West Ewell Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a clear understanding of the school's values of respect, resilience, reflection, responsibility and resourcefulness. They work hard to show these values. Pupils demonstrate this through their excellent conduct and their exceptional attitudes to learning.

Pupils feel happy and safe in the school. They know that staff work hard to address any worries that they may have.

Teachers have very high expectations of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Staff design a range of engaging activities and match them to pupils' individual needs thoughtfully. This ensures that pupils achieve well. Those with SEND integ...rate seamlessly into classes and achieve well alongside their peers.

Pupils participate in lessons excitedly and purposefully. This starts in Nursery, where children show exceptional levels of concentration for their age.

Pupils learn how to manage their emotions well and are taught about positive physical and mental health.

For example, older pupils learn how to identify and manage stress as part of getting ready for secondary school. The school provides high-quality pastoral support for pupils. This ensures that pupils feel that they are looked after exceptionally well.

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

Leaders know their pupils well. They use this information to plan an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that meets the needs of pupils, including those with SEND. Pupils learn important skills and knowledge, including a rich vocabulary.

They revisit prior learning to deepen their understanding. Pupils in the school's specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND access high-quality personalised programmes that align carefully to the whole school approach.

Staff identify the individual needs of pupils accurately.

They design a range of well-considered activities and adaptations to enable pupils with SEND to learn the whole curriculum. For example, in key stage 2 English, pupils access amended texts with support from skilled adults to answer a range of comprehension questions alongside their peers.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge.

They use this to select engaging resources and to create a text-rich environment that helps pupils to achieve well. For instance, staff ensure that pupils in a dance lesson have access to a learning and vocabulary wall that helps them to select appropriate moves to create a sequence and then describe the moves that they selected. Teachers in Early Years use their detailed knowledge of children to design activities that are matched extremely well to pupils' needs.

Leaders monitor pupils' learning carefully. They identify any gaps in learning quickly and plan various interventions to narrow these gaps. Teachers check learning thoroughly and address any misconceptions appropriately.

This begins in Early Years, where staff use their conversations with children as vital learning opportunities.

Pupils produce a range of high-quality work that shows their development of knowledge and skills through the curriculum. However, pupils did not achieve well enough in last year's national tests in writing and mathematics.

Leaders recognise this and have made changes to the curriculum. Despite this, pupils' opportunities to develop their writing are not yet effective across the curriculum.

The school has prioritised reading.

Leaders ensure that well-trained staff deliver phonics consistently well. Most pupils become confident readers quickly. Staff identify pupils who are not keeping up and plan support to help them catch up.

Leaders select inspiring stories that motivate pupils to enjoy reading.

The school is a calm and purposeful place, where pupils' conduct is excellent. Pupils demonstrate high levels of courtesy and respect.

Leaders instil a warm and caring ethos that is clear in the high-quality relationships that staff foster with pupils. They attend frequently and punctually. Leaders have a detailed knowledge of attendance trends and patterns and use this to plan a range of support for pupils.

As a result of this, pupils' attendance is improving.

The school's provision for pupils' personal development is exceptional. Pupils have a mature and sensitive understanding of diversity.

They learn about this through carefully chosen texts and older pupils engage in rich debates with each other. Pupils discuss views that differ to their own confidently. The school offers opportunities to develop pupils' skills and talents.

For example, younger pupils take responsibility for tidying classrooms and looking after resources, and older pupils become sports leaders. They enjoy a wide range of clubs and activities that are open to all. Pupils represent the school in sporting competitions and perform an annual school play in a local theatre.

Trustees and governors hold the school to account well. They work with leaders to improve the school still further and share leaders' high expectations. Staff are very positive about the school.

Their workload is well managed and high-quality training has a positive impact on their work. Parents and carers are supportive of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils do not have enough high-quality opportunities to practise and develop their writing skills. As a result, pupils do not become sufficiently confident writers and do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils are taught how to write well in all curriculum areas.