Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Cuckfield

Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Glebe Road, Cuckfield, Haywards Heath, RH17 5BE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is of a high quality. Children are taught and cared for very well. They are well prepared for Year 1.  In most subjects, the majority of pupils in all classes make better than expected progress from their starting points. Pupils’ results at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 have been above average over time.  Across the school, much teaching is at least good and some is outstanding. As a result most pupils make at least good progress during their lessons.  Pupils demonstrate a delight in learning and are courteous and considerate in their behaviour. The school ensures that pupils develop positive values about learning and are respectful to all people. Pupils feel very safe and happy at school.  Pupils learn about a broad range of subjects which are linked well through the imaginative topics that they study.  Leadership is good because the effective action

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

of the headteacher, other senior leaders and governors has rapidly improved standards in teaching and ensured that practically all pupils make consistently good progress throughout the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 The most able pupils do not always make the progress they are capable of, particularly in writing.  Teachers do not always challenge the most able students with work that matches their abilities.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors saw teaching in every class. They saw two assemblies, visited 17 lessons and observed pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime. Nine lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils, six members of the governing body, the headteacher and other members of staff, and representatives from the local authority and diocese.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work, including supervision and support for pupils who need extra help. They heard pupils read and examined their work in their exercise books and on classroom and corridor wall displays.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including plans for pupils’ learning, plans for the school’s future development, the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe, pupils’ attendance records, minutes of governing body meetings, records of how pupils’ learning is

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Information about this inspection

checked and tracked, and records of how the quality of teaching is checked.  The views of parents and carers were taken into account through taking note of 64 responses to the online Parent View survey and discussions with parents and carers waiting to consult their teachers.  Staff views were taken into consideration through discussions with several members of staff.

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Inspection team

Steven Popper, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Veronica Young Additional Inspector Ken Bryan Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is much lower than the national average. This extra money is provided for looked after children, children with a parent or carer in the armed services and those known to be eligible for free school meals. There are no pupils with a parent or carer in the armed forces or looked after children currently on roll, and very few pupils eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is slightly above average, while the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly below. Some of these pupils have speech, language and communication needs, while others have specific learning difficulties. A very few pupils currently have statements of special educational needs and have more complex

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Information about this school

learning needs.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  The number of pupils joining or leaving the school other than at the usual times is lower than in most other schools.  All classes except those in the Early Years Foundation Stage are organised to contain two year groups.  The school is a member of a local informal partnership with several other local primary schools.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve results at the end of Key Stage 2 to the levels attained in the past by:  increasing the rate of progress of the most able pupils, particularly in writing  ensuring that teachers give the most able pupils a consistently high level of challenge in all lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school with skills that are broadly at the levels expected for their age and make expected or better than expected progress as they move through the Reception Year. They achieve well.  Results of the Year 1 national screening test in phonics (linking letters to the sounds they make) are higher than in most schools. This is because of recent, successful changes to the way phonics is taught.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 exceeds nationally expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. However, results in writing at the higher levels are lower than in most schools.  Pupils’ attainment in national tests in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2 dropped to below national expectations in 2013 – one reason why pupils’ achievement is not outstanding. This was because of a higher than usual proportion of pupils with disabilities and special educational needs with low starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils make progress at least in line with national expectations, and a higher proportion of pupils make better than expected progress than in most schools. However, in some classes, pupils’ progress in writing is not as strong as their progress in reading and mathematics.  All groups of pupils, including the very few pupils eligible for pupil premium, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make similar rates of progress to each other in all classes, and there is no gap in rates of progress between pupils of different groups. However, more rapid progress could be made by the most able pupils, especially in writing – another reason why pupils’ achievement is not outstanding.  Standards in speaking and listening are high across the school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils express their knowledge and understanding clearly, confidently and politely.  Enjoyment of reading is promoted well. Pupils are heard reading regularly and make good use of

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The achievement of pupils is good

the school library. They enjoy reading and talking about books. A group of Year 2 pupils enthusiastically explained why they liked books by Roald Dahl and Julia Donaldson.  An overwhelming majority of parents and carers express positive views about the progress made by their children.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers communicate high expectations so that pupils understand what they need to do in order to learn and make good progress.  The best teaching features good use of imaginative topics, such as ‘Into the Woods’, to ensure that lessons link subjects together in a way that develops learning well. Many lessons contain a high level of challenge and ensure that the learning needs of different groups of pupils are met. Teachers often use questions and observation well to deepen pupils’ thinking and understanding. For example, in one good Year 3/4 history lesson, the teacher’s skilful questions and guidance helped pupils get the most out of their exploration of artefacts from the Second World War.  The less effective teaching in the school sometimes lacks pace and does not always match teaching to all pupils’ learning needs, particularly the most able, as well as possible. For example, in a Key Stage 1 phonics lesson, less-able pupils were taught very effectively but more-

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The quality of teaching is good

able pupils did not practise their writing enough.  Additional one-to-one and small-group tuition for pupils needing support is effective in helping these pupils to make good progress.  Teaching assistants are used well to support the learning of individual pupils of a range of abilities, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Classrooms and corridors feature well-presented displays of pupils’ work and extensive guidance about how to produce good work. These contribute to pupils’ learning and good progress.  During most lessons teachers give pupils clear and useful guidance about how they can improve and progress further. However, written feedback for pupils identifies the strengths of their work but does not always give them specific advice about how they can improve it further.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is clear, supportive, interesting and of very high

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The quality of teaching is good

quality. The rich and well-presented indoor and outdoor environments are used very well to give children purposeful learning opportunities. Teachers take children’s interests into account in their planning and give them clear and very accessible targets. Children engage very well with the activities on offer and learn well as a result.  Pupils interviewed by the inspectors praised the quality of teaching and said that they enjoyed their lessons. A very large majority of parents and carers think that their children are taught well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils of all ages love learning. However, mostly in the less effective lessons, pupils sometimes lose focus and do not concentrate on their work. This is why the behaviour and safety of pupils are not outstanding.  Pupils’ behaviour in class, around the school and in the playground is very good. Pupils are well mannered and considerate of each other. The school has a happy atmosphere.  Relationships between pupils and adults and among the pupils are very good. Pupils treat other people with respect and courtesy. This is partly because of the school’s strong ethos of treating all human beings as people of value and the consistent promotion of people’s rights and equality.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They understand different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, and how to keep themselves safe online. There have been no serious behavioural incidents recently in the school.  The school operates an effective behaviour management system. Pupils feel that teachers and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

other staff are very effective in preventing or sorting out any poor behaviour that might arise.  Attendance, including for pupils eligible for the pupil premium, has improved over time and is slightly higher than in most other schools. This is partly because the school engages parents and carers very effectively, for example offering parental literacy support, and partly because of improvements to the school’s attendance policy.  An overwhelming majority of parents and carers think that behaviour is well managed and that their children are safe, happy and well looked after.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, other senior leaders and governors have high aspirations for the school. The headteacher has successfully embedded a school ethos of high expectations. However, this clear drive for improvement has not yet resulted in excellent achievement for all pupils, which is why leadership and management are not outstanding.  The leadership team’s actions have resulted in rapid improvements to the quality of teaching, which is monitored carefully and accurately. Decisions about pay awards to staff are explicitly linked to their success in meeting performance management targets relating to improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement, linked to the well-judged key priorities in the school improvement plan.  The progress of individual pupils and whole year groups is tracked systematically and precisely so the school’s evaluation of its own strengths and areas for development is accurate.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers are given effective training to support them in meeting their targets. As a result, teachers feel supported by school leaders and have a high level of commitment to the school.  Pupil premium funding is spent where it has most impact. The support eligible pupils receive in reading, writing and mathematics has been effective in securing good rates of progress.  The curriculum is stimulating and organised very well through interesting topics. Pupils learn subjects including French, children’s rights, world religions, dance and basic philosophy. The school promotes pupils’ active engagement in sport. It intends to use the forthcoming additional sports funding to give staff additional training in physical education and to develop competitive tournaments.  The school provides very good opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, immerses pupils in the exploration of children’s rights and develops their caring

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The leadership and management are good

and aspirational attitudes.  The school ensures that all pupils are safe. The school meets all statutory requirements and child protection procedures.  The local authority and diocese provide light touch support for this good school. They provide training for teachers and governors and help monitor the school’s results.  The headteacher has the well-founded confidence of a very large majority of parents and carers, as well as of the school’s governing body and staff.  The governance of the school:  Governors offer systematic and well-organised challenge. They understand data about pupils’ achievement and monitor the quality of teaching and other aspects of provision, including safeguarding arrangements, thoroughly and rigorously.  Governors set the headteacher challenging performance management targets that focus on improving pupils’ results and the quality of teaching. They monitor and ensure the efficient

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The leadership and management are good

management of financial resources, including the effective use of pupil premium funding. They are trained, active and committed to the school. Their impact on the school’s drive for improvement is good.

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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 126054 Local authority West Sussex Inspection number 429622

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 311 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janice Peek and Tracy Humphrey Headteacher Joanna Munn Date of previous school inspection 13 January 2009 Telephone number 01444 454295 Fax number 01444 459318 Email address office@holytrinity-cuckfield.w-sussex.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

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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