Holy Trinity Catholic Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The virtues of respect, resilience, reconciliation, care, compassion and courage underpin everything that happens at this school.

Pupils know these virtues and understand what they mean. They say that these help them to work hard, be good friends and get the most out of being at school. As one pupil told an inspector: 'This is a fun place where memories are made.'



Pupils take on a vast range of roles and responsibilities. These include being 'Respect Rangers', 'Agents for Change', 'International Ambassadors', 'Take 5' Ambassadors' and 'Peer Mentors', to mention but a few. The school makes sure that no pupils miss out.

Pupils take their roles seriou...sly. They wear their vast array of badges with pride.

Behaviour is highly positive.

Pupils appreciate the many rewards on offer, including 'STAR awards', 'Mission awards', house points and being selected for the weekly celebration assembly. Pupils know that the 'Holy Trinity Way' expects them to show smart sitting, use magnet eyes, have hands still and be ready to listen and learn.

Relationships between staff and pupils are consistently positive.

Pupils' views are listened to and acted upon. As a result, pupils are kept safe, are well-looked after and cared for.

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

The school has designed and implemented a phonics programme that is comprehensive.

It is taught well. Pupils quickly learn the sounds that different letters make. They use these to read new and increasingly challenging books.

As a result, pupils soon become fluent readers. Beyond phonics, pupils benefit from a well organised reading curriculum. They study a wide range of texts and genres over time.

They develop a love of reading. They say that the weekly 'Book Club' sessions and daily story time inspire them to read more widely.

Across all subjects, the school's curriculum is well planned and sequenced.

It makes clear what pupils are expected to know and remember at each stage of their education. Content builds cumulatively on what has been taught before. In the vast majority of cases, pupils have an impressive recall of what they have learned.

However, there are some minor inconsistencies in how well the curriculum is taught. In a small number of cases, teachers do not teach the curriculum in its entirety. In other cases, the lessons that teachers plan do not align sharply enough to what is set out in the curriculum.

As a result, in a small number of places, pupils do not know and remember what they should.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. They get the help that they need to learn the same curriculum as their peers.

Staff know when and how to intervene. They know when to step back to help pupils to become more independent.Children in the early years benefit from a meticulously planned and sequenced curriculum.

Staff have a detailed knowledge of how well children are getting on. Any that need help to keep up are well supported. Across all early years classes, children are happy, busy and well-cared for.

Pupils' personal development is well catered for. The school provides a broad range of experiences that contribute to developing pupils' cultural awareness. The school's curriculums for personal social and health education (PSHE) and relationships and health education are well structured.

Staff have been trained to deliver these well.

Leaders and those responsible for governance know their school. They recognise what is working effectively and identify the right priorities for improvement.

Leaders have created a united staff team. During recent, critical building works, the leadership of the school has showed true grit and determination. They united the school's community to minimise the impact of the disruption this has caused.

The school has a large proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language. These pupils are well catered for in lessons. However, the school does not monitor the learning of this group closely enough.

It does not evaluate how those at different stages of acquiring English are getting on. This means that they are unable to identify and address any emerging trends or patterns.

The school experienced significant staffing turbulence during the 2022 to 2023 year.

Much of this was directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This has now stabilised. However, this, along with a high level of pupils leaving and joining the school during the year, contributed to low outcomes in the 2023 national assessments.

Current pupils are in a much stronger position. They are achieving well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of cases, teachers do not teach the full planned curriculum. This results in some minor gaps that have emerged in what pupils know and remember. The school should ensure that the curriculum is taught in its entirety and that pupils know and remember the full range of content.

• Occasionally, teachers teach content that, while related, does not align precisely with the intent of the curriculum. This results in pupils missing out on some of the intended knowledge. The school should ensure that the lessons that teachers plan align precisely to the intent of the curriculum.

The school does not evaluate closely enough how those at different stages of acquiring English are getting on. This means that the school is unable to identify and address any emerging trends or patterns. The school should ensure that it closely monitors how pupils who are at different stages of acquiring English get on and progress through the curriculum and make adjustments where required.