Holy Trinity CofE Primary School

Holy Trinity CofE Primary School Effra Rd, London, SW19 8PW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  The headteacher, senior leaders and governors set the highest expectations, creating an environment for success that allows all pupils to develop into confident, articulate young people.  By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards in English and mathematics are consistently above the national average. In 2012 the proportion of pupils in Year 6, making better than expected progress, in both subjects, was double the national average.  The quality of teaching across the school is outstanding. Teachers have very high expectations of their pupils and are skilled in using questioning to check and extend pupils’ understanding.  All disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make rapid progress from their starting points because support is carefully planned to match their needs and is delivered by skilled learning support assistants.  The governing body holds the school strongly

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to account for its performance and manages the budget very well.  Team work and collaboration are essential elements of the school’s approach and this is reflected in pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning. Their support for each other in lessons is impressive and their behaviour in general is outstanding.  The range of subjects and opportunities offered to pupils, both in the classroom and after school, has a very positive impact on their spiritual, moral and cultural development.  Parents are fully supportive of the school and attendance at parent workshops, parents’ meetings and events is extremely high.  The leadership team makes sure that there are sustained improvements in the high quality teaching through carefully designed training opportunities for staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons, covering a wide range of subjects. Four lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors also observed an assembly, listened to pupils read and scrutinised pupils’ books.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior leaders responsible for English and mathematics, the special educational needs coordinator, pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of documentation including national test results, the school’s analysis of pupils’ current standards, the school’s self-evaluation, school development plans, safeguarding policies, analysis of how the pupil premium is spent and records relating to teachers’ performance and progression up the salary scale.

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Inspection team

Penny Spencer, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Clementina Aina Additional Inspector Shelley Davies Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school and is continuing to expand.  Less than 5% of pupils are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding made available by the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those who are looked after by the local authority and those who have a parent in the armed forces). This is much smaller than the national average.  Just under half of the pupils in the school are from an ethnic minority background, which is above the national average. Approximately one half of these pupils speaks English as an additional language. Very few pupils are at the early stages of learning English, although this proportion is growing, especially in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is below average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement

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Information about this school

of educational needs.  The school is a strategic partner with a local teaching school and Roehampton University and will be involved in the training of new teachers from September 2013.  The school meets the current government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school runs an after-school provision which was subject to this inspection.  A breakfast club, run by a private provider, is subject to a separate inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that all pupils are consistently given opportunities to respond to their teachers’ marking and feedback and to correct their work.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most children enter the Nursery with skills and understanding broadly in line with age related expectations. All children make rapid progress in an exciting environment with excellent teaching. As a result they move into the Reception classes ready to extend their skills.  The proportion of pupils who are the early stages of learning English is increasing, especially in the Nursery and Reception classes. The school makes sure they get off to a very positive start.  Excellent teaching in Reception, coupled with an environment that is rich in opportunities for language development, writing and numeracy, ensures that children make excellent progress. By the time they move into Year 1 all pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, are achieving at least in line with national averages, with many above this, especially in reading and mathematics.  Achievement in all year groups is high and by the time pupils reach the end of Year 2 and Year 6

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

they have reached standards that are consistently above average in English and mathematics. In 2012, the proportion of pupils who achieved at the higher level (Level 5) in English and mathematics was significantly above the national average. Several pupils achieved at the highest level (Level 6) in mathematics and reading. This represents outstanding progress for many pupils, with over half of all pupils making better progress than their peers nationally.  All groups of pupils, including those from minority ethnic groups, make rapid and sustained progress relative to their individual starting points.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make rapid progress because the school carefully plans for their needs.  Pupils who join the school speaking little or no English are quickly supported to develop confidence and acquire language and communication skills. As a result, they make excellent

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

progress and catch up quickly.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is very small and therefore information on achievement for this group must be viewed with caution. However, the achievement of individuals is tracked carefully and most pupils are making progress in line with all other pupils in the school in both English and mathematics. This is because the funding is carefully spent on individual or small group tuition and specific support sessions that boost pupils’ confidence and resilience as well their understanding.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers create a calm, welcoming environment which ensures excellent behaviour and good relationships. They have extremely high expectations for all pupils, who respond positively to the challenge.  Rigorous assessment, that is shared by all teachers, ensures that lessons are planned to meet the needs of different groups. As a result all pupils can access the learning quickly. Extra levels of challenge are added as the learning progresses because teachers are good at assessing when pupils are ready to move forward.  In the Nursery and Reception classes teachers create excellent opportunities for pupils to learn in an interesting and exciting environment. The dinosaur theme, being used across the whole school to promote writing week, had created great excitement among the pupils. They were confident to talk to inspectors and were keen to explain what had been happening. Opportunities for pupils to experiment with mark making and writing are strong and pupils

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

demonstrate a high level of skill for their age.  The teaching of reading is a strength. Pupils can confidently link letters to the sounds they make from an early age and pupils who read to inspectors in Year 1 used this strategy effectively to read unfamiliar words. By the time pupils reach Year 6 they have developed into confident readers. Regular opportunities to read at home to an adult support their development.  A significant feature of the excellent teaching is the use of questioning to develop understanding. This is coupled with exceptional opportunities for pupils to talk to each other and share their knowledge. In an outstanding lesson in Year 5, pupils diligently worked together in pairs to produce a series of questions to use when interviewing a professor about a giant dinosaur egg that had appeared in the playground. The finished questions were impressive, but further questioning by the teacher ensured they were refined and improved.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In an excellent mathematics lesson in Year 4, careful probing questions from the teacher allowed her to assess which pupils were unsure how to perform a specific calculation. This helped her to offer prompt support that allowed them to quickly catch up. Further assessment at the end of the lesson led to reassurance for some pupils that they would go over the learning again the next day.  Topic and themed work allows pupils to demonstrate their skills in mathematics and English in a variety of subjects. Inspectors were impressed by the way pupils in a Year 3 class confidently used their mathematical understanding of coordinates in a geography lesson, locating cities where dinosaurs had been sighted on maps in an atlas.  Learning support assistants, who work with pupils who need additional help, are well trained to deliver tailored support programmes and provide individual support when needed. A significant

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

feature of their work is the detailed observations they make, during whole class sessions, to assess specific pupils’ involvement and understanding, in order to tailor the independent work appropriately. As a result, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are fully included in the learning and make excellent progress.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported well. Small group sessions and individual work enable them to gain confidence quickly and develop a good basic vocabulary. Careful planning by the class teacher ensures lessons are adapted to suit their needs. As a result, pupils progress very well and attainment is high.  Marking in pupils’ books is regular and frequently provides guidance about how pupils can improve their work. However, not all pupils have regular opportunities to respond to the marking and correct their mistakes. This slows progress for a few pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils are committed to doing their best and inspectors were impressed with the way in which they tackled their work.  Pupils and staff are polite and courteous to each other and there is a strong sense of shared understanding and mutual respect.  Pupils’ ability to work together is exceptional and this contributes to their outstanding achievement. Everyone is included and pupils work across different groups and pairs equally successfully. Opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning are built into lessons across all year groups and they respond positively to the challenge.  A highly consistent approach by staff to behaviour management allows everyone to feel secure in the knowledge that any behaviour that is less than good will be dealt with quickly. The school has a nurture group to support the few pupils who may be vulnerable or have more challenging

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

behaviour. This is having a positive impact.  Pupils have a very thorough understanding of how to stay safe in a variety of situations, including when using their scooters or bicycles to come to school. Teachers plan regular sessions to ensure pupils know how to use the internet safely and good use is made of outside agencies to support road safety.  Pupils say bullying is extremely rare and they are confident in the school’s ability to deal with it swiftly if it does occur. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school’s ability to keep their children safe and to deal with any problems quickly.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility and contributing to the life of the school. The school council is effective and positions of responsibility, such as secretary and chairperson, are held by pupils. Pupils also act as playground helpers and prefects.  Pupils in Year 5 were proud to be representing the school in a large choral event in the Royal

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

Festival Hall in the near future and were keen to explain how much preparation and rehearsal there had been to make sure they would perform to their best.  Attendance is above the national average because pupils are happy and want to come to school

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher and senior staff provide outstanding leadership. Their passion and commitment to continuous improvement are clearly communicated to the wider school community. They have an excellent understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and precise action plans to ensure future development.  Information on the current progress of pupils is analysed in detail and all staff are fully involved in this process. As a result, teachers plan lessons that are carefully matched to the needs of all pupils.  Leadership of teaching is extremely thorough and leaders at all levels are involved in joint lesson observations. Training packages are carefully designed to support the development of all staff towards outstanding practice and are linked closely to the school’s main priorities.  Teachers regularly observe outstanding teaching practice, both within the school and at partner schools, in order to keep raising the quality of their performance.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher, a Local Leader of Education, has been used by the local authority to successfully support other schools to improve.  The school offers a rich variety of experiences to its pupils. This includes many trips to places of interest and a residential trip to France for Year 6 pupils as part of their learning journey in French. Pupils have access to a very wide range of after-school activities, including sport, art and music. The quality of music within the school is excellent. During assemblies observed by inspectors, the singing was inspiring and pupils’ musicianship was of an extremely high standard.  The pupil premium funding is used extremely well to provide individual tuition for pupils from this group who may be falling behind and to implement specific support sessions, leading to rapid improvements in standards.  The local authority provides a suitably light touch for this excellent school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors are ambitious for the school’s continued success. They have considerable expertise that is used very effectively to lead relevant committees, such as personnel and standards. They have a very clear understanding of how well all groups of pupils are achieving. Governors take an active role in setting priorities and in monitoring and evaluating their success. They make sure the pupil premium is well spent and are fully involved in the monitoring of its impact to ensure the best outcomes for pupils. Their involvement in the performance management of staff and the subsequent progression along the salary scale is detailed and carefully linked to pupil progress. They are not afraid to make difficult decisions to ensure the school operates at an extremely high level. Management of the budget is exemplary.

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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 102665 Local authority Merton Inspection number 402897 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 395 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tom Lazur Headteacher Nikki Morgan Date of previous school inspection 11–12 June 2008 Telephone number 020 8542 1591 Fax number 020 8545 0818 Email address admin@holytrinity.merton.ch.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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