Hinchley Wood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Hinchley Wood Primary School Claygate Lane, Hinchley Wood, Esher, Surrey KT10 0AQ

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Outcome

Hinchley Wood Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Aisling Hogan. This school is part of the Hinchley Wood Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Ben Bartlett, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andy Sellers and Claudette Atkinson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive and succeed in this ambitious and inclusive school. Trustees, governors, leaders and staff share a commitment to ensure that the best interests of pupils are at the heart of every decision. Expectations are consistently high, and well met. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) flourish with impressive support. Behaviour is impeccable. Pupils are joyful, polite and considerate, respecting the views of others. The behaviour approach is well understood, and ensures a positive learning environment. Children in early years show sustained concentration and high engagement. They learn about their feelings and how to regulate them. This impressive pastoral approach equips them well for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish responsibility. They make a tangible difference to school life through roles including librarian, well-being ambassador, sports leader and member of ‘pupil parliament’. They love the sport opportunities, proudly representing the school in a wealth of events. Highlights include the girls’ football tournament at a local stadium and a sports event for pupils with additional needs, which was inspirational for pupils with SEND. The school’s club offer is extensive and impressive. From pottery to dodgeball, and Spanish to football, there is something for everyone. The school ensures that disadvantaged pupils never miss out.

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

Children make a strong start in early years where high standards are set from the beginning. Welcoming transition and a nurturing learning environment ensure that children hit the ground running. The joy of reading blossoms for all through a well- developed reading curriculum. Phonics lessons are consistent and effective. Books are 5 and 6 March 2024

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matched to ensure that children practise the sounds they are learning. Catch-up activities provide pupils with bespoke practice. Pupils in this school learn to become confident and fluent readers with a passion for reading. Proud pupil librarians ensure that the library is well-stocked with diverse books for all.

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Achievement is exceptional in reading, writing and mathematics, and significantly above the national averages in both key stages 1 and 2. The whole curriculum is broad, innovative and ambitious for all. The school recognises that since the pandemic, more pupils require help with language development. As a result, all subjects are precisely planned with vocabulary alongside key knowledge and skills. The school prioritises inclusivity, working with tenacity to find the right support for pupils with SEND. Staff identify pupils’ strengths and challenges. Leaders then ensure that training, or support from external agencies, helps everyone to access the curriculum with success. In subjects such as history, pupils recall their learning with impressive accuracy and confidence. Recall quizzes and activities showcase what pupils remember, and help teachers to identify gaps in knowledge. Leaders acknowledge that their significant curriculum

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developments are not entirely embedded. Teachers’ subject knowledge and lesson activities frequently combine to help pupils securely learn and remember key content. However, lesson tasks occasionally do not match the precise design and ambition of the most effective examples. In these lessons, pupils show high engagement, but their learning can be less well developed.

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Behaviour is excellent. Relationships are trusting, respectful and positive across the school. Pupils show high motivation in class and outside. Some pupils need support to manage their emotions, and superb pastoral care helps them to feel ready to learn. Attendance is much better than the national average. The school has achieved this with impressive help for vulnerable families.

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Pupils enjoy exceptional wider development in this school. They are passionate about equal opportunities and value diversity in the world. Pupils are well prepared for modern Britain as a result of reflective curriculum and assembly activities. They know how to stay safe online, and understand healthy relationships. They develop strong understanding of a wide range of faiths and beliefs through the well-designed religious education curriculum. Outdoor learning, mindfulness and nurture spaces enhance spiritual development for all. Trips include local walks, museum visits and residential activity experiences. From early years onwards, the school plans memorable moments for all. Children loved their recent airplane simulator experience, and visitors including authors and doctors bring further aspirational joy.

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Leaders at all levels have driven extensive improvements since the pandemic. Statutory duties are met with diligence. Workload and well-being are carefully considered. Training opportunities, in school and across the trust, ensure that staff expertise is routinely developed. Teachers, including those early in their careers, feel strongly supported, motivated and happy. Trustees, governors and leaders are clear on how to sharpen school development priorities to ensure that the education provided fulfils their high ambition. The dedication, expertise and compassion modelled by leaders and trustees sets an inspiring example to all. One parent represented many when describing the school as a 5 and 6 March 2024

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‘supportive and stimulating environment where children thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and creatively.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, lesson activities do not match the precise design and ambition of the well- developed curriculum plans. This means that some pupils may not learn and remember the key content successfully. The school should continue its work to ensure that all lesson tasks support pupils to learn the curriculum consistently highly across 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school to be good in January 2017.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘ disadvantaged pupils ’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and 5 and 6 March 2024

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protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Chairs of trust Andy Sellers and Claudette Atkinson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 January 2017

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Information about this school

 This school converted to become an academy school in October 2019. When its predecessor school, Hinchley Wood Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school offers a before- and after- school club, overseen by the trust.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 5 and 6 March 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, early years leader, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with governors, trustees, and the chief executive officer of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: geography, history, early reading and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed and evaluated pupils’ work in personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), science and religious education.  The lead inspector listened to a range of pupils read. He observed catch-up interventions to evaluate how staff provide extra support to pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  Inspectors evaluated responses to the pupil survey and spoke with a range of pupils in meetings, lessons and break times.  Inspectors spoke to a range of parents and took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Scott Reece, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynn Powell Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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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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