Farncombe Church of England Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Farncombe Church of England Infant School Grays Road, Farncombe, Godalming, Surrey GU7 3LT

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Outcome

Farncombe Church of England Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this caring, friendly school. They feel safe and happy. This is reflected in the comment of a pupil who said, ‘Our school is very kind.’ Pupils enjoy one another’s company, whether in class or at play, and are courteous to adults. On the very rare occasion that bullying happens, pupils are confident that the adults will sensitively and swiftly put things right. Teachers select pupils as weekly ‘helping hands’ monitors and give them roles of responsibility to support adults in the smooth running of the school. For example, pupils support younger pupils when moving around the school, modelling high expectations for behaviour. This builds pupils’ confidence and helps them to feel part of the school family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. They provide an engaging curriculum that gives pupils a wide range of experiences. Pupils quickly build the skills needed to become increasingly fluent readers. They develop their knowledge and understanding across a wide range of subjects well. Pupils are inquisitive and show an interest in what they learn. For example, pupils explore their learning through engaging science investigations and learn beyond the classroom in the ‘forest school’.

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

Leaders show ambition for all pupils. Governors make sure that leaders follow through their plans for improvement. Leaders produce carefully crafted sequences of learning that guide teachers to know what to teach and when. They support teachers to manage their workload by producing purposeful resources. They provide useful training that supports teachers in the delivery of lessons. However, while the delivery of lessons is in line with the intended curriculum in most subjects, this is less established in mathematics. This is because the mathematics curriculum is relatively new and leaders have not yet checked carefully enough that teachers deliver the intended curriculum consistently. As such, the development of pupils’ knowledge and understanding is sometimes limited. 29 November 2022

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well across many subjects. Teachers swiftly identify the needs of pupils and work with the special educational needs coordinator to support these. In reading, pupils who require additional help with their reading receive helpful support that allows them to work alongside their peers in class. In subjects such as science and physical education, staff support pupils with SEND well to access the learning. For example, teachers use a range of picture prompts in science; this helps pupils to make sense of what they learn. The precision of how staff support pupils with SEND across some subjects is less consistent. This is because leaders have not made sure that staff are clear about the adaptations needed in some subjects.

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Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects. Children in the early years quickly learn the sounds that letters make and use this to read simple words. As pupils move into key stage 1, they build the skills needed to learn how to read with increasing fluency. Pupils develop a love of reading because they can read a wide range of texts. Teachers identify pupils who have fallen behind in their learning. This is most successful in reading, where teachers use assessment well to swiftly provide interventions that help pupils to catch up quickly. Teachers make sure that the ambitious plans set out by leaders are followed through. Teachers have high expectations for the work produced by pupils. Pupils produce work that helps them to develop their understanding. Pupils’ recall of what they have learned is strong. Teachers regularly remind pupils about past learning. This helps pupils to draw on what they know in lessons to help them to make sense of new

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Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They learn about how to behave and take account of other people’s views and attitudes. Pupils challenge behaviours in one another that are not in line with the school’s values. This empowers pupils to become increasingly self-confident and creates a positive atmosphere of mutual respect among pupils.

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Staff provide a wide variety of opportunities for pupils beyond the academic curriculum. Leaders ensure that all pupils attend a range of clubs and engage in trips beyond the school that enhance what they learn. This builds pupil’s confidence in themselves and develops their interests well. Pupils speak confidently about their understanding of equality. They show acceptance and compassion for others. Pupils learn about the importance of helping others in their local and global community. This helps pupils to develop a growing understanding of the wider world.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure staff receive helpful and timely training to enable them to swiftly identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. There are clear systems in place to record any concerns about the safety of pupils. Leaders act quickly on these and seek support from 29 November 2022

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outside agencies where needed. They produce detailed risk assessments for trips that outline the potential risks posed to pupils.

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Pupils learn how to stay safe online. Leaders inform parents about the potential risks of being online through helpful advice on school newsletters. As a result, there is a culture of safeguarding that pervades the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The implementation of the mathematics curriculum is variable. This sometimes limits how well pupils develop their knowledge and understanding. Leaders need to strengthen their monitoring to ensure that teachers consistently apply the school’s approach to teaching mathematics so that there is the same high ambition for all pupils.  The approach to supporting pupils with SEND in some subjects is varied. This means that some pupils achieve less well in some subjects. Leaders need to ensure all staff working with pupils with SEND are clear about the adaptations needed so pupils achieve well in all 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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.

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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. 29 November 2022

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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. 29 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241898 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.farncombecofeinfantschool.co

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school and part of the Diocese of Surrey. As a school with a religious character, the school was last inspected under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in June 2015. The next inspection will be within eight years of that last inspection.  The school is part of a wider alliance of schools in the Godalming Learning Partnership.  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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, and a range of staff at the school. The inspectors met with the chair of governors and four members of the governing body. The inspectors also spoke with representatives from the local authority and the Diocese. 29 November 2022

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and design and technology. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum 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 inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and considered safeguarding documents and records. This included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been referred to outside agencies.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey. The inspectors spoke to staff and pupils during the inspection and took account of the staff and pupil confidential online surveys.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz McIntosh Ofsted Inspector 29 November 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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