  Inspectors took account of parents’ responses to Ofsted’s survey, Ofsted Parent View, and parents’ written comments. An inspector also talked with parents on the morning of the first day of inspection.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views about their learning, what behaviour is like at the school and whether they felt safe. Inspectors also talked to pupils about their views on personal development.  Inspectors met with a range of staff to gather their views about the school and took account of staff’s responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff survey.  Information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance and incidents of bullying was reviewed.

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Inspection team

Gareth Flemington, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Clare Vallence Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 2022

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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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