Folly Hill Infant Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love being part of the 'Folly Hill family'. They thrive at this highly inclusive school. The school has very high expectations of pupils, who strive to meet them.

Pupils achieve exceptionally well and benefit hugely from the warm and respectful relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They focus on their learning for sustained periods of time.

Pupils consistently show kindness and consideration towards each other and adults.

From the time they start in Reception, children are taught how to focus on their learning and think flexibly. They ask for help if they have any worries.

Skilled staff ensure that pupils thin...k about the feelings behind their behaviour so that they can self-regulate effectively. Consequently, pupils feel safe and very happy.

Pupils embrace roles of responsibility and make meaningful contributions to the school community, for example by becoming play leaders or school councillors.

Pupils are proud of their roles because they understand the value of helping others. Pupils know that their views contribute to making their school a better place. They share their views and opinions with staff to bring about change, such as raising awareness of what bullying is.

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

The school provides children with a superb quality of education. This starts in the Reception class and continues throughout the school. Children are well supported to develop their language, reading, writing and mathematical skills.

The school also focuses on pupils' social development. These strong foundations help pupils to learn successfully across the whole curriculum.

Subject leaders are extremely knowledgeable.

This leads to staff with secure subject knowledge across the breadth of the curriculum. As a result, expert staff teach the selected content in a well-structured order. The school swiftly identifies pupils' individual needs.

Staff provide precise support so pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) successfully access the curriculum. Across the school, in lessons, pupils are provided with many opportunities to practise independently, in pairs or in groups. Activities precisely match what pupils need to know and do.

Staff routinely check pupils' understanding. Staff then use this information to address any misunderstandings pupils may have. Therefore, gaps in pupils' knowledge close very quickly.

Reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum. Very high expectations of all pupils help them develop into fluent readers who enjoy a range of texts. This very much includes the pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.

Highly effective daily support helps pupils to keep up with the reading curriculum. A love of reading is fostered expertly in the school. Mystery readers and the school's book club ensure that pupils recommend books to each other and experience different texts.

Behaviour is excellent and pupils have impressive attitudes to learning. All pupils know and live up to the school's high expectations. In the Reception class, children learn and play cooperatively.

They move from one activity to the other seamlessly and develop strong social and emotional skills. Pupils show high levels of motivation to learn more. The school works positively with families to ensure pupils come to school regularly.

As a result, all groups, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, have very high attendance.

The detailed programme for personal development permeates other areas of the curriculum, helping pupils to flourish. This enables pupils to develop a strong sense of the world around them.

For instance, pupils take part in growing plants for Farnham in Bloom and all pupils perform a maypole dance at the festival. There is an impressive range of carefully planned school clubs, attended by all groups of pupils. These clubs broaden their talents and interests.

For example, science club is attended by a wide range of pupils and helps them to think more deeply about different approaches to solving a problem.

Leaders at all levels, including trustees and local governors, share an ambitious vision for the school. The extensive expertise in the trust helps to challenge and support the school successfully.

They work closely with the school on key aspects, such as SEND, the curriculum and learning and teaching. This level of rigour supports the consistently high standards in the school. The school has ensured that staff get high-quality training that enables them to teach the curriculum exceptionally well.

Leaders prioritise staff workload and well-being. As a result, staff at the school feel extremely well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.