Leatherhead Trinity School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Leatherhead Trinity School and Nursery has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their time at Leatherhead Trinity School and Nursery. From the moment they enter this inclusive school, they experience a warm and caring welcome. This is because staff develop positive relationships with pupils and their families.

Parents and carers value greatly the support their children receive. One parent, summing up the views of many said, 'The team at the school build a clear sense of community and belonging while delivering high standards of education for our children.'

The school is ...ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils with SEND receive the support they need to access the curriculum and succeed academically and in other areas of school life. Pupils live up to the school's high expectations for their achievement, attitudes and behaviour. Overall, they achieve well.

There is a purposeful atmosphere in classrooms and corridors. Pupils know that adults will help them to resolve any worries or issues. This helps pupils feel safe.

Playtimes are active, busy and full of fun because pupils get along.

Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, pursue their hobbies and interests in clubs, such as photography, martial arts and choir. They relish their leadership roles as house captains, prefects and librarians.

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

The school has high expectations for its staff and pupils. It continually seeks improvements which are in the best interests of pupils. The school has made key changes to the curriculum design and delivery recently.

Across subjects, the important knowledge that pupils should learn, including in early years, is set out clearly. Where pupils join school at different points in the academic year, including some who speak English as an additional language, staff are quick to adapt the curriculum accordingly. This helps ensure that these pupils secure their core skills in reading, writing and mathematics.

Consequently, pupils look forward to their lessons, enjoy their learning and display positive attitudes towards their work.

Teachers benefit from effective professional development. They present information clearly and model learning well.

For example, in early years, teachers make sure that children engage in learning to develop their communication, language and mathematical skills. Teachers identify promptly pupils with SEND, including for pupils in the specially resourced centre. They monitor closely how well these pupils are progressing through the curriculum.

In the main, teachers ensure that pupils connect their learning over time. However, in some subjects, teachers do not help pupils revisit what they have learned previously to support their current work. This means that pupils do not make links in their learning.

As a result, they do not secure their knowledge and understanding as well as they could.

Reading is the cornerstone of the curriculum. Staff take every opportunity to read and share stories with pupils.

They make sure that pupils experience the wonder of books by providing them with a wide range of diverse texts. This promotes pupils' understanding of different cultures and diversity. Children in early years, are introduced to letters and the sounds they make from the very start.

Books match to the sounds that pupils are taught and help them practise their phonics. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to help them catch up. However, some staff do not deliver the school's phonics programme effectively.

They do not check and address key gaps and misconceptions in pupils' phonics knowledge well enough. Where this happens, some pupils do not learn to read quickly and with fluency.

The school has raised its expectations for pupils' behaviour.

Staff apply these consistently. The school works effectively with families of those pupils whose behaviour or attendance needs to improve. As a result, the number of suspensions is reducing, and pupils' attendance is moving from strength to strength.

The school provides well for pupils' personal development. Pupils learn about fundamental British values and why they are important. They debate topics such as mutual respect and individual liberty with thought and consideration.

Pupils also learn important life lessons on topics, such as healthy relationships and online safety. They enjoy a wide range of activities that extend their learning beyond the classroom. These include trips to museums, London, art galleries and the zoo.

Pupils go out of the way to collect donations for charities they support, including in different parts of the world. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.Governors understand and fulfil their roles well, providing effective support and challenge to the school.

Staff feel listened to and supported. They value leaders' understanding of their well-being and are positive over consultations that take place prior to any changes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some staff do not check and address key gaps and misconceptions in pupils' phonics knowledge well enough. Where this happens, pupils do not learn to read with fluency. The school should ensure that staff develop the expertise they need to identify and address any misconceptions that pupils may have so that pupils learn to read quickly.

• In some foundation subjects, teachers do not ensure that pupils use their previous learning to help them in their current work. Consequently, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should make sure that teachers provide pupils opportunities to make links in their learning over time and across the curriculum, so that they secure the important knowledge they need to know well.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019.

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