Wallace Fields Junior School Review 2026: High-performing junior school with a strong BELIEVE culture

Academic outcomes are a clear strength here. In the latest published Key Stage 2 results, 89.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 44.67% reached greater depth, well above the England average of 8%. These figures align with the school’s standing in the FindMySchool primary rankings based on official data: ranked 930th in England and 2nd in the Epsom area.

The school serves pupils from Year 3 to Year 6, with two forms of entry and a capacity of 272. Leadership is established, with Mr Steve Lee as headteacher, and in post as headteacher from 01 September 2013.

The latest Ofsted inspection (17 May 2022) judged the school Good overall, with Good judgements across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

A consistent theme is the school’s BELIEVE framework, which sits at the centre of expectations and language. The values are mapped to Brilliance, Equality, Learning for all, Inspirational, Enthusiasm, Vision, and Every pupil matters. The practical impact is that behaviour, effort, and contribution are described and rewarded through a shared vocabulary, rather than through vague notions of “trying your best”.

Inclusion is positioned as core identity rather than a bolt-on. The school’s own statements emphasise belonging and visible support for pupils with additional needs, and the official inspection narrative also points to an inclusive culture and respectful relationships between pupils and adults.

The physical set-up supports a busy junior school: a main building with hall, library, canteen, ICT provision, and classrooms, plus additional classroom space in a free-standing unit, and outdoor areas that include playground and grass. The school opened in September 1967 and has changed shape over time, including periods as a primary and a middle school before settling as a junior school for ages 7 to 11.

A recent example of practical investment is the Garden Room development, which repurposed older ICT-suite style provision to reflect a shift towards in-class devices for computing and technology sessions. For families, this is a useful indicator that the school is updating provision in response to how pupils actually work, rather than preserving rooms for legacy reasons.

Wallace Fields Junior School’s published outcomes are unusually strong for a state junior school.

In the latest published Key Stage 2 results:

• 89.67% met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%.

• 44.67% reached the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%.

• Reading, mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and spelling scaled scores are also high (reading 109, mathematics 108, GPS 110), alongside a combined total score of 327 across reading, GPS, and mathematics. (These scaled scores are presented as published figures; England comparisons are not stated here because the relevant England average figures are not provided alongside them.)

On rankings, the school’s performance places it well above the England average (top 10% in England). In the FindMySchool primary rankings based on official data, the school ranks 930th in England and 2nd in the Epsom area. This ranking context matters because it indicates performance that is strong not just in absolute terms, but relative to other schools nationally.

Parents comparing several local junior or primary options can use the FindMySchool local hub and comparison tools to view these results side-by-side, including England context and local rank positioning.

The strongest version of the school is an academically focused junior setting where curriculum sequencing is deliberate. The published inspection narrative describes an ambitious curriculum with clear ordering of what pupils learn and when, plus teaching that supports pupils to build securely on prior knowledge. That structure is well matched to families who want clarity and momentum, particularly for pupils arriving into Year 3 from an infant school and needing to settle quickly into junior expectations.

Reading is treated as a pillar, with a strong emphasis on reading for pleasure and access to high-quality texts. The school highlights assessment and benchmarking across reading age, spelling, mathematics and reading comprehension, with structured monitoring through the year and formal national tests in Year 6.

Computing provision appears to be evolving in a practical direction. The Garden Room project was explicitly linked to pupils working primarily on Chromebooks in class for computing and technology sessions. This typically translates into more frequent, embedded practice rather than isolated “ICT room” lessons, which suits pupils who learn best through regular use.

As a junior school, the key transition point is the move to secondary at the end of Year 6. The school runs a calendar of events that reflects active transition links, including a Year 6 SEND transition day with a local secondary partner (Glyn). For families, that is a useful signal that transition planning is not left until late summer, and that additional-needs transition is explicitly organised.

Secondary applications in Surrey are coordinated through the local authority, with a published deadline of 31 October in the year before entry. This matters because families often focus heavily on Year 6 learning, but the application timeline starts earlier than many expect.

Entry is primarily into Year 3. Surrey County Council is the admissions authority and applications are handled through Surrey’s coordinated admissions process rather than directly by the school.

For September 2026 entry into Year 3, Surrey’s published dates are clear:

• The application window opens from 03 November 2025.

• The closing date for on-time applications is 15 January 2026.

• Offers are issued on 16 April 2026.

• Families must accept or decline the offered place by 30 April 2026.

Oversubscription criteria for Surrey community schools follow a familiar priority order, including looked after and previously looked after children, exceptional social or medical need, children of staff, sibling priority (including shared sibling priority between linked infant and junior schools where applicable), then distance measured in a straight line to the school gate. For families who may be borderline on distance, this is where precision matters. Use a distance tool such as the FindMySchoolMap Search to check your exact home-to-gate measurement, then compare it with published allocation information for the relevant year.

The school also runs prospective parent open mornings on a limited-capacity basis, with Year 3 entry explicitly referenced. In practice, this indicates that the main admissions cycle is planned around autumn-term tours for the following September intake, and families should expect open events to cluster in that period each year.

The school’s published stance places wellbeing alongside achievement rather than in competition with it. Inspection narrative describes pupils feeling safe, respectful relationships, and well-supervised playtimes with a choice of activities. Safeguarding is described as effective, with a clear expectation that staff recognise concerns and act promptly, and that pupils are taught how to manage risk, including online safety.

Pupil responsibility is structured rather than symbolic. Roles referenced include peer mentors, house captains, and participation through the school council, and this can be especially valuable for pupils who thrive when responsibility is concrete and visible.

Extracurricular breadth is a distinctive feature here, and the detail is unusually transparent. The clubs programme includes named options across sport, arts, languages, and STEM-linked activities, with termly letters and sign-up guidance.

Examples from the published clubs list include:

• Coding Club (Years 5 and 6), Lego club, Chess Club, Gardening Club, Cookery Club, Wellbeing club, plus year-group science clubs (Year 4 and Year 6).

• British Sign Language Club, French Club, and Spanish club.

• Choir (with separate lunchtime sessions by year group), Theatre Arts, Street Dance Club, piano lessons, and clarinet and saxophone group lessons.

• Sports options include Tag Rugby, Judo, Gymnastics, Dodgeball, basketball, football, and girls’ football, with some delivered through external providers.

The key implication for families is that pupils can build a “second identity” beyond classroom attainment, whether that is performance, sport, coding, or a language pathway. For pupils who arrive in Year 3 needing to find their feet socially, the variety of clubs provides structured ways to find peers and confidence quickly.

There is also evidence of community-facing activity through music and local events, including choir participation in local festivals and community performances.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the usual extras such as uniform, trips, and optional clubs.

Start and finish routines are clearly timed: gates open at 08:40 and close at 08:50, with end-of-day release times varying by year group (Year 3 at 15:30; Year 4 at 15:25; Years 5 and 6 at 15:20).

Wraparound care is available through an on-site provider, Junior Adventures Group, offering breakfast and after-school clubs during term time. Exact session times, pricing, and booking processes are managed by the provider and can change, so families should check the current provider information before relying on wraparound availability.

For travel, most families will be arriving from the Ewell and Epsom area. Journeys typically involve walking, cycling, or short car trips, and drop-off planning matters because junior schools often have tighter peak-time congestion than parents expect. If you are considering driving, it is worth stress-testing the route at the relevant time of day.

• Reading catch-up precision. The published inspection narrative flags that support for weaker readers needs to be more precise so that pupils who have fallen behind catch up quickly enough. Families with a child who needs structured reading intervention should ask specifically how the school identifies gaps, what the intervention looks like, and how progress is reviewed.

• SEND profiling and consistency. The same inspection narrative highlights that leaders did not yet have an accurate enough overview of the specific needs of pupils with SEND, and that classroom adaptation was not always consistent. If your child has SEND, ask how individual plans are created, how teachers are briefed, and how quality is monitored across classes.

• Year 3 entry is a step-change. Joining at Year 3 can be a positive reset, but it also means settling into a junior-school culture, routines, and expectations at the same time as forming new friendships. Families should consider how their child manages transitions and whether an autumn-term tour helps reduce uncertainty.

• Competition can be distance-led. Surrey’s community admissions approach typically allocates remaining places by straight-line distance once priority categories are applied. If you are outside comfortable walking distance, do not assume a place will be available without checking the relevant year’s allocation information.

Wallace Fields Junior School stands out for the combination of very strong Key Stage 2 outcomes, a clear values framework, and a clubs programme with unusual breadth for a state junior school. It best suits families who want an academically focused junior setting where expectations are explicit, pupils take on responsibility, and enrichment is available across music, sport, languages and coding. The practical challenge is that Year 3 entry is coordinated and can become distance-led when oversubscribed, so shortlisting should be paired with careful planning around admissions timelines and realistic travel routines.