Farncombe Church of England Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Farncombe Church of England Infant School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this caring, friendly school.

They feel safe and happy. This is reflected in the comment of a pupil who said, 'Our school is very kind.' Pupils enjoy one another's company, whether in class or at play, and are courteous to adults.

On the very rare occasion that bullying happens, pupils are confident that the adults will sensitively and swiftly put things right. Teachers select pupils as weekly 'helping hands' monitors and give them roles of responsibility to support adults in the smooth running of the school. For example, pupils support younger p...upils when moving around the school, modelling high expectations for behaviour.

This builds pupils' confidence and helps them to feel part of the school family.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. They provide an engaging curriculum that gives pupils a wide range of experiences.

Pupils quickly build the skills needed to become increasingly fluent readers. They develop their knowledge and understanding across a wide range of subjects well. Pupils are inquisitive and show an interest in what they learn.

For example, pupils explore their learning through engaging science investigations and learn beyond the classroom in the 'forest school'.

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

Leaders show ambition for all pupils. Governors make sure that leaders follow through their plans for improvement.

Leaders produce carefully crafted sequences of learning that guide teachers to know what to teach and when. They support teachers to manage their workload by producing purposeful resources. They provide useful training that supports teachers in the delivery of lessons.

However, while the delivery of lessons is in line with the intended curriculum in most subjects, this is less established in mathematics. This is because the mathematics curriculum is relatively new and leaders have not yet checked carefully enough that teachers deliver the intended curriculum consistently. As such, the development of pupils' knowledge and understanding is sometimes limited.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well across many subjects. Teachers swiftly identify the needs of pupils and work with the special educational needs coordinator to support these. In reading, pupils who require additional help with their reading receive helpful support that allows them to work alongside their peers in class.

In subjects such as science and physical education, staff support pupils with SEND well to access the learning. For example, teachers use a range of picture prompts in science; this helps pupils to make sense of what they learn. The precision of how staff support pupils with SEND across some subjects is less consistent.

This is because leaders have not made sure that staff are clear about the adaptations needed in some subjects.

Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects. Children in the early years quickly learn the sounds that letters make and use this to read simple words.

As pupils move into key stage 1, they build the skills needed to learn how to read with increasing fluency. Pupils develop a love of reading because they can read a wide range of texts. Teachers identify pupils who have fallen behind in their learning.

This is most successful in reading, where teachers use assessment well to swiftly provide interventions that help pupils to catch up quickly. Teachers make sure that the ambitious plans set out by leaders are followed through. Teachers have high expectations for the work produced by pupils.

Pupils produce work that helps them to develop their understanding. Pupils' recall of what they have learned is strong. Teachers regularly remind pupils about past learning.

This helps pupils to draw on what they know in lessons to help them to make sense of new learning.

Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They learn about how to behave and take account of other people's views and attitudes.

Pupils challenge behaviours in one another that are not in line with the school's values. This empowers pupils to become increasingly self-confident and creates a positive atmosphere of mutual respect among pupils.

Staff provide a wide variety of opportunities for pupils beyond the academic curriculum.

Leaders ensure that all pupils attend a range of clubs and engage in trips beyond the school that enhance what they learn. This builds pupil's confidence in themselves and develops their interests well. Pupils speak confidently about their understanding of equality.

They show acceptance and compassion for others. Pupils learn about the importance of helping others in their local and global community. This helps pupils to develop a growing understanding of the wider world.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure staff receive helpful and timely training to enable them to swiftly identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. There are clear systems in place to record any concerns about the safety of pupils.

Leaders act quickly on these and seek support from outside agencies where needed. They produce detailed risk assessments for trips that outline the potential risks posed to pupils.

Pupils learn how to stay safe online.

Leaders inform parents about the potential risks of being online through helpful advice on school newsletters. As a result, there is a culture of safeguarding that pervades the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of the mathematics curriculum is variable.

This sometimes limits how well pupils develop their knowledge and understanding. Leaders need to strengthen their monitoring to ensure that teachers consistently apply the school's approach to teaching mathematics so that there is the same high ambition for all pupils. ? The approach to supporting pupils with SEND in some subjects is varied.

This means that some pupils achieve less well in some subjects. Leaders need to ensure all staff working with pupils with SEND are clear about the adaptations needed so pupils achieve well in all subjects.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.

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