The Orchard Infant School

The Orchard Infant School

Address: Bridge Road, East Molesey, Surrey, KT8 9HT Unique reference number (URN): 124964

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils learn the curriculum very well, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Teachers have consistently high expectations for all pupils. Work in pupils’ books shows that teachers’ focus on securing the foundations of reading, writing and mathematics has a clear impact. For example, pupils develop neat and fluent handwriting, which they apply confidently across a range of subjects. Pupils’ understanding and recall of knowledge from the wider curriculum are equally secure.

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Achievement Strong standard

Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics check are significantly above national averages over time. These high outcomes reflect the school’s commitment to making sure that pupils learn to read as quickly as possible.

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Achievement Strong standard

The curriculum is designed so that pupils regularly revisit and apply what they have learned. For example, ‘memory moments’ at the start of lessons help teachers check whether pupils have retained learning from earlier points in the curriculum. This means that gaps in pupils' knowledge are spotted quickly and can be addressed.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders place a clear emphasis on the importance of regular attendance, and this is well understood across the school. Well-established systems are used proactively to monitor attendance. Leaders have a secure understanding of the barriers that some pupils face in attending regularly and track attendance closely so that concerns are identified swiftly. They respond effectively through a balanced approach that combines appropriate support with challenge when required. As a result, attendance remains consistently high and rates of persistent absence are significantly below national averages, reflecting the positive impact of leaders’ actions.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils are confident, compassionate and kind. Staff have consistently high expectations for behaviour in lessons, and pupils meet these well. As a result, classrooms are collaborative and conducive to learning. In the playground, pupils play happily and safely, ensuring that others are included. They respond swiftly to well-established routines, for example when lining up and walking sensibly to the lunch hall. Serious incidents, including bullying, are rare. Leaders have robust systems to track and analyse behaviour and respond well to any incidents that happen. Pupils who need additional help to manage their behaviour or emotions receive appropriate and well-targeted support.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders’ consistently high expectations for all pupils are central to the school’s inclusive ethos. Clear systems and effective early identification ensure that pupils receive the right support at the right time. Leaders have a detailed understanding of pupils’ needs, barriers and individual circumstances. They use this knowledge to provide highly effective tailored support. Plans to meet pupils’ needs are developed collaboratively with staff and are informed by advice from external professionals where appropriate. As a result, timely interventions and additional support are closely matched to pupils’ needs.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders use monitoring and tracking well to assure themselves that vulnerable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well from their starting points. Leaders have adapted how they track the progress of pupils who require more specialised support, which strengthens the precision of subsequent provision. Pupils who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND are fully integrated into the life of the school. Leaders carefully plan pupils’ moves into and on from the school, which is especially helpful for pupils who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing. Leaders work closely with parents and carers to ensure they feel well informed about their child’s progress. Leaders implement and monitor the pupil premium strategy effectively.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Personal development and wellbeing sit at the heart of the school’s work. A well-established and carefully sequenced programme of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education underpins the school’s approach and supports pupils to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to get along with each other and thrive. For example, in PSHE lessons, pupils create friendship tokens, learn how to be a good friend and how to resolve disagreements positively.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders monitor and evaluate the school’s offer closely. This enables them to understand clearly how well pupils are learning and remembering the detailed content. Pupils demonstrate a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the real world. They explain how to seek help from trusted adults when needed and how to manage risks, such as crossing the road safely or keeping a safe distance from fireworks.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school offers a wide range of trips and enrichment activities that enhance pupils’ experiences and enable them to engage meaningfully with the wider curriculum. Cultural capital is developed well through the school’s ‘Great 8 before I’m 8’ initiative. Pupils speak enthusiastically about these experiences, such as caring for animals or learning to play the ukulele. A wide range of clubs, including choir, dance and times tables, supports pupils to develop their interests and talents. Leaders track participation carefully to ensure that pupils who are disadvantaged are fully included.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The positive relationships and pastoral support in place support pupils’ wellbeing effectively. This also strengthens pupils’ confidence, behaviour and resilience. Pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of fundamental British values and can discuss concepts such as democracy and the rule of law in an age-appropriate and thoughtful way. For example, pupils explain how electing school council representatives enables them to experience democracy first hand. They also articulate clearly how rules help to keep people safe at home and in school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is effective in securing pupils’ understanding and engagement. Typically, teachers explain concepts clearly, model learning well and use skilful questioning to deepen pupils’ thinking and address misconceptions promptly. Pupils are provided with regular opportunities to practise and embed their learning. They use practical resources confidently to support their learning. Teachers adapt their teaching thoughtfully to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, can access learning alongside their peers. This includes the effective deployment of additional adults and appropriate adaptations to tasks, which support pupils to engage fully with learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Across the early years and key stage 1, leaders have established a well-sequenced curriculum that supports pupils to secure essential knowledge and skills. The wider curriculum is carefully planned, enabling pupils to apply their core skills and deepen their understanding across a wide range of subjects. Leaders are focused on what pupils need to know and be able to do by the end of Year 2, adjusting the curriculum so pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education. While leaders monitor some areas of the curriculum in depth, oversight of some subjects in the wider curriculum is less well developed, limiting leaders’ ability to identify and address improvement priorities in all subjects.

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Early years Expected standard

Children are happy and engaged in the early years. They get on with one another well. Staff form positive relationships with children and show high levels of care. Regular, effective communication between school and parents helps to build positive partnerships that support children’s learning and wellbeing.

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Early years Expected standard

The well-designed and sequenced early years curriculum prioritises children’s early reading, writing and mathematics understanding. Children learn to read and write words swiftly. They show a secure understanding of number. Staff notice when children have gaps in their learning and address these well. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities get the help they need to learn well and thrive. Children achieve very well in the early years, which prepares them for moving into key stage 1.

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Early years Expected standard

Teachers craft learning activities well, which spark children’s curiosity and interest. These activities help children learn the curriculum successfully. For example, children were mesmerised watching tadpoles while learning about the life cycle of a frog. Typically, staff interact skilfully with children to deepen their learning, particularly during adult-led sessions. At times, especially during some independent activities, staff do not always make the most of opportunities to extend children’s learning further.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a secure and well-evidenced understanding of the school’s strengths and its wider context. They use a broad and appropriate range of activities to review progress against their development objectives and to identify emerging priorities clearly. When needed, leaders take a measured and thoughtful approach to planning next steps, ensuring decisions consider both immediate priorities and the longer-term direction of the school. Close engagement with the school community supports leaders to manage change sensitively.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders maintain meaningful links with local schools. These partnerships benefit pupils through well-planned transition arrangements and support staff development through shared professional learning, subject leadership collaboration and peer review opportunities. This approach strengthens practice and supports continuity in pupils’ learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors bring commitment and experience to their roles. They know the context of the school well and check leaders’ reports through a range of first-hand activities. They also draw on external expertise to assure them about the quality of the school's provision. Governors are refining how they document the challenge they provide to leaders to evidence its effectiveness more consistently.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders foster an open and supportive culture in the staff team. Staff value the practical support they receive for managing their wellbeing and workload. Professional development is well planned, aligned to school priorities and strengthened through access to specialist expertise. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive, describing the school as warm, caring and inclusive. They feel well informed and confident in the school’s work.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

This is a school where pupils feel safe, valued and happy to belong. Pupils enjoy learning and are curious about new topics. They understand that learning builds over time, for example explaining how small steps, such as learning sounds, help them to write words, then sentences and eventually create stories. Pupils recognise that everyone may need extra help at times and see this as a normal part of learning.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school values of respect, kindness, determination and courage are highly visible and well understood by children from the early years onwards. Pupils can explain how they show these values in their classrooms and around the school. They are proud to receive values medals in weekly assemblies and take their responsibility to return them seriously so others can be recognised next time. Pupils also enjoy being rewarded for positive behaviour in class, for example by earning their place on the class rainbows.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy making friends and appreciate one another’s differences. They speak openly about feeling loved at school and are confident that help is always available if they need it. Pupils trust staff and are sure that any problems will be resolved quickly and fairly. They understand that adults want them to be kind, try their best and keep learning. Attendance at the school is very high.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The school’s rich wider opportunities enrich pupils’ experiences further. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the broad range of clubs and trips that they experience. They currently enjoy weekly circus skills sessions where they practise their school value of determination. Children contribute positively to their school community through a range of leadership roles. As school councillors, they help leaders make decisions and lead initiatives such as reducing litter at school and taking part in litter picks in the local area. In class, pupils show responsibility through roles such as recycling rangers, helping to promote sustainability.

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Next steps

Leaders should further develop their systems to check how well all subjects are being taught so that leaders develop an astute understanding of what is working well and what needs to be improved across the whole curriculum. Leaders should improve consistency in the early years by ensuring that all staff maximise the impact of high-quality interactions throughout the day to further deepen children's learning.

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About this inspection

This school is one of 2 schools in the Voice Education Trust.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Sarah Adams.

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About this inspection

The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are 5 pupils with speech, language and communication needs on roll. All have an education, health and care plan.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of the governing body, including the chair, during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke to a representative of the local authority and spoke with staff, pupils, parents and carers.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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Team inspectors:

Edison David, Ofsted Inspector Nina Kemp, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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