Folly Hill Infant Academy

Inspection of Folly Hill Infant Academy Coniston Drive, Folly Hill, Farnham, Surrey GU9 0DB

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Inspection dates: 12 to 13 November 2024

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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 Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Alison Stone. This school is part of the Kite Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Jeremy Meek, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Matthew Woodruff. There is also an executive headteacher, Dee Hughes, who is responsible for this school and others within the trust.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Folly Hill Infant Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Folly Hill Infant Academy to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love being part of the ‘Folly Hill family’. They thrive at this highly inclusive school. The school has very high expectations of pupils, who strive to meet them. Pupils achieve exceptionally well and benefit hugely from the warm and respectful relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They focus on their learning for sustained periods of time. Pupils consistently show kindness and consideration towards each other and adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the time they start in Reception, children are taught how to focus on their learning and think flexibly. They ask for help if they have any worries. Skilled staff ensure that pupils think about the feelings behind their behaviour so that they can self-regulate effectively. Consequently, pupils feel safe and very happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace roles of responsibility and make meaningful contributions to the school community, for example by becoming play leaders or school councillors. Pupils are proud of their roles because they understand the value of helping others. Pupils know that their views contribute to making their school a better place. They share their views and opinions with staff to bring about change, such as raising awareness of what bullying is.

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

The school provides children with a superb quality of education. This starts in the Reception class and continues throughout the school. Children are well supported to develop their language, reading, writing and mathematical skills. The school also focuses on pupils’ social development. These strong foundations help pupils to learn successfully across the whole curriculum.

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

Subject leaders are extremely knowledgeable. This leads to staff with secure subject knowledge across the breadth of the curriculum. As a result, expert staff teach the selected content in a well-structured order. The school swiftly identifies pupils’ individual needs. Staff provide precise support so pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) successfully access the curriculum. Across the school, in lessons, pupils are provided with many opportunities to practise independently, in pairs or in groups. Activities precisely match what pupils need to know and do. Staff routinely check pupils’ understanding. Staff then use this information to address any misunderstandings pupils may have. Therefore, gaps in pupils’ knowledge close very quickly.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Very high expectations of all pupils help them develop into fluent readers who enjoy a range of texts. This very much includes the pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. Highly effective daily support helps pupils to keep up with the reading curriculum. A love of reading is fostered expertly in the school. Mystery readers and the school’s book club ensure that pupils recommend books to each other and experience different texts.

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

Behaviour is excellent and pupils have impressive attitudes to learning. All pupils know and live up to the school’s high expectations. In the Reception class, children learn and 12 and 13 November 2024

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play cooperatively. They move from one activity to the other seamlessly and develop strong social and emotional skills. Pupils show high levels of motivation to learn more. The school works positively with families to ensure pupils come to school regularly. As a result, all groups, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, have very high attendance.

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The detailed programme for personal development permeates other areas of the curriculum, helping pupils to flourish. This enables pupils to develop a strong sense of the world around them. For instance, pupils take part in growing plants for Farnham in Bloom and all pupils perform a maypole dance at the festival. There is an impressive range of carefully planned school clubs, attended by all groups of pupils. These clubs broaden their talents and interests. For example, science club is attended by a wide range of pupils and helps them to think more deeply about different approaches to solving a problem.

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Leaders at all levels, including trustees and local governors, share an ambitious vision for the school. The extensive expertise in the trust helps to challenge and support the school successfully. They work closely with the school on key aspects, such as SEND, the curriculum and learning and teaching. This level of rigour supports the consistently high standards in the school. The school has ensured that staff get high-quality training that enables them to teach the curriculum exceptionally well. Leaders prioritise staff workload and well-being. As a result, staff at the school feel extremely well supported.

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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.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with 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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is a part of the Kite Academy Trust. The school joined the trust in March 2022.  The school does not currently 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. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, staff and pupils. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the academic council, members of the board of trustees and the trust chief executive officer.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and geography. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors also visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, including the free-text comments. They also took account of the responses to the confidential staff survey and gathered the views of staff and pupils throughout the inspection.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including leaders’ plans for improving the school, minutes of the academic council and trustee meetings, records of attendance and behaviour incidents.

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Inspection team

Neil Pilsworth, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kirstie Fulthorpe Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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