Coombe Hill Infant School

Inspection of Coombe Hill Infant School Coombe Lane West, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey KT2 7DD

p.1

Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

p.1

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 26 and 27 November 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excited about coming to school. They enjoy learning in this calm and caring environment. Children in the early years enthusiastically explore the activities that staff provide. Adults make learning fun and inviting. The school is highly dedicated to ensuring that all pupils receive the help and guidance they need to succeed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from carefully targeted support. Pupils achieve extremely well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school teaches pupils important learning behaviours, including resilience, being resourceful and ready to learn. This strongly contributes to pupils’ exemplary conduct around the school. Playtimes are coordinated well and enable younger pupils to play with older pupils, including from the junior school. Relationships and interactions between pupils and staff are respectful and polite.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take their leadership roles and responsibilities seriously. These include being prefects, school councillors and rights respecting ambassadors. Pupils have a very strong understanding of the importance of valuing people’s rights. They know that ensuring equality and accepting differences are valuable life skills.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They are highly involved in the life of the school. Many support staff by volunteering to hear pupils read and supervising swimming lessons.

p.2

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

The school has reviewed the curriculum to ensure that it is well sequenced and ambitious. This supports teachers in knowing the specific-subject knowledge and skills pupils need to learn and develop. This develops in complexity as pupils move through the years. For example, in mathematics, teachers deepen pupils’ understanding of shapes. In Year 2, pupils use their knowledge of two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems in different contexts. Teachers build in regular opportunities to check what pupils know and can do before starting new learning. As a result, pupils deepen and extend their understanding. Teachers support pupils consistently well to use vocabulary correctly when discussing their learning.

p.2

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

Staff are meticulous in identifying and supporting any pupils who need extra help, including in phonics, to keep up and catch up. Adults support pupils with SEND skilfully so that they access the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve very well.

p.2

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

The school is committed to ensuring pupils ‘build the skill and will’ to learn to read fluently. Adults in Reception encourage children to talk about the key events in the stories they read to them. Pupils love reading in class and in the school library which is located at the centre of the school. Well-trained adults deliver the phonics programme in a consistent way. Pupils love using books that match closely to the sounds they know. The 26 and 27 November 2024

p.2

3

school encourages parents and carers to be actively involved in learning how to support their children with reading, including through workshops.

p.3

3

The school communicates expectations of behaviour clearly. Staff manage pupils’ behaviour consistently. Learning in lessons proceeds uninterrupted because pupils demonstrate high levels of interest and self-discipline. Teachers prepare practical and fun learning experiences. Children in Reception learn to take turns and work collaboratively. Pupils are polite and courteous. They are proud of their school. Pupils are keen to talk about their learning and do so confidently.

p.3

3

The school ensures that the provision for pupils’ wider development is rich and broad. Staff plan carefully for when pupils move from one phase and year group to another in the school. Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school promotes the development of pupils’ character, including traits such as curiosity, enthusiasm and resilience. Staff help pupils to respect and understand views that are different to their own. Pupils appreciate the many opportunities to pursue their individual interests and talents through the wide range of clubs, including Spanish, singing, books and films. Staff encourage pupils to understand that everyone has the right to achieve and be successful, irrespective of culture, gender or background. Pupils achieve exceptionally well here.

p.3

3

The school has an accurate evaluation of its strengths. Staff are highly dedicated to the school’s vision and values. There is a strong culture in ensuring staff professional development, well-being and workload. The governing body maintains an effective oversight of the developments in the school and holds leaders to account robustly. They ensure changes are routinely in the best interest of the pupils. Leaders are confident and knowledgeable. They provide strong direction for the school and its community.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 26 and 27 November 2024

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 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). 26 and 27 November 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 13 and 14 September, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school includes a breakfast and after-school club, which is managed by the governing body.  The school makes use of one alternative provision.

p.5

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. 26 and 27 November 2024

p.5

6

 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 the headteacher, the chair and members of the governing body, a local authority representative, senior leaders and a range of staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and geography. For each deep dive, activities included discussions with leaders and teachers about the curriculum, visiting a sample of lessons, speaking with groups of pupils about their learning, and considered pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  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 ex-

p.6

6

tent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Lascelles Haughton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Paul Campbell Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7