Warlingham Village Primary School

Inspection of Warlingham Village Primary School 85 Farleigh Road, Warlingham, Surrey CR6 9EJ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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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

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The headteacher of this school is Anna Arnett. This school is part of the GLF Schools trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Julian Drinkall, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lynne O’Reilly.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since June 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this nurturing happy school. From the time children start in the early years, they build compassionate and warm relationships with staff. Pupils throughout the school feel understood, safe and valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

High expectations are the norm here. Most pupils achieve exceptionally well. Pupils are captivated by their learning. Their behaviour in lessons is exemplary as they soak up the rich experiences and information expertly presented to them. Whether describing hidden numbers in Reception or how to make vacuum cleaners further up the school, pupils are excited to share their extensive and growing knowledge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school. They enjoy the wide range of clubs on offer, both after school and at lunchtimes. They are keen to take on roles such as house captains or school councillors, which they discharge with diligence and maturity. Pupils understand how important it is to have positive attitudes, work hard and be kind. They relish spotting these behaviours in others, including adults, and rewarding these through the school ‘blue button’ system.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and engaging. The essential knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to learn is clearly set out from Reception to Year 6. Many pupils achieve highly in national assessments at the end of key stage 2. All pupils make strong progress through the curriculum during their time at school. Any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have these identified swiftly and supported well so everyone can be successful. Staff take every opportunity to reinforce and extend learning for all pupils. For example, pupils explored the strength of structures by making small wooden models and testing them before applying this to making large shelters outside.

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

The school and the trust provide staff with high-quality training on how to teach the curriculum. Staff are very positive about this and how well it supports both their professional knowledge and their workload.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and teach with confidence. Teachers regularly check pupils’ learning, recap key points and make appropriate adaptations to teaching, including for pupils with SEND. They help pupils make strong links between what they have learned before and what they are learning next. For example, children making paper aeroplanes in Reception were prompted to remember how long the first flight was by the Wright brothers and see if their planes could travel for an equal amount of time.

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

Learning to read is rightly prioritised. Pupils by the end of key stage 1 have an age- appropriate confidence and fluency in reading. Well-trained staff ensure any pupils who need more help are identified and given the support they need to keep up or catch up quickly. Books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils are learning so they experience success. Pupils are enthusiastic readers. They can discuss authors, plots and characters with insight and maturity. 14 and 15 January 2025

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The exceptionally well-organised learning environment aids the development of children’s independence in early years. Everything is on hand to help children explore, record their ideas and sustain their play. Adults support children’s language development highly effectively, modelling questions and vocabulary children then use in their own play. Precise checks when children join early years mean that any early language needs are spotted and supported. This helps everyone get off to a strong start and be well prepared for Year 1.

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Pupils take great pride in demonstrating the highest standards of behaviour. Clear behaviour policies help ensure that everyone knows what is expected. Pupils respond very well to this consistent approach. The school is a harmonious place in which to learn and play. Pupils are polite. Mutual respect is evident across the school. Pupils attend school regularly. The school has worked in strong partnership with parents to ensure pupils’ attendance has risen and is a high priority.

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The school has ensured that an extensive well-balanced programme of personal development is in place across the school. Pupils develop their social skills and become confident, independent young people who are exceptionally well prepared to be successful in their lives beyond school. Pupils develop a deep understanding of equality, democracy and the importance of respect. Pupils understand complex concepts such as integrity at both a personal and global level. They can articulate what this means to them in their lives. The school listens to pupils and parents and adapts provision to suit pupils’ needs. For example, moving some clubs to lunchtimes has helped more pupils to be involved.

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Leaders in the school and trust know the school extremely well. Governors and trustees use their knowledge and skills to provide highly effective support and challenge to leaders. Staff and governors are rightly proud to be part of this inspirational school. They work in close partnership to get pupils off to a great start to their education.

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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. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 June 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the GLF Schools trust.  The headteacher took up the post in September 2023 following several years as head of school.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school offers breakfast and after-school club wraparound care.

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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. 14 and 15 January 2025

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 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.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with a range of school staff. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the school standards board, including the chair of governors and the chair of the board of trustees. The inspectors had separate meetings with other representatives from the trust, including the CEO.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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 Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult as part of the early reading deep dive.  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’ interests first.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys and spoke to some parents at the school gate.  The inspectors talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspectors met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons and at lunchtime.

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Deborah Perkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Kate Owbridge Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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