Trinity St Mary’s CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Trinity St Mary's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Trinity St Mary's is a place where pupils and children are happy and looked after. Pupils enjoy their lessons.

They like how the school's themed weeks, for example, 'detective week', are fun and help them to remember their learning. Pupils know that their teachers will support them to do their best, even when they find learning tricky. Pupils enjoy reading.

Many take part in the school's 'book bingo' initiative. Children in the early years, including the pre-school, are confident, resilient individuals who are enthusiastic about... their learning.

Pupils live up to the school's values.

This is shown by their dedication to learning and kindness to others. If there is a problem on the playground or in class, it is sorted out by pupils themselves, or by adults if needed. Pupils trust adults to look after them.

Bullying is rarely an issue, as most pupils behave well. In class, pupils enjoy the challenge of learning. It is not often that learning is disrupted by poor behaviour.

In every year group, pupils experience a range of different clubs, trips and visits. These include activities such as 'newspaper club', public speaking and archery. Pupils have a range of opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as the school council.

There is something for everyone to get involved in.

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

The new headteacher and her team have recently reviewed the school's curriculum. On the whole, this has been successful.

Curriculum documents are now organised to ensure that learning is structured in a way that helps pupils to get better at subjects and grow their knowledge. The curriculum in most areas highlights the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and when. In art, for instance, the documents show how the knowledge of drawing starts in early years and builds as pupils get older so they become confident and fluent in this aspect.

Teachers design activities matched closely to the important content pupils need to know to achieve well.

There are some instances, however, where this work is not complete. In these cases, the plans are about activities rather than the detail of the knowledge pupils need to learn.

This means that, sometimes, pupils are given tasks that do not support them to learn what they should.

A well-planned early years curriculum links cohesively to the curriculum in other year groups. Early mathematics, for instance, enables children to build the necessary knowledge for Year 1.

Adults use talk and play to reinforce learning effectively. Children's early reading fluency is supported to grow through exposure to regular stories, songs and rhymes.

Many staff are new to the school.

Leaders ensure that they are well supported to understand the intended curriculum. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and quickly spot misconceptions.

Staff know the academic and emotional needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Adults support pupils with SEND well in the classroom. Teachers' checks on learning help to identify any pupils falling behind. Leaders make sure that pupils who need to catch up get the support they need.

The reading curriculum has recently been redesigned. A new phonics scheme is in place and used effectively by well-trained adults. Children in the early years are taught how to read accurately.

New systems ensure that pupils who have fallen behind are spotted quickly so that effective catch-up support is put in place. Pupils read a range of books suited to their needs. A renewed focus on the vocabulary of older pupils supports pupils to become more confident to understand and interpret texts.

Behaviour is positive in the school. Staff and pupils have high expectations of how pupils should behave. Effective support helps pupils to manage their emotions.

This includes having people to talk to if they have a worry or are finding parts of school life hard.

The personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) curriculum covers the essential knowledge pupils need to be healthy, happy members of the community. The PSHE curriculum is reactive to the needs of pupils.

It is adjusted, for instance, to respond to any occasional behaviour concerns so that pupils are equipped with the skills to manage any tricky friendship issues.

Leaders use a range of support, including from governors and the local authority, to help them to improve the school's curriculum, although some curriculum leaders are still getting to grips with how to continue to improve their areas. Leaders have managed the curriculum changes carefully to ensure they do not result in excessive workload for staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Effective safeguarding training ensures that all staff, including in the pre-school, know how to spot if a pupil or child is at risk of harm. Staff understand the processes for reporting concerns.

Issues are dealt with quickly and appropriately by safeguarding leaders. Safeguarding records show that leaders use a range of agencies and support to give pupils and their families help.

There are appropriate checks on adults who come into contact with pupils in the school.

Aspects of the school site are shared with the local primary school, which is next door. Site security is managed well so that pupils are not at risk.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of instances, curriculum documentation focuses on activities rather than well-sequenced subject knowledge.

In these cases, it is harder for teachers to support pupils to get better and grow their knowledge consistently over time. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum plans identify the important knowledge that pupils need to know and provide the necessary detail for teachers to plan pupils' learning effectively. ? Some subject leaders are new to their role, and their work has only just started.

They are just getting to grips with what works best in their curriculum areas and what needs to improve further. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum leaders access high-quality training and development so that they can evaluate and implement the intended curriculum successfully.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2012.

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