Trinity Primary School

Trinity Primary School Barricombe Drive, Moor Farm, Hereford, HR4 0NU

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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.  Good leadership and management have resulted in many improvements since the last inspection.  Standards in English and mathematics have improved, and pupils are making good progress in every year group.  More-able pupils made particularly good progress in Year 6 in 2013, and many pupils exceeded the level expected for their age in mathematics.  Pupils for whom the school receives additional funding make good progress and achieve as well as other pupils.  The school’s leaders have been effective in improving the quality of teaching, which is good in most classes. In a number of classes, the teaching is outstanding.  Staff work well together and are keen to implement new ideas as part of the school’s concerted drive to improve the quality of learning and pupils’ achievement.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning, participate well in lessons and behave well around the school.  The school has successfully developed the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

skills of those who have leadership responsibilities.  The school has a good understanding of its own performance and has identified the right priorities for further improvement.  The governing body is well informed and provides a good level of challenge for the school’s leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Although improving, pupils’ writing skills and their ability to link letters and sounds are not entirely secure.  Pupils are not given sufficient opportunity to produce extended pieces of writing, and the marking of their written work is not always rigorous enough.  A small proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do not make the progress expected of them.  Occasionally, the teaching lacks sufficient challenge for the more-able and the less-able pupils, and the pace of learning is too slow.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed parts of 46 lessons, observing all classes and all teachers who were present at the time of the inspection. Many of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher or one of the assistant headteachers.  They held discussions with a representative from the local authority, the headteacher and assistant headteachers, three members of the governing body, many of the teaching staff and groups of pupils.  They looked at a range of documentary evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, data regarding pupils’ progress, and documents relating to safeguarding and special educational needs.  They scrutinised pupils’ written work in a range of subjects and listened to pupils reading.  They took into account the views of 46 parents and carers recorded on Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey of parents’ views, as well as results from the school’s own questionnaire.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors also considered the views of 58 members of staff who completed Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Graham Sims, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Shears Additional Inspector Linda Rowley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school. There are three classes for each year group.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. Other pupils come from a variety of minority ethnic backgrounds. An increasing proportion come from Eastern Europe and speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional funding from the government for specific groups of pupils, which in this school includes those known to be eligible for free school meals, children in local authority care and children with a parent in the Services) is average.  The proportion of pupils who join the school partway through their primary education is much

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Information about this school

higher than in many schools.  A nursery and a before- and after-school club use accommodation on the school site. Both of these facilities are run by private providers and are inspected separately.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress for pupils at the end of Year 6.  At the time of the inspection, the deputy headteacher was on long-term sick leave. His responsibilities had been delegated for some months to other members of the school’s leadership team.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of pupils’ writing by:  developing pupils’ understanding of phonics (the correspondence between letters and the sounds they make)  providing more opportunities for pupils to consolidate and develop their writing skills through extended pieces of writing in English and other subjects  marking pupils’ written work more rigorously, so that pupils are aware of where they have made mistakes, and giving them the opportunity to improve.  Improve the quality of teaching so that it is at least good in every class and every lesson by ensuring that:  there is sufficient pace in every lesson to enable pupils to make good progress  work is sufficiently challenging for both the more-able and less-able pupils  disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are given the necessary support and make the progress expected of them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There has been a marked improvement in the school’s test results at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 since the last inspection. Pupils’ progress is accelerating because the quality of teaching has improved. The school’s detailed information which tracks how well each pupil is doing every half term, shows that, overall, pupils are making better than expected progress and standards are improving in every year group.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The level of skills, knowledge and abilities demonstrated by children when they join the school at age four varies from year to year, but is typically slightly below that expected for their age, particularly in communication and language. Children make good progress in all areas of learning in the Reception Year, as they enjoy a wide range of well-planned activities. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development by the time they enter Year 1 was close to the national average in 2012, but slightly lower in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards are still affected by underachievement in some year groups caused by weaker teaching in the past. They are also adversely affected by the high proportion of pupils joining the school partway through their primary education, many of whom join with low prior attainment. The most recent test results in 2013 were, therefore, still just below the national average overall at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Currently, however, all year groups are working either at or above the level expected for their age in reading and mathematics and just below in writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Since the last inspection, the proportion of pupils making expected progress and the proportion making better than expected progress in English and mathematics were close to the national averages. In 2013, the more-able pupils in Year 6 made exceptionally good progress in mathematics and also very good progress in reading. Although a high proportion of lower-ability pupils made more than expected progress in reading, a small number of pupils who have special educational needs did not make the expected progress in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in mathematics have improved markedly since the subject was identified as an area for improvement at the last inspection. Teachers’ expertise in teaching mathematics has improved as a result of training, and pupils participate enthusiastically in lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils are competent readers by the time they leave Year 6. Pupils’ ability to link letters and sounds (phonics) is improving but is still not secure. Results of the phonics screening check at the end Year 1 improved in 2013, but were still below the national average. To improve pupils’ understanding of phonics, the school has trained all staff in the use of a new scheme which is to be implemented fully after the half-term break.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ writing skills are weaker than their reading skills, but are improving. The trialling of a new approach to the teaching of writing in a few classes has been greeted with great enthusiasm by pupils and staff and has led to rapid improvement in a short time. The scheme is about to be extended to all classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school provides good support for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Many of these pupils make rapid progress in acquiring English skills and achieve as well as other pupils. A few, generally those who enter the school when they are older, take longer to acquire the necessary skills to make similar progress to their peers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs varies. Some make good progress in relation to their starting points. However, a small proportion do not always make the progress expected of them. In some cases, this is because of complex needs. In others, it is because staff do not always expect enough of these pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide a variety of additional support for each individual for whom the school receives the funding. The progress of these pupils is checked carefully and further support is provided if any are seen to be falling behind. In 2013, these pupils made good progress and achieved similar standards to other pupils at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection, partly as a result of staff changes, but largely due to a concerted drive on the part of all staff to learn from the best practice. The teaching is typically good in the large majority of classes. Even where the teaching is not yet consistently good, there have been definite improvements over the last year.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage receive a good introduction to school and develop their personal, social and emotional skills well. They are offered a good balance of activities which they choose for themselves and those which are guided by an adult. Lessons are well resourced, and good use is made of outdoor facilities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers manage their classes well and use effective techniques to engage the interest of the pupils. A group of pupils in Year 5, for example, were fully absorbed using chalks on the playground to learn how to use a particular method of subtraction. Pupils participate actively and enthusiastically in group-work and paired activities which are a feature of many lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers within each year group work together well to plan lessons which are well structured and methodical in the way they introduce new concepts. Teaching assistants are well briefed and play an important and effective role in helping different groups of pupils. Just occasionally, they provide answers too readily, rather than help pupils to think for themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Outstanding teaching is evident in a number of classes. Here the teaching is fast, clear and precise and meets the needs of all ability groups extremely well. Teachers keep a close eye on what each group of pupils is doing, are quick to spot when pupils make mistakes, and provide timely intervention to ensure all pupils make maximum progress. As a result, more-able pupils are moved on quickly, and less-able pupils are given sufficient support to help them to make rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Occasionally, the teaching requires improvement because the pace of learning is too slow and there is insufficient challenge; the more-able pupils are given work which they can already do and not enough is expected of lower-ability pupils or those who have special educational needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All staff show a strong desire to bring further improvement and a good awareness of what needs to improve. They have worked together well to improve the teaching of mathematics and are well on the way to implementing new schemes for teaching phonics and writing skills. Teachers are keen to learn from each other and willing to share good ideas.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. They provide helpful pointers for improvement and expect pupils to respond to the comments they have made. However, the marking of pupils’ written work, especially writing produced for science and topic work, is not always rigorous enough; mistakes go uncorrected and opportunities for pupils to improve their work are missed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Pupils behave well in lessons, have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. They are keen to answer teachers’ questions and participate enthusiastically in discussions. They particularly enjoy learning when tasks are set in a real context. For example, in a lesson in Year 2 where the teaching was outstanding, pupils really enjoyed using real coins to solve problems.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Pupils’ behaviour at break and lunchtimes and around the school is good. Older pupils enjoy taking responsibilities, such as acting as milk or door monitors, and contributing to the orderly atmosphere. Relationships among pupils and between pupils and adults are good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 A few pupils have difficulty managing their behaviour. Any incidents are recorded and analysed in detail and the system for managing behaviour is effective. Other pupils comment on how small-group sessions held in the ‘Butterfly Room’ have led to improvements in the behaviour and attitudes of these pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Very occasional bullying is handled well. Pupils are aware of different types of bullying and are given good instruction on how to keep themselves safe when using the internet or electronic communication devices.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Official attendance figures were below average for the last academic year, but were distorted by low attendance on a number of days when the school was open when other schools were closed because of snow. Efforts to improve attendance have been well received and have seen a big increase in attendance over the first six weeks of this term compared with the similar period the previous year.

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The leadership and management is good

 Good leadership and management have resulted in many improvements since the last inspection and demonstrate the capacity for further improvement. Staffing difficulties have been resolved, issues identified at the last inspection have been dealt with, and standards have risen. Staff and governors comment on how good the morale of the staff is and how much it has improved. Almost every one of the questionnaires returned by staff gave a very positive view of the school, the way it is led and the way staff are supported.

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The leadership and management is good

 There has been a concerted drive to develop the leadership skills of those who have specific responsibilities, whether as senior leaders or as staff with responsibility for a particular subject. The school has a good understanding of its own performance and what needs to be improved. Staff work together well to bring improvement. The subject leader for mathematics has been effective in improving standards and progress in the subject. The approach to improving the teaching of phonics and writing has been measured, sensible and well received by staff.

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The leadership and management is good

 Arrangements for improving the quality of teaching have been highly effective. Staff appreciate the support and helpful feedback they are given when their teaching is observed. Opportunities to observe other colleagues teaching, training, and the support from senior and subject leaders all contribute to the improving quality of teaching. Meetings to discuss the progress of individual pupils heighten teachers’ awareness of those pupils who might need additional support.

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The leadership and management is good

 Leaders at all levels demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunities and ensuring that there is no discrimination within the school.

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The leadership and management is good

 The school’s curriculum places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ skills in English and mathematics. However, teachers do not make enough use of opportunities in other subjects for pupils to produce extended pieces of writing to consolidate and develop their writing skills.

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The leadership and management is good

 The school has already started to make good use of the additional funding for sport. The funding has been used to bring in coaches and teachers with specific expertise to teach pupils and to provide training for staff. Even at this early stage in the school year, staff confidence in teaching physical education has improved, and the number of staff involved in extra-curricular sports activities and the participation of pupils in sports clubs have risen.

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The leadership and management is good

 The school makes good provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through the discussion of values in assemblies, a good range of additional activities and residential trips for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6.

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The leadership and management is good

 The local authority has not provided the school with support for the last eight months as it was judged to require light touch monitoring over that period. The school engages the services of an independent school improvement partner and a consultant to provide external advice and guidance and to help the school moderate its own judgements. Collaboration with a local partnership of schools has also been beneficial in developing practice, such as the assessment and moderation of children’s achievements in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are well informed. They provide a good level of support and challenge for the school. They have a good understanding of data which indicate how well the school is doing in comparison with other schools. There are rigorous procedures for holding the headteacher and staff to account for the quality of education provided and standards achieved.  Governors receive regular reports and information about the quality of teaching and what is being done to improve it. Salary proposals are subject to scrutiny to ensure that any increases are merited by a teacher’s performance and pupils’ achievement.  Governors have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities because they take advantage of any available opportunities for training. They contribute to the school’s self- evaluation processes and keep a close check on the progress made in dealing with issues

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The leadership and management is good

outlined in the school’s development plan. They ensure that the school meets its statutory duties, especially those relating to the safeguarding of pupils.

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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 116686 Local authority Herefordshire Inspection number 426962

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 563 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Leigh Brazewell Headteacher Ann Pritchard Date of previous school inspection 8 February 2012 Telephone number 01432 266268 Fax number 01432 266803 Email address apritchard@trinity.hereford.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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