Dormansland Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Dormansland Primary School Clinton Hill, Dormansland, Lingfield, Surrey RH7 6PE

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Outcome

Dormansland Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take great pride in embodying the school’s vision ‘inspire, nurture, challenge’. They speak confidently about stepping beyond their comfort zone and being positive role models for their friends. They benefit greatly from the range of residential trips on offer. These provide valuable opportunities to experience new activities such as raft building, while working in a team. Regular forest visits support pupils to learn about habitats and develop practical skills like foraging.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils, both academically and in terms of behaviour. Pupils learn well and make positive behaviour choices. They are highly motivated to have their name added to the ‘golden thread of choice’ and to earn ‘cherries’ for demonstrating the school’s values in action.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a safe space for pupils, where they feel happy and valued. Staff care deeply about pupils. Pupils flourish. They are confident to tell an adult if they have a problem. They know that staff listen carefully to both sides of the story when resolving any friendship fallouts. As a result, pupils appreciate the fairness of staff. Strong and trusting relationships prevail.

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

A love of books is clearly woven throughout the school. Pupils speak confidently about their favourite authors and texts. In Year 4, for example, pupils recite lines from the ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll with enthusiasm, delighting in the rhythm and playful language of the poem. The reading curriculum introduces pupils to a broad and diverse range of literature. This deepens their understanding of important themes such as 7 and 8 May 2025

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diversity and equality. Pupils develop into confident, thoughtful and reflective readers. There is a sharp focus on making sure that all pupils learn the sounds that letters make. Staff place a strong emphasis on helping pupils close gaps in phonics knowledge. This has a positive impact on pupils learning to read swiftly. Pupils who struggle to read catch up.

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The school has a broad curriculum, well-sequenced from Reception to Year 6. The school has recently introduced new curriculums for some foundation subjects. This has increased teachers’ understanding of exactly what to teach and in what order in these subjects. Teachers present content clearly and spot misconceptions accurately. Retrieval tasks help pupils remember their current learning effectively. However, teachers do not always revisit key content from previous units to check that pupils have remembered this content long term. The school has not clearly identified the knowledge that pupils must remember over time in these subjects. This makes it harder for pupils to deepen their understanding by connecting ideas and knowledge to what they have learned before. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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This is a highly inclusive school. Staff and governors are deeply committed to doing the right thing for all their pupils. There are clear systems in place to identify pupils with additional needs. In the early years, staff use a plethora of visuals and oral recordings to support children to access tasks and follow instructions. In English and mathematics, teachers adapt learning successfully for pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND learn well alongside their classmates. However, teachers are less confident in how to adapt the curriculum in those foundation subjects with new curriculums in place. Pupils with SEND are not learning as well as they could in these subjects.

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Pupils’ behaviour is calm and respectful in classrooms and around the school. Pupils listen carefully in lessons and work well with each other. Staff support pupils in making the right behaviour choices and in learning from their poorer choices through reflection. Pupils develop a sense of responsibility through their leadership roles. Examples include school councillors, food heroes and playground monitors. Older pupils support younger pupils thoughtfully. Pupils understand fundamental British values well. During a recent ‘break the rules day’, they enjoyed activities such as sporting crazy hair. The experience helped them reflect on how rules contribute to fairness and a well-ordered school community. During the inspection, pupils celebrated Victory in Europe day, with afternoon tea and maypole dancing. The curriculum helps pupils appreciate the impact of war and deepens their understanding of tolerance and peace.

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The school is now in a stable place, following a period of turbulence in leadership and governance. Governors offer an effective balance of challenge and support to the school, asking the right questions of leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 7 and 8 May 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, the school has not identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to remember over time. This means that pupils do not recall the most important content as well as they could in these subjects. The school should ensure that teachers know the learning that it wants pupils to remember so that pupils remember more of the key knowledge over time.  Where new curriculums have been introduced, the school does not adapt learning for pupils with SEND well enough. As a result, pupils with SEND do not learn as successfully as they could. The school should ensure that they support teachers to know how to adapt learning appropriately and consistently for pupils with SEND.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2016.

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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. 7 and 8 May 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). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Headteacher Mark Cook and Faye Davies (co- headteachers) Website www.dormansland.surrey.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The co-headteachers took on their substantive roles in March 2023.  The school does not use any alternative provision currently.

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Information about this inspection

 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 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 co-headteachers and staff. The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority. She also met with five members of the 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. 7 and 8 May 2025

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 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 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 7 and 8 May 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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