Trinity Church of England First School

Trinity CofE First School Nunney Road, Frome, Somerset, BA11 4LB

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well, including those in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Pupils’ achievement in reading is a particular strength through the school.  By the time pupils leave the school at age nine, their attainment is above in writing and mathematics and well above in reading.  Pupils’ achievement in writing has improved recently as the focus on boosting their confidence has been successful.  Pupils say that they feel very secure in school as the school teaches them how to stay safe.  The quality of teaching is consistently good. In most lessons, teachers plan tasks that motivate pupils and ask questions that extend learning.  The curriculum is rich and diverse, making a significant contribution toward developing pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted and, as a result, pupils behave exceptionally well and show

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

good attitudes toward their work.  The vision and drive of senior leaders and governors to maintain the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are shared by all staff.  The school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for improvement, resulting in an effective school development plan used to identify key areas for further improvement.  Parents have a very positive view of the work of the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ abilities and confidence in mathematics are a little lower than in English.  Although teachers mark work regularly, comments to guide pupils’ next steps in learning are not as good in mathematics as they are in English.  Senior and middle leaders do not always set and monitor pupil targets, particularly for pupils with special educational needs, closely enough to help them achieve at the highest levels.  Outdoor learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage is hindered as there is an insufficient covered area and resources are limited.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 26 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 11 teachers, three of which were joint observations with the headteacher. They also observed the teaching of phonics (letters and letter combinations and the sounds they make) as well as observing groups where individual support was provided. In addition, inspectors heard pupils read as well as examining pupils’ work and discussing it with them. Inspectors also visited the breakfast club.  A wide range of school documentation was analysed and evaluated, including that relating to safeguarding, assessment information, school improvement plans, governing body minutes and monitoring records.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and staff as well as the chair and another member of the governing body. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the local authority.  The 50 responses to the questionnaire on the Ofsted Parent View website were considered as

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Information about this inspection

well as 24 questionnaires returned by staff. Inspectors also spoke to parents before the start of school and took account of pupils’ behaviour during playtimes and in the dining hall.

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Inspection team

Matthew Cottrell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Stephen Lake Additional Inspector Stephanie Matthews Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Trinity Church of England Voluntary Controlled School is a larger-than-average first school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is higher than the national average. The most common areas of need are physical disability, speech, language and communication needs, and behaviour, emotional and social difficulties. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is lower than the national average.  Only a very few pupils are supported through the additional funding known as the pupil premium. This funding is available for disadvantaged groups, including those known to be eligible for free school meals.  There is a below-average percentage of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and only a few pupils are learning English as an additional language.  In 2012, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has a before-school club to support parents with child care.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further in order to accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics and raise attainment to match that in reading by:  ensuring that marking consistently tells pupils how to improve their work  making more consistent use of information on what pupils already know to set challenging targets for all pupils, but especially those who are more able or who have disabilities or special educational needs  ensuring that senior and middle leaders monitor the impact of pupils’ targets more closely to identify how pupils’ learning can be raised to the highest levels  Further raise the achievement of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage by providing a more stimulating outdoor learning environment with a larger outdoor covered area so pupils can work more easily in all weathers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter school in Reception class with skills that are in line with those expected for their age. They make good progress and, by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, children’s communication, language and literacy skills have developed well so that they are well prepared for Year 1.  Children in Reception class do well because activities are accurately matched to their individual needs. However, the lack of a high quality outdoor environment and suitable covered area means that there are missed opportunities to extend children’s learning beyond the classroom in all weathers, and so further improve their achievement.  In Years 1 and 2, pupils make good progress in their learning, and in particular make excellent progress in reading, so that by the time they complete Year 2, they reach levels at Key Stage 1 which are higher than the national average.  In 2013, pupils did better in the phonics reading check than in the previous year and standards

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The achievement of pupils is good

were above the national average. When pupils from this year group were heard reading during the inspection, they showed a good knowledge of phonics, confidently using them to sound out unfamiliar words. These skills help them significantly with their reading and writing.  In Years 3 and 4, pupils continue to make excellent progress in reading and good progress in writing and mathematics. Pupils are therefore well prepared to move on to middle school.  Standards are consistently high in reading across the school, but standards in mathematics sometimes lag behind because pupils are not always as confident in their understanding. The school has successfully ensured that the very few pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium receive the support they need so that the gaps between their performance and that of their peers in reading, writing and mathematics have become less and are narrowing

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The achievement of pupils is good

fast.  Pupils from all ethnic minority groups achieve in line with their peers. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress, but the school does not consistently ensure that these pupils receive well-targeted planned support and intervention so that they achieve to the highest levels.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good across the school and, as a result, pupils make good progress in their learning. The school is particularly good at teaching pupils to read.  Teachers use a range of methods to engage pupils and meet their needs. Consequently, pupils make good progress. Teachers make good use of interactive audio-visual whiteboards to enhance teaching and provide a visual focus for learning. Pupils are clearly told what they are going to learn and in many lessons pupils have the opportunity to reflect on their learning and let the teacher know how confident they are that they have understood the work.  Teachers are enthusiastic about learning and this is communicated to pupils, who enjoy the tasks that their teachers have set for them to do. Relationships in the classroom are highly positive and consequently pupils behave exceptionally well.  Teaching assistants are deployed effectively in the classroom and they provide good support for

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils, working closely with class teachers to ensure a consistency of approach.  On occasions, teachers and teaching assistants miss opportunities to extend the understanding of some pupils with special educational needs or some more able pupils, so their pace of learning sometimes dips compared to that of other pupils.  Teachers ensure that pupils have lots of opportunities to discuss their ideas and work with their talk partners, enabling them to consolidate and extend their learning.  Most teachers mark pupils’ work effectively and give them feedback on how they can improve. Nevertheless this is not consistent and there are occasions where marking does not clearly show pupils the next steps in their learning, especially in mathematics.  The school’s rich curriculum is taught well and is closely linked to pupils’ needs and interests. Lessons motivate pupils well and help the curriculum make an excellent contribution to their

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The quality of teaching is good

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, a poetry lesson on fireworks in which pupils made outstanding progress also contributed to their cultural and historical knowledge and understanding.  The school has high expectations. Senior leaders and teachers actively seek opportunities to plan and teach lessons that enable pupils to develop a broad range of skills across and beyond the curriculum. For example, the school plans to use some of its sport funding to provide free after-school sports clubs.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils, staff, parents and carers all agree that the behaviour of pupils is excellent.  The good and improving attendance reflects pupils’ evident enjoyment of school. They speak enthusiastically about what they learn and have good attitudes towards their work.  Pupils have extremely strong relationships with their teachers, responding enthusiastically to them in lessons, and they show a thirst for learning.  Pupils of all ages collaborate well and are encouraged to care for one another. For example, pupils in Year 4 act as playground mentors for younger pupils.  Pupils feel very safe. They are extremely clear about what constitutes bullying and the various forms in which it can take place, such as verbal, mental, physical and cyber bullying. They assert that this occurs very rarely in school and that when it does, they know that adults will quickly help to resolve the matter. School records confirm this view.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour in and around the school is excellent. The school’s documentation shows that no serious incidents have occurred in recent years and there have been no exclusions. Lessons are not disrupted by pupils who slow other pupils’ learning. However, the interest level of a small number of more able pupils dips as opportunities to extend learning are sometimes missed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders have a strong vision and share a drive for school improvement which is clearly communicated to, and adopted by, staff.  School leaders have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and what needs to be improved further. Targets for improvement are clear and the impact of school development work is measured against specific and measurable criteria. For example, the focus on writing in recent years has meant that the standard of written work has continued to improve.  The school has detailed information about the progress of pupils. The headteacher has a strong understanding of how individual pupils and groups of pupils make progress to inform and check on equality of opportunity. Nevertheless, some senior leaders and middle leaders (those responsible for age groups or aspects of the school) do not use the information consistently well when checking whether targets for all groups of pupils are challenging enough to ensure they

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The leadership and management are good

make outstanding progress, especially pupils with special educational needs or the most able.  The management of teaching is good. The headteacher and senior leaders have a robust system of checking on the quality of teaching and hold teachers to account for their performance. Teachers’ performance management targets link to pupils’ progress and reflect areas for school improvement. However, points for improving pupils’ learning do not always focus on those specific aspects which might help them to achieve to the highest levels.  The school meets its requirements for safeguarding and is tireless in its efforts to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Leadership and management of the care and behaviour of pupils are strong throughout the school.  The school enjoys very positive relationships with parents and carers and the local community. Consequently, pupils benefit from a range of visits, visitors and resources, all of which make a

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The leadership and management are good

valuable contribution to their learning.  The local authority, recognising the school’s continuing level of effectiveness, provides light touch support.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear understanding of their strategic role in leading school improvement. They ensure that the school meets all of its statutory duties, including those regarding safeguarding. The governing body actively contributes to the school’s monitoring and evaluation programme through regular visits and challenging questioning. They are fully aware of the quality of teaching in the school and how the performance of teachers is managed to help improve teaching further. Governors provide both support and challenge for the headteacher and ensure that he is held to account for pupil progress and how the school compares to others. For example, they ensure that there is a clear link between the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress, and the way in which teachers move along the pay scales.

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The leadership and management are good

Governors ensure that the school makes effective use of additional funding such as the pupil premium and are aware of its impact. They have discussed how the school will spend its sport funding and some provision is already in place, such as a free after-school sport club led by a specialist coach. The governing body is active in developing positive links with parents and carers, including being available during parent consultation evenings and during ‘governor days’, contributing toward the high esteem in which the school is held within the local community.

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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 123758 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 426817

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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 First School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–9 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 295 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Abby Atkins Headteacher Philip Burner Date of previous school inspection 24 September 2008 Telephone number 01373 461949 Email address office@trinityfirst.somerset.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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