Hoylake Holy Trinity CofE Primary School

Hoylake Holy Trinity CE Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 21–22 March 2012 Inspection number 377172 Unique Reference Number 105063 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 377172 Inspection dates 21–22 March 2012 Lead inspector Diane Auton

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 221 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Evans Headteacher Peter Ham / Catherine O'Neill Edwards Date of previous school inspection 27 September 2006 School address Market Street Hoylake Wirral CH47 3BH Telephone number 0151 6324153 Fax number 0151 6320886 Email address schooloffice@hoylakeholytrinity.wirral.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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Introduction

Diane Auton Jean O'Neill Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors visited 10 teachers in their classrooms and observed 13 lessons. They listened to pupils read and observed the teaching of letters and sounds in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1. They held meetings with members of the governing body, staff, groups of pupils, parents and carers. The inspectors observed the school's work and looked at a number of documents, including the school development plan, safeguarding and equality policies and minutes of the governing body meetings. Parents and carers have not yet responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in sufficient numbers, so their views have not yet been summarised on the Parent View website. However, inspectors reviewed information provided by parents and carers in 51 completed questionnaires. They also took into account the views of pupils in Key Stage 2 and those of staff expressed in the questionnaires they

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Information about the school

The school is slightly smaller than most other primary schools, although numbers on roll have risen since the time of the previous inspection. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is slightly below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs is average. Most pupils are White British, with a very small proportion from other ethnic backgrounds, and most speak English as their home language. The school meets the current government floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

A new headteacher was appointed in 2008. Since its previous inspection, the school has experienced an extended period of significant turbulence in staffing and in leadership. This has included both personnel changes and long-term health-related absences; some of the latter are still ongoing. Since January, a temporary leadership team has been in place, with an acting headteacher and an acting deputy headteacher recruited from the school’s teaching staff. Since the previous inspection, the school has achieved a number of externally verified awards, including Healthy School status, the Green Flag Eco Award, the International Eco-standards Award and the Basic Skills Quality Mark. The governing body has achieved the Financial Management in Schools Standard.

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Information about the school

Pre-school provision and a before- and after-school club are provided on site by an independent company. The school also shares its site with a children’s centre. All of these provisions are subject to separate inspection by Ofsted and reports are available on the Ofsted website. 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

 The school’s overall effectiveness is satisfactory. It is not good largely because of the ongoing turbulence in staffing and in leadership, which has had a destabilising impact on outcomes. As a result, the quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school and overall achievement is satisfactory.

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Key Findings

 Children’s skills are at the expected levels for their age group when they join the Reception classes. They make a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and achieve well. Currently, progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 is satisfactory and attainment by the end of Year 6 and across the school is broadly in line with age-related expectations.    Teaching is satisfactory overall with some good features seen in lessons during the inspection. Where teaching is satisfactory pupils are not sufficiently engaged by the content of lessons and the level of challenge is not high enough, especially for more-able pupils. In these lessons the rate of pupils’ progress is slower than it might be.   Pupils feel safe and secure in school. The temporary leadership team has worked very hard to ensure that day-to-day management of the school runs smoothly and that pupils are safe, happy and well cared for. Behaviour is good

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Key Findings

and pupils are considerate of others. They apply themselves well in lessons even when activities do not fully engage their interests.

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Key Findings

 Systems to manage performance and provide the essential information to lead the school forward have weakened over time. This means the school has been unclear about priorities and what needs most attention. The temporary leadership team has started to monitor pupils’ progress through formal termly reviews. Monitoring of teaching is in place but is not sufficiently rigorous and hence shortcomings remain. These recent improvements are starting to become effective but are not fully developed or embedded. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

  Improve teaching to good and better and raise achievement in Key Stages 1 and 2 by:  making the monitoring of teaching more rigorous and resolving identified shortcomings  ensuring teaching is consistently stimulating and provides sufficient challenge for more-able pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  strengthening the school’s systems for tracking and reviewing pupils’ progress and using the information to identify and address areas of underachievement  ensuring all leaders and the governing body make more efficient use of all information available to gain a clear overview of how well the school is doing and areas most needing attention  ensuring that the school development plan provides effective strategic direction and that priorities and actions are sharply focused on raising achievement.  

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Achievement of pupils

In the Early Years Foundation Stage learning is effective and children settle in quickly and develop interest, curiosity and positive attitudes to learning. Good teaching and a lively curriculum in the Reception classes enable them to make good progress so that they are confident learners when they join Key Stage 1. Regular, well targeted teaching of letters and the sounds they make is giving younger pupils the tools they need to move their learning forward.

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Achievement of pupils

Learning in lessons in Key Stage 1 and 2 is satisfactory and often better because pupils are responsive and apply themselves diligently to their work. They listen carefully to instructions, work well with a partner or in a group, discuss and share ideas collaboratively. They are able to present their ideas confidently and articulately in discussions. Where teaching is satisfactory, however, progress in lessons slows and pupils lose concentration because there is insufficient interest to sustain their enthusiasm. Evidence from the school’s assessment data, from lesson observations and from scrutiny of work in pupils’ books all confirmed that progress and achievement are satisfactory in Key Stages 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. More-able pupils do not always make enough progress. Attainment across the school is broadly average. Teachers are starting to build on pupils’ early reading skills so that they are becoming more skilled at tackling new words. Many

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Achievement of pupils

read with interest and enjoyment. Attainment in reading by the end of the Key Stage 1 and by the time pupils leave school is broadly average. Pupils with special educational needs and those with disabilities make satisfactory and sometimes good progress, as a result of the well targeted support the school provides for them. Overall, the majority of parents’ and carers’ responses indicated that they are happy with their children’s progress and attainment, indicating that they may not be fully aware of pupils’ current levels of achievement in the school.

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Quality of teaching

In their responses, most parents and carers indicate that they are pleased with the quality of teaching provided for their children. However, although inspectors identified several strengths in teaching, they found that it is satisfactory overall. This was because its quality is inconsistent across the school. In some lessons, pupils’ interests are not fully captured and tasks are not always matched well to their learning needs; more-able pupils are not always provided with sufficient challenge. In the best lessons, however, planning takes the range of learners’ needs into account. Imaginative teaching strategies are used to good effect in these lessons. This was seen, for example, in a very well taught literacy lesson in Year 5 which was linked to a class topic on myths. This was a fast paced lesson, in the course of which pupils tested out their ideas in discussions with a partner, reviewed what they had

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Quality of teaching

learned so far in ‘mini-plenaries’ throughout the lesson and then went on to show that they could improve their work. In most lessons teaching assistants are deployed effectively and contribute well to all pupils’ learning and progress and particularly to that of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. All staff establish excellent relationships in the classroom so that pupils are secure and happy and ready to learn.

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Quality of teaching

Where teaching is most effective, curriculum planning often contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils in Year 2, for example, took part in a ‘phonics orienteering’ challenge in a well planned lesson that required them to work in teams. They approached the challenge thoughtfully and sensibly, cooperated very well with each other, completed the activity successfully and made good progress.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour is good. This contributes well to an orderly learning environment in lessons and to happy playtimes. All pupils are fully included in every aspect of school life. Pupils show a sensitive awareness of the individual needs of their peers especially disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They have great trust in the adults in school. Pupils say that school is a safe place, ‘teachers listen’, and that help is always on hand if they encounter any problems. Older pupils have a secure understanding of different types of bullying. Pupils are able to explain clearly why they believe that there is very little bullying in the school and that any falling out between pupils that may occur is quickly dealt with. Although a small minority of parents and carers express some concerns about bullying, most feel the school deals effectively with any behavioural issues that may occur.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school works sensitively in partnership with the parents and carers of potentially vulnerable pupils to help to break down barriers to learning and progress that some pupils occasionally encounter. Attendance dipped slightly in 2010, but has improved rapidly over the last year and is now above the national average figure for primary schools.

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Leadership and management

The school’s temporary leadership team is successfully ensuring that the school runs smoothly during a period of change and uncertainty. The good behaviour and safety of pupils are securely underwritten by effective procedures. There is a strong corporate ethos in the school and staff at all levels demonstrate loyalty to the school and care for its pupils. Despite all of these positive factors, however, leadership and management are currently satisfactory rather than good. There is not a sufficiently clear understanding of pupils’ current achievement, because the school’s assessment data have not been summarised accurately. The school development plan identifies a range of priorities but these are too wide and not sufficiently focused on improving achievement and outcomes for pupils. It is unclear how the success of any change is to be monitored. Current arrangements for monitoring the quality of teaching are not

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Leadership and management

rigorous enough and shortcomings in teaching remain. Professional development is not influencing improvements in the overall quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. For all of these reasons, the school’s current capacity for further improvement is satisfactory, rather than good.

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Leadership and management

Governors are caring and supportive, but in recent times they have not been actively involved in monitoring the impact of teaching and leadership and ensuring that overall achievement is as good as it should be. They do ensure that the school meets statutory requirements for safeguarding. The school supports the promotion of equal opportunities and access to educational entitlement satisfactorily; discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Closer attention is now being given to improving tracking of pupils’ progress, so that all pupils’ needs are more fully met.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is satisfactory. Subjects are often brought together in topics and themes that are interesting and engaging for pupils. Whole-school curriculum planning is underdeveloped and does not fully meet the needs of all pupils. There is no evaluation of the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ achievement. Nevertheless, pupils enjoy school especially the themed events, participation in national competitions and many after-school activities. A range of visitors and visits, including residential trips, contributes effectively to promoting pupils’ academic, personal, social, health and citizenship education.

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Leadership and management

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils clearly understand and adhere to the school’s code for behaviour. They show a good understanding of the sound moral and social values the school promotes. There are opportunities in lessons and in circle time for them to reflect on and discuss important issues and they show thoughtful attitudes in their discussions. They are gaining valuable cultural insights through visits to places of worship of other world faiths and religions and through the school’s link with its partner school in Sri Lanka.

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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 latest 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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Inspection of Hoylake Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Wirral, CH47 3BH

 Thank you for the warm welcome you gave the inspectors when we visited your school. As you know, we came to see how well the school is doing and how you are all getting on with your learning. We enjoyed our visit and it was a great pleasure to meet you all.

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Inspection of Hoylake Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Wirral, CH47 3BH

We found that Holy Trinity is a satisfactory school and that it is a happy place for you to learn in and grow together. Your education gets off to a good start in the Reception classes. You are well behaved and polite young people. Your attendance is very good. It was good to see that you work hard in your lessons and that you get on well with each other and with the grown-ups in school. They look after you well. We were pleased to hear you tell us how much you enjoy your lessons. Your learning and progress are currently satisfactory.

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Inspection of Hoylake Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Wirral, CH47 3BH

The school’s leaders agree with us that further improvements are needed so that you can all achieve as well as possible. These are some things we have asked them to do next, because we think they will help your school to carry on improving.   Make sure that teaching is always good or better and that lessons are always challenging, especially for those of you who learn rapidly.   Improve the ways the leaders track and measure how much progress you are all making.   Improve the big plan that is made for the school each year by making sure it has a sharp focus on raising your achievement.

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Inspection of Hoylake Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Wirral, CH47 3BH

You can help by continuing to be happy, hard-working learners. Thank you again for an enjoyable two days and best wishes for the future.  Yours sincerely

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Inspection of Hoylake Holy Trinity CE Primary School, Wirral, CH47 3BH

Diane Auton 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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