Holy Trinity Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this welcoming and inclusive school. The school's values of 'respect, peace, generosity, justice, resilience and thankfulness' underpin all aspects of school life. This helps to shape pupils' character.

As a result, pupils treat everyone equally and fairly.

Pupils are happy and feel safe. They understand how to keep themselves safe online.

Pupils enjoy positive relationships with staff and each other. They know that adults look out for everyone and trust them to listen and act quickly if any worries or concerns arise. Pupils are courteous, well mannered and behave well in lessons.

The school has high ambitions for its pupil...s. They rise to these expectations. Pupils demonstrate that they are resilient and work hard.

Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well and are well prepared for their next stage.

The school develops pupils' interests and skills through extra-curricular clubs and activities, such as netball, cricket and construction. Older pupils are encouraged to think about their future careers.

Pupils are active members of the school community. They raise money for different causes, such as raising funds for a new netball kit or by supporting local and national charities.

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

The school has experienced a period of turbulence, which included changes to senior staff.

The new headteacher has brought stability and ambition to the school. This has led to significant improvements, particularly in mathematics, where staff implement the curriculum effectively.

The school has recently strengthened the curriculum so that it is ambitious, broad and rich with vocabulary.

It has identified the precise knowledge pupils should learn and remember from the early years to Year 6. Many pupils speak English as an additional language. The school has thought carefully about the needs of these pupils, especially if they are new to the country.

This enables pupils to develop their language and settle into the school community quickly.

Pupils develop their knowledge well in most subjects. In history, for example, pupils use their understanding of chronology well to make links between different time periods.

In mathematics, older pupils use their knowledge of graphs and charts to solve more complex problems confidently. However, in some areas of the curriculum, pupils' knowledge is less secure. Assessment is not used well enough to check on what pupils know.

As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not learn the curriculum as well as they could.

The school prioritises reading. Pupils enjoy reading books from the two school libraries and class reading areas.

Children learn to read as soon as they start in the early years. There is an effective support programme in place to help those who fall behind or who join the school mid-year. Staff carefully match reading books to pupils' stages of reading.

This enables pupils to build their fluency and confidence in reading.

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff understand how to break down barriers to learning so that most pupils progress through the curriculum well.

For example, teachers use Makaton effectively to support pupils with limited communication.

Children in Reception Year listen carefully and follow instructions well. Staff develop children's communication and language skills by carefully modelling ambitious vocabulary.

This enables children to use words such as 'hydrated' when talking about how to stay safe in the sun. As a result, most children are well prepared for key stage 1.

Pupils of all ages play well together during social times.

They know the school rules and follow them well. As a result, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere across the school. The school has robust systems in place for pupil attendance.

It works closely with parents and carers where attendance is a concern. Consequently, pupils attend school regularly.

The curriculum for pupils' personal, social and health education is designed well.

It closely aligns to the school's values and makes effective use of the school's diverse cultural community. Pupils learn about the importance of tolerance and respect for different faiths because of this. Older pupils know how to maintain their physical and mental health.

As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governors have an accurate view of the school's strengths and priorities for development. They use their knowledge to hold the school to account for its actions.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the opportunities they have to work with other schools, which helps them to teach the curriculum effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some wider curriculum subjects, the school does not use assessment effectively. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall previous learning and do not build knowledge well. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively in order to check what pupils know and remember across all subjects.

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