Fernhurst Primary School

Inspection of Fernhurst Primary School Haslemere Road, Fernhurst, Haslemere, Surrey GU27 3EA

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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 Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Jennifer Thornton. This school is part of University of Chichester Academy 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), Jennese Alozie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Symeon Dagkas. 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils arrive happily to school each morning, eager to begin their school day. They look forward to learning and playing together. Lunchtimes are carefully planned to consider the needs and interests of pupils. Pupils can choose to play on the school’s large fields with their friends or participate in an adult-led sports activity. Alternatively, they can choose to attend the school’s lunchtime creative art club or find a quiet spot to read. Pupil ‘happiness heroes’ keep an eye out for anyone who might need some additional encouragement or support to join in with play at lunchtimes and breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. It sets high expectations for pupil achievement. Most pupils achieve well across the curriculum. There are very clear expectations for behaviour. Pupils learn to be positive role models and actively engaged learners. Over time, they learn about the human brain and how to get better at managing their emotions. Pupils enjoy regular ‘happy breathing’ sessions, as they learn how to use breathing exercises to re-establish a feeling of calm. This promotes a strong sense of well-being and helps pupils to be ready to work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the exceptionally wide range of experiences the school provides. Regular woodland- and beach-based learning helps pupils to engage with the natural world and deepen their understanding of key areas of the curriculum. For example, after learning about tidal movement at school, pupils were able to see and measure tidal changes at the beach.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has strengthened the quality of education provided. The curriculum is now broad and ambitious for all pupils. Staff work sensitively to get to know children and their families at the start of the Reception Year. Children’s needs and starting points are carefully assessed. Potential special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified at an early stage and effective support is put in place. There is a strong focus in the early years to support children’s speech and language development. Children benefit from regularly being read to. They get to know a wide range of stories, songs, rhymes and poems over the course of the Reception Year.

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

The school ensures that pupils get off to a strong start in reading. All staff have been supported to deliver the school’s phonics programme well. Any gaps in pupils’ developing knowledge of the letters and sounds are quickly addressed through effective support. There is a strong culture of reading across the school. Pupils benefit from reading the ambitious books that form the school’s reading curriculum. They are also supported and encouraged to develop their own reading preferences, which older pupils talk about with confidence and relish.

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

Most pupils learn to form letters accurately and, over time, to write with confidence. However, a small number of pupils do not gain the writing knowledge and skills that they need. The school does not, for example, ensure that these pupils get enough practice of forming letters correctly. Teachers do not consistently adapt the curriculum to align with 24 and 25 June 2025

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these pupils’ starting points. Instead, they try to move them on to writing tasks that are too complex before they are ready. Over time, these pupils become increasingly reliant on adult support to access learning in English and other subjects. These pupils do not achieve as well as they might.

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In most subjects, the school ensures that teachers check on what pupils have learned and remembered effectively. That said, on occasion, the school’s checks on what pupils know and remember are not as effective as they could be. As a result, some learning activities do not focus sufficiently on addressing the gaps in knowledge that some pupils have.

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Pupils behave very well at school. Classrooms provide a calm environment, where pupils can learn. Pupils are polite and work hard to take care of each member of the school community. Since the last inspection, the school has taken effective action to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence.

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The school takes every opportunity to enrich and enhance pupils’ personal development. There is a carefully planned programme of experiences that build upon pupils’ learning within the classroom. For example, to support pupils’ religious education and spiritual development, they regularly visit their local church but also have the opportunity to visit other places of worship, including a mosque and Buddhist monastery. This enables pupils to develop their knowledge of, and respect for, a range of faiths and beliefs.

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Pupils’ cultural development is very well considered. Over time, pupils visit a range of art galleries, sculpture parks, theatres and sites of historical significance. They take part in regular theatrical and musical performances, including at the Royal Albert Hall. School performances are carefully adapted to provide each pupil with the opportunity to showcase their talents. Pupils learn to stay safe and keep healthy through the school’s personal, social and health education curriculum. As well as online safety, pupils are carefully taught about road, water and dog safety.

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Leaders at all levels, including within the multi-academy trust, are highly committed to the school and its community. Staff are appreciative of ways in which leaders at all levels engage with them. Workload is well considered so that teachers can focus their time and effort on those things that have the biggest impact on pupils’ learning. The school has benefited from the collaborative work within the trust. Those responsible for governance know the school very well and provide effective challenge and support to school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 and 25 June 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not ensure that some pupils get enough practice in the foundational aspects of writing, including letter formation and handwriting. As these pupils move through the school, they find it harder to access learning, which is not always well adapted to align with their starting points. The school should ensure that all pupils secure foundational knowledge and skills in writing before moving on to more complex writing tasks.  On occasion, the school’s checks on what pupils know and remember are not as effective as they could be. As a result, some learning activities do not focus sufficiently on addressing the gaps in knowledge that some pupils have. Consequently, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to identify and address gaps in key knowledge so that pupils can achieve well.

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 February 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the University of Chichester Academy Trust.  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 and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the school’s headteacher and head of academy. The lead inspector met with the CEO of the academy trust and representatives of the board of trustees and the local governing board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and physical education. 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. Inspectors listened to pupils reading. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at samples of pupils’ work from across the curriculum.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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

Alice Roberts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

James Munt Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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