Barnett Wood Infant School

Inspection of Barnett Wood Infant School Barnett Wood Lane, Ashtead, Surrey KT21 2DF

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 5 and 6 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this highly inclusive school. Pupils understand and model the school’s values, such as being resilient and aspirational, wonderfully. Older pupils love the responsibilities that they hold at school, such as eco, reading and well-being leaders. Pupils are kind and respectful towards each other. From the start of the early years, pupils learn the school’s routines and expectations strongly. Pupils understand British values and how these relate to their lives inside and outside of school. Pupils develop confidence and care for each other impressively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils respond well to the warm and caring provision from staff throughout the setting. Staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently and fairly. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified quickly. The school works closely with families and external agencies, such as speech and language therapists, where necessary, to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support that they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have the highest expectations for what pupils can achieve. Pupils take great pride in reaching these expectations. Pupils achieve highly across all areas of the curriculum, including reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils feel included, safe and happy. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage of education.

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

The curriculum is highly ambitious. The school has identified the key knowledge and skills that it wants children to learn. Learning is set out logically, building on pupils’ prior knowledge and helping pupils to reach ambitious end points. Lessons build pupils’ knowledge and skills consistently well. For example, in science, pupils wrote about animals and labelled diagrams, identifying herbivores, carnivores and features of mammals clearly. In geography, pupils developed their mapping skills and understanding of routes and locations well. Staff have strong subject knowledge. Staff check pupils’ understanding robustly. Staff revisit learning to ensure pupils know and remember more. If pupils are unsure about their learning, staff adapt lessons skilfully so that pupils’ knowledge is secure.

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

Reading is prioritised at the school. The school’s approach to phonics and early reading is taught consistently and highly effectively. Children begin their phonics learning from the start of the Reception Year. Staff use their phonics training expertly. If any pupils fall behind, they receive the help they need and catch up with their peers quickly. Reading books that pupils use to help them learn to read are matched closely to the sounds that they know. Pupils read enthusiastically and love the stories that staff share with them. Pupils apply their phonics knowledge to their writing successfully. For example, pupils wrote about ‘the murky river’ and a visit to an aquarium with skill and confidence. Pupils’ written work is consistently of a high quality. Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with SEND, achieve exceptionally well. 5 and 6 November 2024

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In early years, children build their learning effectively from their starting points. Staff develop children’s communication and language through a carefully designed curriculum. Children build knowledge and vocabulary across the areas of learning. For example, children were celebrating and learning about festivals and Diwali in the creative and home corner areas. They could talk about their Mendi and Rangoli patterns confidently. Children explore traditional stories, rhymes and songs regularly, with joy and enthusiasm.

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The school goes beyond the expected to develop pupils’ character and resilience. Lessons in the outdoor swimming pool equip pupils with important life-saving skills. School trips and visiting speakers enhance the curriculum and help pupils’ learning to be memorable. The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum is particularly strong. The school’s values and ‘Barnett Wood Way’ have a powerful impact on pupils’ understanding of concepts such as kindness and aspiration. Pupils try their best and persevere when they face challenges or setbacks. Pupils learn how to be respectful, responsible citizens.

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The school provides a comprehensive range of opportunities to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Clubs such as gymnastics, choir, football, drumming and yoga are appreciated and highly valued by pupils, parents and carers. Sporting opportunities, such as competitive inter-school sports events for pupils with SEND, are carefully considered. Pupils develop self-belief through their own achievements and celebrate their friends’ achievements just as positively.

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Governors know the strengths of the school. They understand their roles and responsibilities. They support and challenge leaders and maintain the highest aspirations for all pupils. Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel supported with their workload and well-being. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive. Parents appreciate the dedication to each child shown across the whole staff team. One parent summarised the thoughts of many others, saying, ‘I couldn’t be happier with the school.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 5 and 6 November 2024

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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 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 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 June 2013

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior staff. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 The inspectors met with the chair of governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing and geography. 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single 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’ interest first.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at break and lunchtime.  The inspector met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.

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 The inspectors took account of the views expressed by parents via Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Foster Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 2024

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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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