Esher Church School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 May 2024

Pupils, staff, parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about this school as it grows from strength to strength. As one parent wrote, 'Children skip through the gates in the morning.' Attendance is high. Pupils show great enthusiasm for learning and the many experiences that school life offers. For example, all Year 4 pupils learn the clarinet. Pupils relish attending school clubs, such as chess, cricket and 'knit and natter'. They especially like their tennis lessons at the neighbouring tennis club. The school is highly ambitious for all. There is a drive for excellence in all aspects of the school. Pupils work hard and reach these expectations. For example, published outcomes at the end of key stage 2 in 2023 showed that pupils achieved significantly better than the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics at the higher standard. Pupils are proud to take on positions of responsibility. Just as the school's vision states, they 'believe that they can make a difference'. For example, 'eco-ambassadors' are actively trying to reduce single-use plastic following their data collection about plastic waste. Staff encourage pupils to think of others. Pupils have raised money for the Red Cross by running the 'mini-London marathon' recently.

What the school should improve

• In some foundation subjects, there is not always enough clarity in what pupils need to learn and remember over time. Pupils learn well, but they do not learn as well as they could. The school should continue to implement the ambitious curriculum development plans, and monitor the impact over time, so that all pupils achieve exceptionally well across the whole curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)