Holy Trinity CofE Primary School

Holy Trinity C of E Primary School Kenyon Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire, OL6 7DU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Improvements since the previous inspection have moved the school from satisfactory to good.  Teaching is good overall.  Pupils achieve well from very low starting points and the standards they reach in English and mathematics are rising.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes get off to a good start.  Pupils are exceptionally well cared for. They feel safe, behave well and are keen to learn. Their attendance is above average.  The school is managed well. School leaders are changing the school for the better. They have a clear view of how good the school can be.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are still a few aspects of teaching which could be better and too little teaching is outstanding.  Pupils’ writing skills lag behind those they develop in reading and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 13 lessons and parts of lessons.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of staff and members of the governing body. There was also discussion with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work. They looked at a wide range of documentation which included national assessment data and the school’s own assessments, the school’s self- evaluation, minutes from governing body meetings, samples of pupils’ work and safeguarding information.

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Inspection team

Kevin Johnson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Julie Webster Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  Most of the pupils are from either Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds, with others representing a range of ethnic backgrounds including European.  For a large number of the pupils entering the school, English is an additional language.  An above-average proportion of pupils are supported by school action.  The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  A well-above-average proportion of pupils are supported by funding through the pupil premium.  The school meets current floor standards which are the minimum government expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school runs a FAST (Families and Schools Together) club to provide additional before- and after-school care.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2010.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that it is consistently good or better by:  expecting pupils to think more for themselves when starting their work so that they do not always rely on the teacher to show them what to do  giving pupils clearer information about how well they are doing and what they need to do next  making the best use of the skills of teaching assistants during lessons so that some groups begin work more quickly, when it is appropriate, and learn more effectively.  Raise standards in English, particularly writing, by:  extending the teaching of the links between letters and sounds (phonics) to higher levels throughout the school in order to improve pupils’ spelling and grammar  making sure that more-able pupils are always given more demanding work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills that are well below those typically expected for their age. This is particularly true of children’s ability to talk to others or express their ideas and feelings. Teachers in Nursery and Reception classes focus well on promoting speaking and listening skills and work hard to involve parents in developing their own and their children’s English speaking. Children make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage. By the end of Reception, although most are working within the levels expected of them in most of the things they do, their early reading and writing skills are still below expectations.  The positive start means that pupils’ progress and the levels they reach in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 are improving. Standards at the end of Year 2 in the past have been low. Improved teaching in the past two years is now showing positive results throughout

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The achievement of pupils is good

the school. School assessments and pupils’ current work show that standards are now broadly in line with national expectations, although very few pupils are attaining higher than that.  Pupils’ progress in Years 3 to 6 has improved rapidly over the past two years. Attainment is broadly average and rising. The number of pupils in Year 6 who made expected progress from Year 3 compared well with the national picture in the 2012 tests. A significant proportion did better than expected in both English and mathematics.  School assessments show that good year-on-year progress is now typical. Nevertheless, despite pupils’ good achievement from starting school, overall attainment in writing is below that in mathematics. This is because pupils’ spelling and grammar are weak and too few pupils reach higher than expected levels in national tests.  Pupils make good progress in reading. In Key Stage 1 they choose their own books and read

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The achievement of pupils is good

regularly at home. They sound out the letters of unfamiliar words and generally understand what they read. By the end of Year 6 pupils read fluently and with good expression in their voices to indicate that they understand what they are reading. They know which authors they like best, and why, and borrow frequently from the school library to read at home.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress. Their learning and the additional support they receive are planned carefully. Regular checks on their progress make sure that they keep up with their learning. Good support is provided in the nurture group where pupils’ confidence and learning are boosted by skilful teaching.  All groups, whatever their cultural background, achieve equally well. Effective early support for pupils who speak English as an additional language means that they quickly gain the language skills they need to keep pace with others. Those eligible for support through pupil premium

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The achievement of pupils is good

funding often perform better than others in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Very good relationships and the way that teachers organise their classrooms help pupils to learn well. Pupils are confident about sharing ideas and know that teachers value what they say. This makes them keener to take part in lessons.  There is a good focus on teaching literacy and numeracy, and lessons give pupils lots of opportunities to discuss ideas with each other so they can practise the language they need for learning in those subjects. However, there are too few occasions when pupils take their discussion a stage further, for example to solve problems in their own way rather than relying on the teacher to show them or using worksheets to record their work.  Resources for practical work, including electronic whiteboards, help to make learning more interesting. A good example was in one mathematics lesson when pupils used everyday things such as pasta, onions and cans and packets of food in order to practise estimating weight before

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The quality of teaching is good

measuring accurately.  In the most effective lessons no time is wasted. Pupils get down to work immediately, for example, to work on mathematics problems with their ‘maths-mates’ before the lesson starts properly or by correcting earlier work, such as punctuation, based on the teacher’s assessments.  These lessons are planned well, making sure that the work pupils are given is matched well to what they need to do. Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong so they provide clear examples and use good methods to help pupils understand what they have to do.  Although teachers make clear to pupils at the beginning of the lesson what they are to learn, they do not always check during the lesson to make sure pupils are on track and that work is demanding enough. Sometimes they do not follow up their helpful marking comments. This means that, especially in writing, pupils are not pushed to their limits and, for more-able pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

in particular, mistakes in spelling and grammar go unchecked.  Teaching assistants provide valuable support in classes. They know pupils well and deal sensitively with their different needs. However, their skills are not always put to best use. For example, sometimes groups of pupils sit unnecessarily on the carpet when they could be doing focused work more suited to their needs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy lessons and are eager to learn. They attend regularly and most are punctual. They say that they feel safe in school because they are very well cared for. This is endorsed by parents, who also speak very highly of the support they receive through the FAST club and from the school staff generally.  Behaviour is good, and at times exemplary, in lessons. Pupils listen well to their teachers and are always polite and well-mannered towards each other and adults in the school. They behave well in the playground where they enjoy each other’s company and show the greatest respect for the various cultures represented in the school. There have been no racist incidents and any form of bullying is extremely rare.  Pupils have good awareness of potential dangers outside of school, including those linked to the internet and mobile phones. They have sensible views about how to deal with pressure from

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

others and making right choices to keep themselves safe.  Pupils make a good contribution to the everyday life and ethos of the school. They have a voice through the school council which recently managed the funding and creation of a memorial garden for former staff members. The ‘global gang’ keeps fair trade issues alive and the eco- committee keeps an eye on the school’s energy saving  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good and they are prepared well for their move to the next stages of their education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headeacher has been a strong driving force in improvement since his appointment. With good support from the governing body and senior staff he has raised expectations and ambition for the school. There is great determination for the school to continue on its journey of improvement, and current school leaders have the abilities needed to make that happen.  Leaders have assessed the school’s needs accurately and have a clear vision of how good the school can be. They have worked well with the local authority advisers who have reduced their involvement with the school because of the good improvement seen in its performance.  Action to improve teaching and learning has been decisive and effective. Leaders challenge all underperformance through rigorous checking of how well teachers deliver lessons and how well pupils learn. All teachers know how they are accountable for pupils’ progress. Professional

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The leadership and management are good

development has included visits to high-performing schools to raise teachers’ expectation of what can be achieved. As a result, teaching throughout the school has improved significantly.  The curriculum is well matched to pupils’ needs in that it helps them to achieve well in literacy and numeracy and provides a good range of first-hand experiences that have an impact on pupils’ language development. In Year 3, for example, pupils wrote some delightful accounts of their visit to Blackpool. The school works well with parents, who show their confidence in, and appreciation of, the school in the way they take part in parents’ English lessons, swimming sessions and family camping holidays which help to enrich their children’s experiences and learning.  The governance of the school:  The governing body actively supports and challenges the school. Its good range and depth of experience provide a good basis for its expectations of how well the school should perform.

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The leadership and management are good

Governors use national test data to check and challenge leaders over the school’s academic performance. The governing body has agreed challenging targets for the headteacher. It has a good overview of teaching quality and takes appropriate steps to match improvement to financial reward. Statutory duties are carried out efficiently, including those for safeguarding. All staff are properly trained in child protection and checks on adults who work in the school are thorough. Policies and procedures are reviewed regularly. Financial resources are managed well. The use of pupil premium funding is monitored carefully to ensure that pupils equally have the opportunity to benefit from additional support and to achieve well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 106244 Local authority Tameside Inspection number 400831

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 224 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Linda Balfe Headteacher Simon Brereton Date of previous school inspection 25 February 2010 Telephone number 0161 330 1065 Fax number 0161 339 8298 Email address admin@holytrinity.tameside.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

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School details

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

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