Long Ditton Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Long Ditton Infant and Nursery School Ditton Hill Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 5JB

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambition for pupils ‘to be the best they can’, echoes throughout every interaction and activity. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Relationships are positive and allow everyone here to thrive. Staff take great care to get to know each pupil and their family. From their first days in school, the nurturing approach means that pupils feel happy, safe and well cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are dedicated to ensuring that all pupils receive the help and guidance they need to succeed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are accurately identified and benefit from swift targeted support. As a result, pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils gain new experiences through going on a wide range of trips and visits. They are encouraged to develop their artistic, sporting and linguistic talents and interests in an array of clubs. These are very well attended by all. Pupils learn to be good citizens by engaging with the local community, visiting the local church and singing at care homes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are unanimous in their praise of the school. One parent, typical of many, described the school as, ‘a place where pupils are valued and supported, and where they learn the values of respect, compassion and tolerance.’

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is both broad and ambitious. It has ensured curriculum content builds each year. Early years is deliberately and precisely included in all curriculums. As a result, pupils use their prior knowledge to support them well with new learning.

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

Children get off to a flying start in the early years. They learn how to persevere and are eager to know more. Well-established school routines are embedded from the Nursery. These support children to foster highly positive attitudes towards learning. Staff skilfully focus on developing children’s language and helping them. These help them to master basic skills, such as counting and holding a pencil correctly. Staff utilise every opportunity to develop children’s communication and language, promoting new vocabulary well. These high-quality experiences across the early years help children to develop the important personal, social and academic skills that prepare them exceptionally well for Year 1.

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

The school has prioritised early reading, so pupils quickly learn to read with fluency. In the early years, children develop a deep love for reading. Pupils access high quality texts throughout their daily experience. Skilled staff deliver phonics with precision. They check pupils’ recall to identify gaps, then provide help swiftly to anyone who needs extra support. Over time, pupils read and write with increasing accuracy, using vocabulary with greater accuracy. In mathematics, pupils secure important concepts and develop their understanding of number and calculation. This strong base enables pupils to apply their knowledge well in the wider curriculum. 11 and 12 February 2025

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The school ensures staff have strong subject knowledge. Staff demonstrate methods clearly and use questioning skilfully to check what pupils know and then act on any gaps in understanding. This helps pupils then build on their knowledge securely. Adults support pupils with SEND well so that they access the same curriculum as their peers. Overall, staff provide pupils with activities that both challenge and deepen their understanding well. However, occasionally, activities set for pupils do not take fully into account their starting points. When this occurs, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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The school excels in preparing pupils for life beyond its walls. It promotes core skills such as independence and resilience effectively across the curriculum. The support for pupils’ emotional development is strong. Pupils learn how to recognise their emotions and understand the importance of seeking help when needed. Pupils enjoy meaningful opportunities to learn about responsibility and leadership. These include being a cloakroom monitor. The school teaches the importance of individuality and respect for others' choices well. Pupils learn about different cultures and faiths. They understand the commonalities in religious festivals and moral values. The elected school council helps pupils understand democracy. It provides a platform where pupils can suggest improvements to their school. They also play a key part in raising awareness about important issues. For instance, the recent 'Odd Shoes Tuesday' event highlighted the work

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Staff are rightly proud to work at this school. They are confident there is always someone to go to if they need advice. Governors know the school well. Through their experience and challenge, governors demonstrate a determination that every pupil achieves their best.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, the tasks and activities given to pupils do not take fully into account their starting points. This affects some pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to provide pupils with activities and tasks which reflects their needs and helps them learn the essential knowledge.

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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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Rachel Cook and Kirsty Francis

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Long Ditton Infant Nursery School is part of the Long Ditton Federation. The school federated with Long Ditton St Mary’s Junior School on 1 September 2024. The headteacher took up her post in September 2022.  The school’s before- and after-school club for pupils of school age is run by an external provider. However, the school manages its own breakfast club for the Nursery Year.  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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 February 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. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They also met with members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, religious education and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  During the inspection, inspectors met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to them informally during social times.

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 Inspectors met some parents to gain their views of the school. They reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took account of staff responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  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.

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Inspection team

Laura James, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sara Tilbey 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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