St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Andrew's CofE Primary School Lockhart Road, Cobham, Surrey KT11 2AX

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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Outcome

St Andrew's CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Stina Witkowski. This school is part of the Enlighten Learning 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), Mike Boddington, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Helen Coulson. The executive headteacher is responsible for this school and one other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm and friendly school at the heart of the local community. The school has high ambition for all pupils. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieve well. Pupils are happy and well cared for by a team of dedicated staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambition for every pupil to live ‘life in all its fullness’ is typified through the joy pupils show in their learning and the many enrichment opportunities on offer. Pupils benefit from a variety of visitors, themed weeks and trips which enhance their learning well. For example, pupils met the local member of parliament recently, which supported pupils’ understanding of democracy. Pupils enjoy the range of clubs on offer, for example football, choir and the popular ‘maths with hot chocolate’ club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Adults support pupils’ behaviour with consistency and kindness. Pupils actively participate in their lessons and put great effort into what they do. They love getting an invitation to the headteacher’s tea party for working hard or doing the right thing when no one is looking.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the school. As one parent wrote, summing up the views of many, ‘St Andrew's has great teachers, an inclusive environment and my child is thriving.’ 11 and 12 February 2025

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

The school, together with the trust, has responded positively to the reduction in pupil numbers. They have reorganised classes and year groups each year as numbers have changed. The school is determined that every pupil will benefit from a high-quality education. It reviews the curriculum regularly and tracks each pupil’s journey through it. This allows teachers to understand what pupils have learned before, whichever class they were previously in, and to build on that learning effectively.

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

The curriculum is ambitious and interesting for pupils. Teachers ensure that learning activities are matched to the intended learning outcomes well. In lessons, teachers explain concepts clearly. In early years, the school ensures that there are many opportunities to develop children’s speech and language skills. Staff are excellent role models in how to speak and listen to others. As a result, children in the early years use new vocabulary well in their play and learning tasks.

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

The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) efficiently and accurately. Skilled staff adjust learning activities and routines thoughtfully. This helps pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum as other pupils well.

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

The school prioritises the teaching of reading well. Children in the early years begin learning phonics as soon as they start school. They learn swiftly to blend sounds together. Teachers spot any pupil who is falling behind the pace of the phonics programme and support them effectively. Pupils enjoy reading. Older pupils talk about their favourite books and authors fondly.

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

Teachers check pupils’ learning well. They identify ‘golden threads’, concepts that pupils need more support on. Teachers focus on these threads in lessons effectively. Pupils’ understanding of these concepts is becoming more secure. In some subjects, pupils learn better than in others. This is because the curriculum in those subjects makes it clear precisely what the school wants pupils to know and remember. In a few subjects, the school’s work on identifying the key knowledge pupils should learn over time is at an earlier stage of development. As a result, teachers are not fully sure what to focus on and pupils do not learn as securely in these subjects.

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

Attendance is improving. Staff work well with families to help them understand the importance of attending school. However, some pupils, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, miss school too frequently. The school works with determination to address pupils’ barriers to attendance but appreciates that there is more it can do to prevent pupils being persistently absent from school.

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

Pupils contribute well to the school community and beyond. They take on various roles, such as faith ambassadors and members of the pupil parliament. This helps pupils develop their leadership skills. The school fosters an appreciation for different faiths, cultures and families. Pupils learn to value and appreciate difference and diversity. The school is rightly proud of the work it does to help pupils understand bullying. Pupils know that St Andrew’s is a ‘telling school’ and what to do if they have any worries. The school 11 and 12 February 2025

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helps pupils grow into responsible, well-rounded individuals, prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Trustees and the local governing body are effective in their roles. They understand the school’s unique context well. They offer sound support and challenge to school leaders and check that the school’s processes are working well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects in the wider curriculum, the school has not identified well enough the knowledge that pupils need to remember over time. In these subjects, pupils’ recall is not as strong as it is in other subjects. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out clearly for teachers what pupils need to remember over time, so that pupils learn well in all subjects.  Some pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they miss out on important learning. The school should continue to work with families to improve attendance.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately. 11 and 12 February 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Andrew’s CofE Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2014.

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Headteacher Stina Witkowski (executive headteacher)

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School details

Website www.standrews-primary.surrey.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Enlighten Learning Trust, which was previously known as the Esher Learning Trust.  The executive headteacher took up her role in September 2023 and the deputy headteacher took up her role in September 2024.  The number on roll has more than halved since the last inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision currently.  This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Guildford. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in May 2022.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the executive headteacher, the deputy headteacher and staff. The inspector spoke with a representative from the Diocese of Guildford. She also met with the CEO and the director of school improvement from the Enlighten Learning Trust, as well as three members of the local governing body, including the chair.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspector considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff.

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Inspection team

Lea Hannam, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 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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