Trinity School

School report Trinity School Heathway, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 7SJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1 Sixth form provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make outstanding progress in their ability to communicate through innovative teaching. They make significant progress in their reading and mathematical development.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage progress exceptionally well; the result of very effective teaching and well-planned work.  The sixth form provision is outstanding. Pupils’ achievement is excellent. Very clear programmes enable pupils to make a smooth transition to the local further education college.  Well-targeted teaching and care and support for pupils in the Additional Resource Provision enable them to progress very well.  Teaching over time is outstanding. Teachers know their pupils very well and provide work that is at the right level, ensuring they make the best possible progress.  Teaching assistants and all of the support staff work together exceptionally well so that pupils learn in a friendly and calm atmosphere.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They thoroughly enjoy the wide range of interesting activities they are taught. As one parent or carer commented, ‘The only thing he doesn’t like about school is having to come home at the end of the day!’ A high proportion of pupils attend many of the out-of- school clubs on offer. Most students attend regularly.  The school places a strong emphasis on ensuring pupils are well looked after and pupils say they feel safe and secure.  The headteacher has continued to develop the strengths of its senior and middle leaders so that they provide exceptional support for teachers and support staff. Teaching and learning are checked rigorously by senior leaders and continue to improve.  Senior leaders provide guidance and support beyond the boundaries of the school. There are numerous testimonials from teachers praising the guidance and tuition received from training sessions run by the school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governors have an in-depth knowledge about all aspects of the school’s work, particularly that relating to the quality of teaching and learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 15 lessons, all of which were joint observations with senior staff.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and another member. Meetings were also held with senior and middle leaders, members of staff and a group of pupils.  There were too few responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, for inspectors to use. The inspectors took account of the school’s own recent survey of parents and carers and a letter from a parent or carer, together with 219 responses to the staff questionnaire.  The inspectors scrutinised examples of pupils’ work and a range of documents. These included the school’s self-evaluation and planning, information on pupils’ progress and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Paul Edwards, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school caters for pupils with a wide range of special educational needs, including those with profound and multiple learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties and autism. All pupils have a statement of special educational needs.  The percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups is 67% which is well above the national average. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is also well above average at 45%.  The proportion of pupils eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is 54%, which is well above average. This is funding intended to support eligible pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority. All Year 7 pupils are eligible for additional government catch-up funding to improve their literacy and numeracy.  Pupils are not entered early for public examinations.  There is an Additional Resource Provision (ARP) on site which is managed by the school on behalf of the

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Information about this school

local authority. The ARP provides teaching and care for pupils with complex needs for 48 weeks of the year and is aimed at raising the standards of achievement and minimising the need for residential provision and at reintegrating the pupils back into mainstream provision quickly.  Students in the sixth form attend Barking College of Further Education for short periods and some engage in work experience off site.  Children attend the Nursery or Reception classes on a full-time basis.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the marking of pupils’ work by ensuring it consistently identifies the next steps that will make their work better.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The exceptional leadership throughout the school is the result of very effective delegation of responsibilities. Consequently, there have been significant improvements in key areas. The assessment of how well pupils are progressing has been developed and middle leaders now make much better use of the data to monitor the quality of teaching and learning. Senior leaders have developed their own systems for checking how well pupils are achieving in areas not measured by commercial schemes. As a result, all staff have a very clear and accurate picture of pupils’ achievements. Pupils’ behaviour continues to improve; the result of rigorous strategies implemented by all staff.  The local authority provides ‘light touch’ but rigorous support for the school. The school works closely with the local authority to continually improve the skills of teachers and classroom assistants. Senior leaders provide on-site training for staff from other schools to improve knowledge of many aspects of special

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The leadership and management are outstanding

educational needs. The local authority values the opportunities for other schools to share the school’s expertise, particularly in areas such as autism. These regular, well-planned events help to ensure a highly motivated and caring staff.  There is a determination among all staff to improve the outcomes for pupils. Senior and middle leaders systematically check the quality of learning. Regular meetings with teachers are used to identify if pupils are making sufficient progress and interventions are instigated where required.  Senior leaders are rigorous in monitoring teachers’ performance. Where required, teachers are provided with guidance and support to ensure they deliver the best quality teaching. Good use is made of the expertise within school to improve teachers’ understanding of areas such as autism. Newly qualified teachers and those with less experience are provided with excellent mentoring, ensuring they have a good

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The leadership and management are outstanding

start to their teaching career.  The teachers adapt curriculum activities exceptionally well for individual pupils. Each pupil’s targets are specific to the individual and displayed in classrooms. There is a strong focus on developing communication and social skills, alongside developing literacy and mathematical skills. Activities provide well for the students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The recent Egyptian day helped improve pupils’ understanding of history. Activities are arranged which celebrate the students’ diverse ethnic backgrounds such the Diwali day. Pupils gain a good understanding of life in modern Britain. Sensory rooms provide students with profound learning disabilities with the opportunity to appreciate different sounds and lighting effects.  All pupils are provided with the opportunity and encouraged to take a full part in all of the school’s activities. Following on from discussions with pupils and parents and carers, the number of after-school

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The leadership and management are outstanding

clubs has increased and all pupils are encouraged to participate. There is no discrimination.  The additional government sports funding has been used to significantly increase the number of sporting competitions with other schools. Pupils now visit many schools and other venues for competitive sports and physical activities such as rock climbing, football, basketball and gymnastics. Skilled sports staff ensure all pupils enjoy quality physical education lessons, including swimming.  The school has used the additional funding for disadvantaged pupils and the Year 7 catch-up funding very well. There has been a clear focus on improving the communication skills for pupils through the purchase of additional speech therapy time and an increased focus on improving reading.  The accommodation is bright and cheerful. Pupils’ work and their achievements are celebrated in classrooms and corridors. The building has been adapted to the changing needs of its pupils very

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The leadership and management are outstanding

effectively. Sensory rooms are well equipped and the hydrotherapy pool provides good experiences for students with profound and complex needs. The recent conversion of a library into a ‘Discovery Room’ provides all pupils, including those in wheelchairs, with excellent opportunities to use ‘high tech’ equipment to learn about specific topics.  The outstanding leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage ensure children are provided with a rich and stimulating range of activities. The provision for sixth form pupils has developed extremely well. Pupils use their rapidly improving communication skills for practical activities such as cooking. They are provided with excellent guidance for when they move on to the next stage of education or for independent living.  The Additional Resource Centre has been developed effectively to enable each student to have their own private space. This enables support staff to work with individuals to reduce their anxiety, improve their

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The leadership and management are outstanding

achievement and prepare them for moving back to mainstream classes.  There are excellent links with parents and carers. They appreciate the regular, informative newsletters. There is a high take-up by parents and carers for the annual reviews of their children’s progress. Parents and carers are very happy with the guidance they receive as to how they can support their children at home with communication and reading tasks.  Senior leaders ensure all safeguarding and child protection procedures are implemented rigorously and meet statutory requirements. Consequently, pupils are safe and secure.  The governance of the school:  Governors are extremely well informed and challenge school leaders very effectively. They know the school well and have a clear understanding of how well the pupils are achieving compared to pupils in similar schools. Governors have been trained to understand the data and so are able to question the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

information with authority. Governors have a very good understanding of the relationship between pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. The keep a close scrutiny on teachers’ performance and salary progression. Governors look closely at expenditure and its impact, particularly the additional funding received for disadvantaged pupils, the sports premium and catch-up funding.  All governors receive regular training to keep them fully up to date with all aspects of child protection and they ensure that all requirements for safeguarding are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. During break times and lunchtimes, pupils move between classrooms without fuss. They are polite and welcoming, with older pupils shaking hands with visitors. They respond extremely positively to the high level of respect shown to them by staff.  They settle very quickly to learning at the start of the day and following break and lunchtimes.  Throughout the school, pupils have excellent attitudes to their learning. For example during a food technology lesson for Years 10 and 11 pupils, they demonstrated high levels of concentration and determination as they were helped to read a simplified version of A Christmas Carol. Pupils were very keen to answer questions about some of the characters.  A significant feature of the school is the highly effective way teachers manage behaviour. As a result, pupils make great strides in their ability to manage and improve their behaviour and diffuse potentially

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Behaviour

challenging or difficult situations. This is particularly so in the ARP, where the skill, patience and determination of staff ensure an increasingly calmer atmosphere where pupils’ anxiety levels drop and they are much more able to learn.  Adults communicate very effectively with pupils, making sure they understand what is expected of them and what they are to do. Parents, carers and pupils are extremely positive about pupils’ behaviour.  Most pupils attend school regularly and their attendance is above average. A very small number are absent for longer periods but this is almost always due to serious medical conditions.  There is no litter or graffiti and pupils are very proud of their school. They are keen to talk about their favourite activities such as cricket and were desperate for an inspector to observe the after-school drumming, which was impressive.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Statutory requirements to keep pupils safe and secure are followed rigorously. All staff take great care in ensuring students are well cared for. The pupils are very well supervised at all times and those with medical needs are looked after exceptionally well. Adults manage the pupils’ care effectively, for instance in moving and hoisting pupils with severe and physical disabilities. Risk assessments for all aspects of the pupils’ care are thorough and very well monitored.  Pupils say they feel safe and explain how they have been taught about the dangers of traffic. They do not feel bullying is an issue and this is confirmed by school records. There no have been exclusions, either temporary or permanent in recent years.  Feedback from the Barking College of Further Education and checks by school staff show that sixth form students are very safe when using this provision and when attending work placements.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching over time is outstanding. The school’s monitoring of teaching shows there has been a gradual increase in the amount of teaching that is outstanding or good and that there is very little that requires improvement. This, together with the monitoring of pupils’ progress and analysis of their work, confirms the judgement of outstanding teaching.  Teachers have high expectations of the progress their pupils are capable of making and this contributes significantly to their outstanding achievement. Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage and the sixth form is outstanding. Teachers plan work that challenges the more able students effectively. Work is very well planned  Although class sizes are very small, the pupils’ needs are quite significant. Teachers make excellent use of teaching assistants and other support to ensure their needs are very well met. Teaching assistants are well trained and make a significant contribution to the pupils’ excellent achievement.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Communication, reading and writing are taught well and this is shown in teachers’ careful planning. Pupils quickly become used to the shapes and sounds of letters. The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is very effective in the early years setting and provides the more able children with a good grounding for future reading. Teachers have rewritten several books with visual symbols as text and this has enabled students to access literature that might otherwise not be available to them. This is also proved valuable for those pupils at an early stage of learning English as an additional language and who find visual cues helpful.  Teachers usually mark pupils’ work very well so that other adults know what the next steps in the pupils’ learning are. However, this practice is on occasions inconsistent and the school rightly recognises the importance of ensuring a common approach to marking.

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is outstanding

 Pupils’ progress throughout the school is consistent and sustained. The pupils’ attainment remains low because of their significant learning difficulties. However, they make progress and achieve exceptionally well. The school ensures that all pupils achieve their potential. This outstanding achievement has been maintained since the previous inspection.  The most able pupils from all areas of the school make outstanding progress in English and mathematics. Average-attaining pupils and those with more severe and complex needs also make outstanding progress. This is the result of teachers and support staff planning work that is well matched to pupils’ prior attainment and because staff are skilled at encouraging pupils’ desire to learn.  Disadvantaged pupils supported by additional funding make progress that is at least in line with their classmates’. Communication skills progress rapidly because the school has wisely employed additional

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is outstanding

speech therapists. Pupils’ physical and fine motor skills improve rapidly because the therapists and support staff target these areas closely.  There is no difference in achievement between pupils from different ethnic groups. All pupils achieve equally well, including those who speak English as an additional language. Girls and boys also achieve equally well.  Pupils in the ARP achieve very well due to the excellent care and support which help to reduce their anxiety and make them more ready to learn.  When they enter the school, children’s needs are assessed very carefully. This provides Early Years Foundation Stage staff with the basis for delivering well-targeted phonics teaching. This programme continues throughout the primary phase and pupils continue to develop their literacy and numeracy skills, learning very effectively through topics. The school’s Discovery Room is used very effectively to help

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is outstanding

pupils improve their speaking, reading and writing skills through topic work in an exciting and interesting way.  Pupils’ mathematical skills improve quickly through a range of activities, for example through counting, subtracting and adding money during shopping trips.  Pupils’ physical education and musical skills develop well and help to improve pupils’ social skills and confidence.  Sixth form students progress exceptionally well so that many become confident and fluent readers by the time they are ready for the next stage of their education or training. Those students who attend alternative provision at Barking College of Further Education or attend work placements achieve extremely well during their time at these settings.

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is outstanding

 Children enter the school with skills at much lower levels than those typical for their age. They make rapid progress in all areas of learning, particularly in their personal development, so that they are extremely well prepared for the next stage of learning.  Through very careful assessments and interaction with the children, teachers and other adults get to know the children very well. As a result, they are able to provide work and activities closely matched to the children’s needs. Each child is provided with a high level of support that enables them to enjoy the many varied and interesting activities.  Children from minority ethnic groups achieve as well as other children, as do those who speak English as an additional language. The excellent use of visual aids and symbols helps these children to communicate with staff.  Teaching is outstanding. Teachers and other staff regularly check how well children are progressing and

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is outstanding

adapt the work and activities accordingly. Teachers expect the children to make rapid progress and achieve well as a consequence.  Teachers develop excellent relationships with the children and make learning exciting. As a result, children work hard and concentrate well. Teachers have clear rules and expectations of behaviour which are communicated effectively to the children.  Children enjoy coming to school. Links with parents and carers are excellent and they are rightly confident that the school keeps their children very safe.  The leadership and management of the early years provision are excellent. The leader has adapted the early learning goals so that the needs of the children are fully met. Excellent monitoring of children’s progress and the quality of teaching ensures that children are provided with an outstanding start to their education, enabling them to achieve exceptionally well.

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The sixth form provision is outstanding

 Students’ achievement is outstanding because teachers know them very well. The outstanding teaching builds very effectively on their previous learning, enabling them to develop secure skills in the basic skills of communication, reading, writing and mathematics. There are excellent opportunities for the students to apply these skills in practical activities, for example, when they go on work placements.  The teachers ensure that the curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of all students. Students are encouraged to develop the skills for independent living. Weekly visits to the local supermarket and preparing and cooking their own meals help students to make significant progress in this aspect.  All students gain accreditation in basic skills and individual students have undertaken GCSE courses with local schools or Barking College of Further Education. This year six students have remained at the

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The sixth form provision is outstanding

school to study mathematics and physical education and are on track to gain GCSEs in these subjects.  The school’s own DIY centre enables students to gain confidence and the skills to use a variety of tools while undertaking renovation projects. There are excellent opportunities for them to learn about horticulture, sports leadership, catering and the retail sector.  Students are encouraged to socialise and meet with people beyond the school. They take part in volunteering activities. At Christmas they invite senior citizens from the community for a Christmas meal.  They are encouraged to, and do, take part in many sporting activities such as bowling, golf, climbing, judo, fitness gym and boccia. Year 13 students are encouraged to access a six-week link course at Barking College. This gives them experience of working in a college environment and the opportunity to work in the college bakery.  The leadership of the sixth form is outstanding. Records of students’ achievements are meticulous and

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The sixth form provision is outstanding

provide them and others with an excellent picture of their time at Trinity School. Transition arrangements are thorough and the students are fully involved in the decision making as to the course they will take when they leave the school.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 131102 Local authority Barking and Dagenham Inspection number 448155

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School details

Type of school Special School category Community special Age range of pupils 3–19 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 285 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 40 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Glenda Spencer Headteacher Peter McPartland Date of previous school inspection 6–7 October 2009 Telephone number 020 82701601 Fax number 020 82704969 Email address office@trinity.bardaglea.org.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 and 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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