Holy Trinity CofE Infant School

Holy Trinity CofE Infant School Inspection report

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Age group 3–7 Inspection date(s) 01–02 March 2012 Inspection number 380278 Unique Reference Number 121598 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 380278 Inspection dates 1–2 March 2012 Lead inspector Andrew Morley

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 221 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair K Davill Headteacher Sandra Langley Date of previous school inspection 9 July 2009 School address Trinity Lane Ripon HG4 2AL Telephone number 01765 603911 Fax number Email address admin@holytrinity-inf.n-yorks.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Andrew Morley Anne Firth Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors observed 12 lessons and parts of lessons, taught by 11 teachers, including an advanced teaching assistant. Meetings were held with pupils, two members of the governing body, subject leaders and senior staff. The inspector observed the school's work, and looked at pupils’ workbooks, internal and external pupils' progress data, school improvement planning and documentation in relation to safeguarding and child protection. The inspector also took account of 89 questionnaires returned by parents and carers, 99 completed by children in Early Years Foundation Stage and pupils in Key Stage 1 and 20 returned by teaching and support staff. No responses to the on- line questionnaire (Parent View) were available when planning the inspection.

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Information about the school

This is an average size infant school. Most pupils are of White British heritage. However, because some are from military backgrounds high numbers of pupils join and leave the school other than at the usual times. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language are low. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is very low. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. The school has achieved the Activemark and Healthy School status. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is a good school that is becoming increasingly consistent in all aspects of its practice. The school is well led and managed resulting in pupils' good behaviour an effective curriculum and pupils' good overall achievement and above average attainment by the end of Year 2. The school is not outstanding because aspects of teaching, Early Years Foundation Stage provision and subject leadership require further improvement.

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Key Findings

 The quality of teaching is good. However, pupils in the Early Years Foundation Stage need more opportunities to initiate and explore learning for themselves. Teaching has many strengths and the relationships pupils have with each other and with the adults who work with them are strong. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive well-focused, additional support and make good progress. Occasionally, work set by teachers does not fully match pupils' needs and this particularly affects the achievement of the more able pupils.

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Key Findings

 Pupils' behaviour is typically good. They are very polite, respectful and look after each other. Disruptive incidents seldom occur. All groups of pupils spoke confidently and said that they felt very safe. They say that bullying does not happen and are confident that staff deal with any worries or concerns they raise. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance is improving and is now consistently average.

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Key Findings

 Leadership is good. There is a clarity of vision and expectation that is shared by all staff and the governing body. Senior leaders' effective development planning and astute performance management ensure consistent improvements. Whilst most subject leaders have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and its self-evaluation, some have yet to be fully involved in driving improvement in their particular area.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching is always good or better by:  all staff better using the outcomes of assessment information to inform planning  providing activities that are more closely matched to individual needs, particularly for the more able pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly in the Reception classes, with more opportunities to initiate and explore learning for themselves.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership by ensuring all subject leaders have the opportunity to evaluate and monitor performance, and improve outcomes in their areas of responsibility.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils are motivated, enthusiastic and keen to learn. They cooperate well with staff and each other, and engage well in lessons. They have good information and communication technology (ICT) skills and use computers with confidence. For their age they are very skilled in pair and group work, supporting each other in their learning. The work in pupils’ books, observations of lessons and school tracking data show that pupils are generally making good progress from their starting points. However, when expectations and tasks are not as precisely matched to pupils' different abilities, their progress is satisfactory rather than good, especially that of the more able pupils.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills in communication, language, literacy and mathematics which are typical of those expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress and start Year 1 with appropriate skills and knowledge in all areas of learning. Their progress accelerates and by the end of Key Stage 1, pupils' attainment is above average overall, with the strongest performance in reading and mathematics. Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language make the same good progress as their peers because of the focused support they receive. The sensitive and effective support provided for pupils from service families who join the school part-way through a key stage, ensures that they settle in quickly, enjoy learning and achieve well.

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Achievement of pupils

Reading has a high priority in the school and there is significant support provided by pupils' parents and carers. Lessons about letters and the sounds they make are taught systematically on a daily basis. Pupils are very enthusiastic about reading and enjoy the many opportunities that the school provides, both within class and at home. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in reading is above average with many pupils displaying high levels of fluency and most can read complex vocabulary. Pupils cooperate well in lessons, are keen to contribute and take pride in their own and others' success. Pupils are very motivated and work hard in lessons because of the use of stimulating resources, including ICT, which they find interesting. Pupils’ good application of their basic skills across many areas of school life shows they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement of pupils

The vast majority of parents and carers who returned the questionnaires are happy with the progress their children are making. As one parent commented, ‘Since my children started school they have developed much more quickly than I would have expected.’ Parents and carers are correct in their view of their children's progress.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is good overall, with staff and pupils working together to ensure that classrooms are interesting and stimulating environments in which to learn. In the best lessons, the focus for learning is engaging and relevant. Teachers’ subject knowledge is a strength and together with a well-planned curriculum contributes to pupils' good progress in most lessons. Teachers are very skilled in providing opportunities for pupils to connect their learning across subjects and precise questioning challenges pupils to think deeply. For example, in a Year 2 class, pupils enjoyed an activity to develop their creative language, and at the same time used computers to develop their knowledge about animal habitats. Where lessons are less effective, pupils are sometimes given the same task, therefore, not providing fully for individual learning needs. In particular, the level of challenge was not always

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Quality of teaching

appropriate to maximise the achievement of more-able pupils. On occasions, therefore, these pupils receive work which does not require them to think deeply enough about the subject. However, improved assessment to track pupils’ on-going progress leads to school leaders spotting underachievement quickly. Pupils are very thoughtful about their work and can articulate how well they are doing. Much of the feedback to pupils is oral but they respond well to their teachers' written comments on how to improve their work.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers use the planned curriculum to ensure pupils have the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills across a range of subjects. Teaching promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively and mutual respect abounds. The majority of questionnaires returned by parents and carers understandably reflected their high level of satisfaction with the quality of teaching their children receive.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

This is a very caring school in which all pupils are valued. Pupils say with confidence that they are safe in school and that their classmates, and the adults who work with them look after them well. The great majority of parents and carers who returned the questionnaires expressed the view that their children believe they are safe and well cared for in school. A typical comment was, ‘We have not had any issues with bullying; my child is very happy at school and has developed good friendships.’ Pupils are aware of different types of bullying and there is no evidence of it happening. Pupils appreciate the emphasis the school places on their safety and happiness and make particular mention of the support they receive from adults when they have worries or are unhappy. This is aided by the good health promotion and personal development work throughout the school.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils and parents and carers confirm that behaviour in and out of lessons is typically good. The playground, which is very small for the number of pupils, presents a particular difficulty. However, pupils are very careful to ensure that they play safely, and as one child said, ‘You have to be careful so that no one gets hurt’. There is a very small minority of pupils who have particular behavioural difficulties. These are understood by the other pupils who are supportive and help them comply with rules and expectations. Pupils are happy, confident and secure and this is reflected in their average attendance.

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Leadership and management

All staff, the governing body, parents and carers share a strong vision to improve all aspects of the school's work. Staff speak of the importance of team work and this is evident in the way in which all staff work together to support pupils. Accurate and honest self-evaluation and an overriding commitment, shared by all staff, to further raise pupils' attainment and achievement means that the school is well placed to secure further improvement. The capacity to improve further is, therefore, good. The school leadership has a very secure knowledge of strengths and areas for improvement within teaching. Detailed feedback on lesson observations and the emphasis on focused professional development continue to improve the quality of teaching across the school. Feedback within lesson monitoring is clearly focused to the progress of pupils, at the individual, group and class level. Leaders are able to identify any underachievement rapidly and provide good support to ensure that

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Leadership and management

pupils come back on track to meet their targets.

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Leadership and management

Senior leaders are very aware of strengths and areas that need further improvement. There are good examples of leaders promoting improvements in particular areas, for example, in mathematics and more recently in writing. However, currently not all subject leaders fully take the initiative to lead improvements. The governing body is fully supportive of the school’s development and members are beginning to challenge leaders with increasing rigour. The school promotes equality of opportunity well and has effective strategies to tackle discrimination. Safeguarding and child protection arrangements are secure, regularly reviewed and fully meet requirements. Engagement and communication with parents and carers are good, and as a result, an overwhelming proportion of parents and carers appreciate the dedication and contribution of the school and its staff.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is broad and balanced and provides pupils with a good variety of extra-curricular and enrichment activities, which are popular and well attended. The curriculum is further enhanced by the regular ‘Carousel Days’ which are greatly appreciated by pupils. Pupils spoke with great enthusiasm about their involvement in a music and arts festival at the cathedral, and their many visits, such as to a local farm. The key skills of reading, writing and numeracy are appropriately prioritised within the curriculum. The quality of pupils' writing is improving. This is because they now have more opportunities to develop their writing across subjects. The impact of the curriculum on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils benefit from good partnerships with a range of outside agencies, the local school cluster and links with the local junior school. The school is very active within

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Leadership and management

the Ripon and Rural Learning Partnership. The school reaches out to meet the needs of its community and the parish is very much involved. Links with the service families have been strengthened by the establishment of a Service Family Support Group. This provides outstanding care for a group of pupils and their families whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the la test published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Holy Trinity CofE Infant School, Ripon – HG4 2AL

Thank you for the friendly welcome you gave the team and for being so polite and kind when we inspected your school. We enjoyed meeting you and seeing you enjoying learning and the many interesting things you do.

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Inspection of Holy Trinity CofE Infant School, Ripon – HG4 2AL

The inspectors judge that your school is good and that you are making good progress. Your teachers are working to help you in your learning and it was pleasing to see the improvement that you have made and that you are enjoying doing your topic work. You are doing really well with your reading and the help you are getting from home is clear from what your parents and carers write in your reading records. Your behaviour in class is good and even though your playground is quite small you play well together. We very much liked the way in which you made sure that everyone was cared for. You know how to stay safe and many of you told us how much your teachers care about you.

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Inspection of Holy Trinity CofE Infant School, Ripon – HG4 2AL

The headteacher, staff and governors are working to help you do even better. To help them in this we have asked them to ensure that those of you in the Reception classes have more opportunities to explore learning by yourselves and with your friends. Also we have asked the teachers to make sure that the work they give you, especially those of you find learning easier than most, is challenging so that you have to work really hard. We have also asked that some of the teachers who are in charge of subjects do even more to make sure you all achieve as well as you can.  Once again, thank you for making us so welcome. You are all a credit to your school. Keep on being kind to each other, help your teachers and work hard.

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Inspection of Holy Trinity CofE Infant School, Ripon – HG4 2AL

Andrew Morley Lead Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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