Valley End CofE Infant School

Valley End CofE Infant School is a happy, ambitious school where pupils achieve extremely well and behave exceptionally well. This was its first inspection under section 5, and inspectors found no significant weaknesses; safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school is a Church of England infant academy and part of The Good Shepherd Trust, and because inspections from September 2024 do not result in an overall effectiveness grade, the report focuses on the key judgements rather than a single headline grade. The curriculum is highly ambitious and carefully sequenced from Reception, with expert teaching and skilful support for pupils with SEND. Phonics and reading are exceptionally strong, early years provision is vibrant and purposeful, and pupils’ personal development is remarkable, including mental well-being, cultural understanding and a wide range of character-building opportunities. Behaviour is exemplary, relationships are warm and trusting, and pupils take pride in leadership roles. Leadership is seamless across the school, local committee and trust, and staff feel valued and heard. Parents are highly positive about the school’s impact, and a strong community spirit runs through the school. No areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum
• Expert teaching and skilful SEND support
• Exceptional phonics and reading outcomes
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and warm relationships
• Remarkable personal development and mental well-being provision
• Rich character-building opportunities and pupil leadership roles
• Vibrant early years provision with motivating independent play
• Seamless leadership across school, local committee and trust
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Strong parent and staff confidence and community spirit

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Valley End CofE Infant School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.6% of pupils at Valley End CofE Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Valley End CofE Infant School had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 4.3% of pupils at Valley End CofE Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Valley End CofE Infant School received £7,081 and spent £7,087 for each of its 161 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £80,000 (£495 per pupil).

Across all 19 schools of The Good Shepherd Trust, income was £7,677 and spending £7,643 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Woking · Surrey local authority: places and applications

Valley End CofE Infant School is part of The Good Shepherd Trust, which runs 23 schools. The nearest others:

• Ottershaw Christ Church Church of England Junior School Chertsey
• Ottershaw Christ Church Church of England Infant School Chertsey
• St Paul's CofE Primary School Addlestone
• Farnborough Grange Nursery & Infant Community School Farnborough
• Christ's College, Guildford Guildford
• Queen Eleanor's Church of England School Guildford
• Walsh CofE Junior School Ash
• Walsh CofE Infant School Ash
• Ashley Church of England Primary School Walton-On-Thames
• Puttenham CofE Infant School Guildford

What is Valley End CofE Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Valley End CofE Infant School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Valley End CofE Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Valley End CofE Infant School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Valley End CofE Infant School have?

Valley End CofE Infant School has 163 pupils on roll.

What age range does Valley End CofE Infant School cover?

Valley End CofE Infant School for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Valley End CofE Infant School?

Valley End CofE Infant School is at Higham's Lane, Valley End, Chobham, Woking, Surrey, GU24 8TB.