Cobham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Cobham Primary School is a special place to learn. Pupils flourish at this dynamic and highly engaging school that is at the heart of its community. The school's 'TRUST' values lie at the heart of everything that the school does.

Pupils learn and demonstrate daily the importance of trust, respect, unity, strength and truth. They feel very well cared for and happy.

The school has exceptionally high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve.

Children learn this from the moment they start school in Reception. Through all years, pupils relish every opportunity to learn. They are very attentive in lessons.

They are motivated, listen well and ask ...meaningful questions. As a result, pupils develop a deep understanding and detailed knowledge of the subjects they study. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, succeed in all areas of the very well-designed curriculum.

Pupils are a credit to the school. Staff encourage positive behaviour through praise, rewards and strong routines. This ethos enables pupils to conduct themselves in an exemplary manner.

They have trusting relationships with each other and with staff. Older pupils act as positive role models for younger children. They are polite, articulate individuals who speak confidently to visitors.

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

The school and the governing body work strategically to ensure that their vision is realised in every aspect of the school's work. As a result, pupils not only achieve very well academically, but their time at school is filled with rich and memorable experiences.

The school has developed a particularly well-ordered and highly ambitious curriculum for all pupils, starting from the early years.

High-quality teaching ensures that pupils are confident to explain their learning clearly. Teachers deploy a variety of approaches that enable pupils to succeed. Teachers recap prior learning often.

They explain new concepts clearly and make strong connections between subjects. They use skilful questioning in lessons to check pupils' understanding and identify and address any gaps in learning. This ensures that pupils can build on what they already know and understand.

A variety of wider strategies are also used to check how well pupils remember their learning after it has been taught. This information is used expertly to continually refine future learning activities.

The school has placed reading at the heart of the curriculum and encourages a love of reading across all year groups.

All classroom staff are trained well so that they can teach phonics and model sounds with precision. Staff identify and address any gaps in pupils' phonics knowledge swiftly. Books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils are learning.

This helps to ensure that pupils decode and read fluently. Teachers use highly ambitious texts to give pupils exposure to a broad and challenging range of captivating literature. Pupils successfully rise to the challenge.

Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a significant strength of the school. Staff work closely with external specialists, such as health professionals, to put the best provision into place. Communication between staff is highly effective so that everyone knows their role in supporting pupils with SEND.

Staff adapt learning and resources for pupils with SEND superbly, so that they achieve their best. Pupils who require more significant emotional support benefit from an individually tailored programme of counselling.

The way that the school develops pupils' character is praiseworthy.

All classes show a respect for the importance of learning. A calmness pervades at all times. Pupils have a deep respect for people's differences.

The oldest pupils display maturity and individuality as they prepare for secondary school. To help this, the school provides a wide, rich set of experiences that give pupils opportunities beyond the classroom. This includes a range of visits and residential trips to enhance classroom learning and pupils' experiences.

For example, nearly half the school participate in the London Mini-Marathon.

Members of the governing body use their skills adeptly to support and challenge the school in equal measure. They carry out their statutory duties effectively and hold the school to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

Staff are immensely proud to be part of the school and its community. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about what the school provides for their children. For example, one parent commented, 'Cobham is a fantastic school.

The staff are a wonderful team that seem to enjoy their jobs and work brilliantly together. My daughter wishes there was a Cobham secondary school so that she could stay there forever.'

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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