Trinity Church School

Academy of Trinity Church of England VC Primary School Woodborough Lane, Radstock, Bath, BA3 3DF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  Pupils make excellent progress during their time at school from very low starting points so standards are at, or a little above, national averages overall.  Teaching is outstanding and results in pupils of all abilities making rapid progress from their starting points. Teaching in Reception is outstanding and ensures pupils are very well prepared for Key Stage 1.  The school checks on pupils’ progress regularly and the staff use this information effectively to plan lessons and to plan support for pupils who may be in need of extra help. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make excellent progress, similar to other pupils.  The learning activities in lessons interest and motivate the pupils. The school uses visits to places of interest to enrich the experiences pupils have and also as opportunities to stimulate and support their learning back in the classroom.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour in class is exemplary and pupils take all the opportunities provided to learn and to develop their personal skills, such as perseverance and confidence.  Pupils feel very safe and well looked after at school. They feel there is no bullying in school.  The headteacher is inspirational and is very well supported by her leadership team in her efforts to improve the school further.  Support for pupils eligible for pupil premium is extremely effective and is closing the gaps in their skills compared to those of other pupils.  The governing body is very effective in supporting the school and providing challenge to ensure the school continues to improve.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons, one of which was jointly observed with the headteacher. Inspectors also observed a school assembly. During the inspection the school held its sports day.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils and senior and middle leaders. A meeting was held with the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors. The school improvement partner was unavailable during the inspection.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work books.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ recent progress, as well as planning and monitoring documentation, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements.  Inspectors also took account of 63 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), meetings with three parents and letters from three more parents. They also took account of the

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Information about this inspection

views of staff through the 18 staff questionnaires completed.

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jennifer Cutler Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Academy of Trinity Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school with a high proportion of girls in most year groups in the school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding for looked after children, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils with a parent in the armed services) is much higher than the national average. Currently, there are no pupils from forces families in the school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is a little above the national average.  The great majority of pupils are of White British heritage and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is very low.

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Information about this school

 Since the school opened, in September 2005 and became an Academy in June 2011, there have been high numbers of pupils joining the school part way through the year, especially in Key Stage 2. The school is over subscribed in Reception.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum standards for attainment and progress expected by the government.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of the presentation of pupils’ work by providing the pupils with clear and consistent guidelines to follow and by giving pupils more opportunities to practise their letter formation and handwriting.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils enter Reception with skill levels that are generally well below the average for their age, particularly in their personal development, language and communication skills and writing. Through very effective teaching, pupils’ progress is at least good and for many pupils is outstanding, ensuring that they are well prepared to move into Year 1.  Pupils continue to make accelerated progress during Key Stage 1 and, over time, the attainment of Year 2 pupils has been above national averages. Across Key Stage 2 a high number of pupils, some with complex needs, have joined the school part way through the year. It has taken time for some to settle in and, as a result, progress in Key Stage 2 slows a little. That said, the progress made by pupils who have been at Trinity for at least two years is outstanding and all pupils catch up ground previously lost.  The progress pupils make is checked closely to ensure individuals are not falling behind. If pupils

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

do struggle, additional help is targeted to make sure pupils are supported. The needs of more able pupils are also monitored and additional challenge is provided through pupils moving up classes for particular subjects. This ensures they are stretched. Teachers use the information they hold on their pupils to make sure lesson activities are matched to the different abilities within their classes, so ensuring all pupils, no matter what their starting points, make rapid progress.  The work of teaching assistants is very effective in class and in small group work. As a result of this support and well planned teaching, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils. The school has an ethos of ‘never turning a child away’ and can point to examples where individual pupils have made enormous progress during their time in the school. The school is committed to ensuring all pupils have equality of

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

opportunity.  Those pupils who are eligible for additional support through the pupil premium are very well supported to help them close the gaps in their skills. As a result, the pupils receiving additional support are now achieving similarly to others in English, with the gap in attainment having been closed, and in mathematics they are about a term behind their peers.  Within the school there is a small number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. These pupils make outstanding progress in all subject areas and achieve highly in each year group.  Reading is well taught. Younger pupils acquire a good understanding of letters and sounds (phonics) and can use this knowledge to read and write unfamiliar words. By the time pupils reach Year 6 they are reading confidently.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching and support in lessons is excellent and has, over time, led to outstanding outcomes for pupils no matter what their starting points. Pupils are challenged in class with engaging activities. Teachers use information on pupils’ achievement very effectively to ensure the work set is not too hard or too easy. In a Reception lesson, children measured the length of different vegetables and the different ability groups in the class used different tools to do this, either centimetre rulers or columns of blocks, and recorded their measurements. Some pupils benefited from close support from teaching assistants, whilst others were able to work independently to develop their skills.  The teachers provide pupils with good guidance on the learning targets of the lesson, and in the best lessons pupils have a very clear understanding of exactly what they have to achieve. Lessons move at a very good pace with pupils being given ‘time targets’ in which to complete

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

tasks. Teachers check how well pupils are doing in short progress review sessions during the lesson which allow the teacher to target support more effectively to those who may be struggling.  Pupils benefit from the support of highly skilled teaching assistants within the class or in small group work. The teaching assistants and teacher work together to make sure support is well planned and effective.  Pupils’ work is regularly marked and teachers provide good guidance to pupils on how to improve their work, especially in English and mathematics. Pupils are beginning to respond to this feedback to acknowledge they have read the comments, but do not always have the opportunity to quickly make the improvements suggested by their teachers.  The presentation of the pupils’ work is quite variable in quality and, although the handwriting of some pupils is very good, much is weak. Teachers do not always give clear and consistent

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

guidelines to pupils on how to present their work and, at times, pupils are not given enough opportunities to practise forming letters and improving their handwriting.  The school takes advantage of trips and visits out of school to promote pupils’ learning and staff then build on the opportunities to enrich pupils’ experiences back in the classroom. For instance, after a recent trip to the theatre to see the musical version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Year 4 pupils were encouraged to make up their own magical sweet. A pupil said that as they left for lunch they were ‘talking about the lesson as we walked out of class’.  The school uses its grounds especially well to stimulate ideas. In Year 3, story writing linked to Viking tales and a visit to the Jorvik Viking Centre in York was supported by pupils telling each other stories in the ‘story dove’ outdoor teaching space. One pupil said he was ‘inspired’ to go on

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

and write his story. Parents feel overwhelmingly that their children are well taught and that they make very good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exemplary. Pupils are willing learners and are keen to do well. In class they develop excellent skills in working together and are encouraged to discuss and reflect on their learning or key issues. The school looks to raise pupils’ awareness of other cultures and faiths. Recent work with pupils to celebrate diversity and to challenge prejudice and intolerance culminated with a visit to the school by Doreen Lawrence who celebrated the work of the school and spoke to pupils about the work of the Stephen Lawrence Trust.  Pupils feel very well looked after at school and that they are kept very safe. They have a good awareness of safe use of the internet. Incidents of unkindness are very rare and pupils from different year groups say there is no bullying at Trinity. Pupils are proud to point out that the school has achieved the Diana Award for its anti-bullying work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are given many opportunities to take on responsibilities and be involved in school as reading buddies, eco-warriors and playground pals. Year 6 pupils are chosen to be academic ambassadors. These pupils are given opportunities to teach in lessons across the school, review lessons and also to review the school development plan. They are invited to give their views of what they feel has been achieved by the school and what areas are still to be developed. These positions are coveted by the pupils and they all are keen to have the role.  Pupils’ behaviour around school and in lessons is excellent. Parents and carers feel that the school promotes good behaviour and looks after their children very well. The way the school cares and support pupils with complex needs or emotional issues in school, and its work with families, was highlighted by parents. The school has received a large number of pupils with

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

social, emotional and behavioural issues who have been excluded or potentially were at risk of exclusion from other schools, and has re-engaged them with learning and enabled them to succeed and achieve.  Attendance is above the national average, but the school does have to work hard with parents to maintain this good level of attendance.  Pupils identified the confidence the school had given them to talk, discuss and present to others as the one thing that they would take away as the memorable aspect of Trinity when they move on to secondary school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher is inspirational and is supported by a strong and extremely effective senior leadership team. They work together to drive improvements within the school, with everything focused on improving outcomes for the pupils. Although the headteacher may lead, the staff hold the same ambition and share the same goals.  The school’s review of the quality of its own work is rigorous. Leaders involve the governors and even the pupils in checking how well the school is doing. The development plans are very thorough and indicate that the school has an excellent capacity to improve further.  The school checks the quality of teaching and learning very closely through formal and informal observations. Some variation in the quality of teaching has occurred in the past, which impacted on outcomes for pupils. This weak teaching has been eradicated and the school’s own data indicate that the dip in outcomes in national tests has been reversed. The school uses video

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The leadership and management are outstanding

playback of lessons to share best practice amongst teachers and has effectively used coaching and mentoring to raise the skill levels amongst staff. Performance management arrangements are rigorous and ensure incentives for teachers are matched to the outcomes of the pupils they teach.  Pupil progress is tracked closely and systems are developing further to allow all staff to have an easier overview of how well pupil groups are doing so that support can be deployed quickly to ensure pupils progress well.  The school has drawn support from a school improvement partner for a number of years to develop the leadership team and to provide staff training. This has helped to develop the work of the school.  The range of subjects and activities on offer is very creative and provides rich learning experiences. In addition, it looks to develop wider skills and qualities, such as perseverance and excellent discussion skills that ensure pupils are extremely well prepared for their next steps in

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The leadership and management are outstanding

education. The school provides a wide range of enrichment activities with the aim of making learning ‘irresistible’. The curriculum provides excellent opportunities for the social, moral spiritual and cultural development of the pupils.  There is a wide range of additional activities available to pupils. ‘Millions,’ as described by one pupil. These range from traditional sporting activities to French classes, cooking, juggling and even handbell ringing.  The school recognises its role within the local community and looks to reach out to parents and carers to share their children’s learning with them through themed visit days for mums, dads and grandparents. Parents view the work of the school highly. Safeguarding and child protection arrangements are robust and ensure pupils are well looked after.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has a very good understanding of the strengths of the school and the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

aspects it is working to develop. Governors are regular visitors to the school, observing lessons to get an insight into the quality of the teaching and learning that takes place. They are developing their skills in analysing information on how well pupils are doing, and review the data supplied by the school on the progress of groups, including those eligible for additional support through the pupil premium. Governors have sourced their own training in line with their needs. They are aware and have a good understanding of the performance management systems within school. Safeguarding procedures are monitored carefully, along with the financial position of the school. The governing body draws from a wide range of expertise amongst its members, including education and finance, and is able to provide the challenge alongside the support to help the headteacher develop and improve the school further.

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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 136804 Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Inspection number 411837

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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 Academy converter School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 200 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Meredith Headteacher Pepe Hart Telephone number 01761 438650 Fax number 01761 438653 Email address office@academyoftrinity.com 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

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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