Holy Trinity Primary School, A Church of England Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well and enjoy school.

They are enthusiastic learners when lessons are engaging. They work and play happily together. The behaviour of a minority of pupils sometimes disrupts lessons and breaktimes.

This can make pupils feel unsafe. Some pupils have reported discriminatory name-calling. Not all are confident that staff will help if they report this.

Leaders have begun to put strategies in place to improve behaviour and attitudes. However, more work is needed to ensure these strategies have a positive impact on the behaviour and attitudes of all pupils.

Leaders and governors want pupils to achieve well.

They have provided a... curriculum that is broad and ambitious. However, pupils do not always learn what leaders intend. Learning does not consistently match the planned curriculum.

Many subject leaders are new to the role. They have begun to review the impact of the curriculum and provide support for colleagues. This work is in its early stages and needs more time to take effect.

Many pupils attend a range of after-school clubs. These include bhangra dance, boys' and girls' football, art, gardening and sewing. Pupils in key stage 2 learn to play two different musical instruments and are able to join the school choir.

They enjoy performing for parents and carers and the local community. Pupils each learn a different poem to recite at the annual poetry festival. Pupils have opportunities to take on leadership roles.

These include school council, worship leaders and eco-warriors.

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

Leaders have put a carefully considered curriculum in place in most subjects. They have identified the skills and knowledge they want pupils to learn.

They intend to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. For example, in history, pupils learn about equality for women through their study of the suffragettes.

Pupils' learning is variable.

Sometimes they learn well. For example, some pupils' artwork demonstrates techniques such as shading, line and form. In mathematics, teachers recap learning at the start of lessons to help pupils remember more.

However, pupils do not always learn and remember the curriculum well enough. Sometimes teachers do not match what they teach to the intended curriculum. They do not have high expectations for all learners.

As a result, some pupils become distracted and lose concentration. Subject leaders are passionate and knowledgeable about the subjects they lead. They are getting to grips with providing support for colleagues.

Leaders have made reading for pleasure a priority. Teachers read to pupils every day. Pupils are excited to take the 'bedtime reading box', containing a familiar book and a hot chocolate sachet, home.

Teachers make sure pupils learn phonic sounds through accurate modelling and repetition. Reading books match the sounds they know. This helps them to develop confidence and fluency in reading.

Pupils who need to catch up receive some help to do so. However, this is not consistent enough for them to catch up quickly. Leaders are introducing a new phonics scheme in September 2023.

Leaders have put plans in place to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Sometimes teachers follow these plans so all pupils are included in learning. However, pupils do not always get the help they need to be successful.

Leaders seek help from outside agencies to support pupils who struggle to regulate their behaviour. They know they need to do more work to train staff in providing effective support.

Leaders have started to make improvements to early years.

The curriculum is ambitious. The classrooms are carefully organised to focus on all areas of learning. Leaders have identified communication and language development as a priority.

However, adults do not consistently interact with children in ways that help them to benefit from the curriculum. As a result, some children are not ready for the next stage of learning.

A small number of the older pupils get into fights.

This makes other pupils feel uncomfortable. Leaders have introduced a new policy to improve pupils' behaviour. They have made changes to breaktimes and to the physical outdoor space.

This has had some impact. However, some staff do not have the skills and confidence to manage more challenging behaviour effectively.

Leaders work hard to improve attendance.

They have introduced rewards for good attendance. They work with outside agencies to support families. Although there has been some improvement, attendance is still too low.

Too many families take extended holidays during term time. This has a negative impact on learning, personal development and behaviour and attitudes for some pupils.

Teachers read books that feature diversity and protected characteristics to pupils.

Pupils in Years 5 and 6 discuss the issues that these raise. Leaders share the school's vision of LIGHT (love, inspiration, growth, hope and thankfulness) with pupils through acts of collective worship. However, a minority of pupils do not demonstrate an understanding of fundamental British values such as tolerance and respect for others.

Governors and trustees check the information they receive from leaders. They make frequent visits to school. This gives them a clear view of much of the schools' performance.

However, they do not have a wholly realistic view of the impact of some aspects of the school's work. This limits their effectiveness in holding leaders to account. Leaders provide a range of training for staff.

They are mindful of staff's workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders make appropriate checks to make sure staff are suitable to work with children.

Staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates. They are alert to signs that pupils may be at risk and know how to report concerns. Leaders take swift action and seek help from outside agencies when necessary.

Leaders are aware they need to do more work to ensure that staff report all incidents of discriminatory name-calling.

Leaders make sure that pupils receive the information they need to stay safe. They arrange visits from agencies such as the Canals and Rivers Trust and the Road and Fire Safety Teams.

Leaders provide useful information for parents to help them keep their children safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation and monitoring of the curriculum have not been consistently effective. As a result, pupils do not always learn and remember what leaders intend.

Leaders need to set clear expectations for effective curriculum implementation, provide support and training for staff where needed and measure the impact on pupils' learning with vigour. ? Staff do not follow leaders' plans to support pupils with SEND consistently. Leaders need to ensure that strategies and interventions that have been designed to support pupils with SEND are fully in place and that all staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to implement them.

• Interactions between staff and children in the early years do not consistently promote learning and the development of communication and language. This limits children's opportunities for extended thinking. Leaders should ensure that the development of vocabulary and facilitation of learning through high-quality interactions are consistent.

• Adults do not have high enough expectations of pupils' behaviour. They do not apply the behaviour policy clearly and consistently and pupils do not always receive appropriate guidance. As a result, behaviour in lessons and at unstructured times of day is inconsistent and, for some pupils, is inappropriate.

Leaders should ensure that all staff are trained to follow the agreed behaviour policy consistently and that a culture of high expectations is embedded. ? Some aspects of the schools' personal development work do not match the needs of pupils. Leaders are not always aware of how some pupils treat each other.

As a result, some groups of pupils do not show tolerance and respect for others and discriminatory language and attitudes are present in some year groups. Leaders need to urgently review the personal development work of the school, including the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum to ensure it is relevant in preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. In addition, they need to make sure that staff report all incidents of discriminatory language and attitudes.