A Profile of Barnett Wood Infant School – September 2022

Barnett Wood Infant School is situated in the village of Ashtead. The building is Victorian having benefited from significant modernisation. The school admits children between the ages of 4 and 7, from Ashtead and the surrounding areas. There are six classes currently split into:

• Two Reception classes
• Two Year 1 classes
• Two Year 2 class.

The school has 6 classrooms within the main building with a large front playground, a standalone library and extensive grounds. We run both a before and after school club along with various clubs.

The number currently on role is 149 pupils (PAN 156) .

There are at present 8 teaching staff, including the Headteacher. One class has a job share organisation. There are 9 Classroom Assistants who work a range of hours. Each teaching member of staff is responsible for two curriculum areas and they all enhance the curriculum by organising and running a variety of lunchtime or after school clubs. We work very much as a team, planning whole school projects and events. Year groups meet to plan the curriculum and the staff meet once a week to discuss curriculum developments and educational issues. The school has a secretary, bursar, cleaner and a site manager. There are very strong links with the parents, local community and governors.

The school benefits from spacious hard and grassed play areas and has a purpose built outdoor swimming pool. The pool is used extensively for swimming lessons during the summer term and by parents, staff and children over the summer. We continue to develop our outside environment and together with parents, children, staff, local and national organisations we now have organic garden planters, a herb garden, various outside classroom curriculum areas, a wild life pond, a mini beast habitat and an all-weather track. All of these areas need high quality maintenance.

Barnett Wood enjoys excellent academic results. High standards of achievement are expected of the staff and children and thanks to a very dedicated and hard-working teaching and support staff, these expectations are fulfilled.

We have a website – www.barnettwood.co.uk Each classroom has an interactive whiteboard as does the hall and our stand-alone library area, known as ‘The Beehive’. This building is also used to house our ‘Honeybees’ Breakfast Club and After School Club.

The last Ofsted inspection of the school was in June 2013. The school achieved ‘outstanding’ recognition in all areas. The full report can be accessed through the school and Ofsted website.

The school is well respected in the local community and parents choose Barnett Wood for their younger child although older siblings may have moved to local Primary schools for KS2. Parents tell us that they choose Barnett Wood for its warm, friendly and supportive approach, its high standards, dedicated staff and the extra activities we offer including swimming. Barnett Wood is an inclusive school committed to providing a broad and balanced curriculum. We celebrate diversity through cultural celebrations and recognise that although we are a village school we belong to a much larger community with diverse religions, languages, beliefs and cultures.