Fetcham Village Infant School

Inspection of Fetcham Village Infant School School Lane, Fetcham, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 9JU

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

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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. 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at the school. They are well cared for, enjoy their learning and like spending time with their friends. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong, which ensure that the pupils feel safe. Pupils know they can rely on staff to help if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects pupils to live out its core values of being ‘kind, honest, curious, brave, trying our best and working together’. Over their time at the school, pupils’ wider personal development is supported exceptionally well. They are given the skills they need to get on very well together and be ready for the next stage in their education. Older pupils relish taking on leadership roles, such as being ‘playground pals’ for younger ones.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s high expectations for pupils’ academic achievement are largely realised. Staff do a good job in enabling the youngest pupils to build key knowledge and good habits for learning as they then move through the school. High levels of attendance help pupils benefit from what the school offers. On a typical day, there is a buzz of lively learning and play. This culminates in Friday assemblies, where the week’s achievements are celebrated. Parents and carers are fulsome in their praise for the school’s work.

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

The school ensures pupils gain knowledge in a structured order in the early years. The curriculum covers the required areas of learning well. Effective use is made of inside and outside areas. Staff help pupils form useful connections between areas of learning to help them remember it. For example, pupils really enjoyed applying learning about the ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’ to their physical development as they constructed bridges with trolls beneath. Staff plan pupils’ learning equally carefully as they move through key stage 1. They sequence new knowledge in subjects so it builds on what pupils already know.

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

The school checks on pupils’ achievement in the early years and key stage 1 effectively. Staff use the information well to plan teaching, target support and identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

The school prioritises reading. Skilled teaching of phonics in developing pupils’ understanding of letters and the sounds they represent supports pupils well. Staff track carefully pupils’ development as they move into independent reading. They support any who are falling behind so that these pupils catch up. The school works hard to develop pupils’ love of reading. Staff encourage pupils’ reading in subjects across the curriculum and are developing further the school’s already well-used library.

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

Staff are well prepared for teaching. They usually introduce new learning in ways that enable pupils, including those with SEND, to learn well. For example, Year 2 pupils played detectives as they questioned evidence sources about early aviators in history. This activity required them to reflect back on past learning, which helped embed their knowledge. Staff engage pupils in discussions which make them think carefully. Typically, staff check that pupils understand new learning and adapt their approaches if pupils need 4 and 5 February 2025

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more help. Occasionally, this is not the case and some pupils’ lack of understanding is not identified and remedied.

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The school helps pupils behave well. Early years staff sensitively enable pupils to develop good habits for learning. In both the early years and in key stage 1, staff consistently apply the school’s expectations. They support pupils to make the right choices and learn from times when they get it wrong. Most pupils follow expected routines, applying themselves well to learning. However, at times the tasks designed by staff do not enable some pupils to sustain their focus well enough and achieve as much as they could.

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High pupil attendance reflects the school’s strong focus and careful monitoring. Staff work well with parents whose children’s attendance is a concern, providing support to bring about improvement.

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Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. The school provides a rich personal, social, health and economic education programme, coupled with learning across subjects and reinforced in assemblies. Pupils learn to be highly respectful and supportive of each other. They readily accept the range of family backgrounds they come from. Older pupils keenly take on responsibilities. Pupils enjoy the very many opportunities for creativity and for learning about the world around them. They show a deep understanding of the need to exercise and eat well.

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Leaders know well the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They target development where it is most needed, for instance working hard in recent years to improve reading. Staff are well supported by leaders. The school engages closely with parents. They say they are very well informed about their children’s progress and praise the way any concerns are responded to. Governors are a dedicated group. They monitor the school’s work carefully, providing a good balance of challenge and support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not always check that all pupils have understood new learning. This means misconceptions are not consistently addressed for those pupils who need further clarification, which hinders some pupils’ achievement. The school should support staff in making sure they fully check pupils’ understanding and provide additional support.  At times, classroom activities do not enable all pupils to sustain their focus on learning. This means some miss out on key knowledge required to support their next steps. The school should consider more carefully how they implement the curriculum where pupils find it hard to maintain concentration. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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 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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 June 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in September 2023.  The school does not make use of any providers of 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.  Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 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.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other senior staff, with the chair of the governing body and other governors, and with a representative of the local authority. Discussions were held with other groups of staff and with parents at the start and end of the school day. Account was taken of responses to the Ofsted Parent View Survey and of a survey of staff opinion.  Inspectors met groups of pupils, observed the pupils at breaktime and lunchtime, visited the library and the breakfast club offered before school.  To evaluate the quality of education, inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, English and history. For each deep dive, inspectors

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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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record of checks on adults; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has established an open and positive culture that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Stephen Long, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Martin-O’Donoghue Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 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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