Holy Trinity, Guildford, CofE Aided Junior School

School report Holy Trinity, Guildford, Church of England Aided Junior School Addison Road, Guildford, GU1 3QF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders have worked closely together to bring about improvements in teaching. Consequently, teaching is consistently good and continues to get even better.  Standards have remained above average, last year reaching the highest they have been. Pupils make good progress from their starting points; their progress in reading and mathematics is outstanding.  All groups of pupils make similar progress because senior leaders and teachers keep a close check on how effectively they are supported, and change this provision if necessary.  The behaviour of pupils is outstanding because they are determined to work hard and produce their best work. They are kind and considerate, get along very well, and show respect for adults and one another.  Pupils say they feel very safe because they know adults demonstrate their care, and because pupils know a lot about how to stay safe. They weigh up risks and make thoughtful decisions to help keep

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

themselves safe.  Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher and senior leaders make sure that teachers know what they need to do to improve teaching. Leaders at all levels share the strong vision for the school and play an effective role in bringing this about.  The curriculum is exceptional. It is carefully planned to develop the skills pupils need, and to give them many exciting opportunities to practise these skills across different areas.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is another exceptional strength of the school, because of the emphasis the leaders, governors and staff place on this across all areas of the curriculum.  Governors have an accurate view about the work of the school and the quality of teaching. They hold the leaders to account for improvements taking place quickly, and help to focus the plans for this. They persistently look for ways to maximise the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

benefits for the pupils and their learning.  Leaders and governors make sure that the statutory requirements are in place and understood by staff, particularly those for keeping pupils safe.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet consistently outstanding. Not all teaching and learning reflects the very best practice that is being developed in the school.  Pupils do not always make rapid progress because they do not have enough opportunities to think for themselves how to improve their work. They do not always have the time to make such improvements. Inspection report: Holy Trinity, Guildford, Church of England Aided Junior School, 03 – 04 February 2015 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spent the majority of their time in lessons, looking at the work pupils were doing and talking to them about their learning. Inspectors observed 30 lessons or parts of lessons. About a quarter of the observations were done together with senior leaders. Inspectors also looked at a wide sample of pupils’ work, and reviewed this with senior leaders.  The inspectors reviewed the documents provided by the school. These included minutes from meetings; teachers’ records about the progress and standards of pupils; the school’s analysis about pupils’ performance over time; plans to bring about improvement, and the success of this; checks carried out by external advisors; and information about the work of governors. Other data and information were also considered, including that which is available through the school’s website.  Inspectors met with teachers, senior and middle leaders, governors, groups of pupils, and with

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Information about this inspection

representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  The inspectors also spoke to pupils and parents informally before and after the school day. The inspectors took into account the views of parents through the 127 responses to Parent View, the online survey for Ofsted about the school. Inspectors added to this evidence letters sent to the inspection team by parents.  Inspectors considered the views of staff through the 38 responses to a survey of those working at the school.

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Inspection team

Andrew Saunders, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Alastair McMeckan Additional Inspector Inspection report: Holy Trinity, Guildford, Church of England Aided Junior School, 03 – 04 February 2015 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This is a school that is larger than average, with three classes in each year group. Two thirds of the pupils join from the federated school, Pewley Down Infant School. The other third of pupils come from a range of schools in surrounding villages.  The executive headteacher leads both schools in the federation. He is assisted by three deputy headteachers.  Most pupils are White British. Pupils from other backgrounds come from a wide range of ethnicities.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average, at about one in twenty.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average, with fewer than one in ten pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium. This is additional funding the school receives from the government to improve the attainment and progress of pupils known to have been eligible for free school meals, and children looked after by the local authority.

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Information about this school

 Five teachers are new to the school since the previous inspection. All of these are relatively new to teaching, or in their first year of teaching.  As well as the federation, the school works closely with South Farnham Teaching School.  The school meets the current floor standards. The government sets these minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of all pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make teaching outstanding so that pupils’ progress is consistently rapid across the school, particularly in writing, by:  giving pupils more time to think carefully about how they need to improve their work, and then to act on this  sharing the very best practice in teaching and learning so that quality is consistently high across the school. Inspection report: Holy Trinity, Guildford, Church of England Aided Junior School, 03 – 04 February 2015 4 of 9

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher has made sure that issues identified at the previous inspection have been addressed quickly and effectively, without losing the many strengths and features of this extraordinary school. Teaching has improved quickly, and standards have risen further.  The headteacher has built an exceptionally strong team of leaders who have an ambitious vision for every pupil’s achievement and personal development. Together they set high expectations for the quality of teaching, the standard of pupils’ work, and for the behaviour of everyone in the school. They model this themselves, for example by the careful planning and exceptional quality of collective worship. The chapel is inspirational and makes morning assembly a very special time of the day for everyone, through the singing, prayers and times of quiet thought.  The headteacher and senior leaders celebrate learning and reflection enthusiastically. They make sure

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The leadership and management are outstanding

there are many opportunities for pupils to think deeply about the world around them, their own views and the views of others. Complex moral issues and spiritual thinking are neatly integrated into pupils’ learning across the curriculum. The school’s ethos, that ‘All pupils are treasured and loved as a unique child of God’ drives the work of all leaders to provide the highest quality of education and development. Their concern for staff reflects the same value.  Teachers and leaders work together closely to provide a rich, diverse curriculum which gives pupils a broad experience, and develops the skills they need to succeed. In particular, work in Year 6 helps them feel extremely well prepared for secondary school. For example, pupils were writing themselves a letter of advice for their first year at their new schools, to be delivered once they are there.  There is an exceptional atmosphere of mutual respect, between adults, the adults for the pupils, and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

between the pupils themselves. Pupils are friendly and courteous to each other, adults and visitors.  The environment is exceptional, both inside and outside. The buildings, classrooms and open spaces are all well focused on bringing the curriculum and learning to life. The library, at the centre of the school, is a vibrant and lively area where much learning and many clubs take place. The inspirational displays and themes, such as a Bedouin tent or Dr Who’s tardis, invite pupils to read very widely from the impressive range of books. The inspiring quotes on the walls around the school further promote the strong values of the school.  All adults make sure safety has a high priority, but without diminishing the opportunities for pupils to make decisions themselves and think about how to stay safe. For example, before going out to play in the snow, pupils had a discussion about playing ‘empathetically’. Their sensitive contributions showed their

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The leadership and management are outstanding

concern for one another and particularly for younger pupils.  The school considers carefully the needs of each pupil. This includes very detailed consideration about how to best help disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and disadvantaged pupils. The pupil premium funding is used well. Leaders seek out innovative ways to make sure these pupils are making the best progress they can, and have every opportunity that is available to all pupils.  Equality is very strongly promoted, and staff quickly act to ensure there is no discrimination. The school’s values promote tolerance both within the school and more widely. Pupils have an excellent understanding of British values and life in modern Britain because these are promoted well, through discussions, displays and the projects pupils do. They also have a wider view of the world through their links with charities, schools and individuals from further afield.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Sports provision is excellent because teachers have had training to develop their confidence in delivering high quality physical education, particularly in gymnastics and dance. Hockey, football, netball, basketball, tag rugby, volleyball and cricket are all played at a good level. A high proportion of pupils take part in competitive sports and, by the end of Year 6, most pupils have represented the school in some way.  Pupils and parents cannot speak highly enough of the school. In particular, parents said that the way the leaders faced the key issues raised at the previous inspection was both ‘humble and brave’. Parents said the school ‘is at the heart of the community, and has the community at its heart’. Other views were similarly positive.  The local authority has worked closely with the school to help leaders focus on the key things that needed to improve. As the school has demonstrated its strong commitment to bringing about these

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The leadership and management are outstanding

improvements, the local authority increasingly provides support through a monitoring role. The school works well with other schools, including the infant school in the federation and the teaching school they are linked with, to promote the positive experiences of pupils more widely. The school provides excellent support for teachers at the early stages of their career, and those training to be teachers. As a result the school has encouraged some teaching assistants to take up training and become teachers. Inspection report: Holy Trinity, Guildford, Church of England Aided Junior School, 03 – 04 February 2015 5 of 9

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a detailed, accurate view about the work of the school, including the strengths and areas that need development. They have very carefully planned the next stages of the school’s journey, ensuring that strong leadership is in place and that succession is well managed. Parents, pupils and staff were closely involved in this, so that there is great confidence among the whole community.  Governors work closely with senior leaders to make sure that the school meets all the statutory requirements, that policies and procedures are up to date, and that the background of any adult is checked before they start working at the school. They ask for the information they need to understand how well pupils are learning, and compare this with the quality of teaching and the work in pupils’ books. They use information about the performance of pupils and the quality of teaching to help them

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The leadership and management are outstanding

make decisions about any pay awards, so that the best practice is encouraged and underperformance is tackled.  The governors keep a close check on how the finances of the school are used, and have been particularly effective at acquiring funding to bring about the award-winning design of the new buildings. They make sure the pupil premium is proving effective in helping eligible pupils achieve well, and that the primary sports funding improves the physical education and health of pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding because they are eager to learn, and show great curiosity about the topics they study. They work hard to produce their best work, and are justifiably proud of their books and the projects they have done. Pupils are highly positive about the school and are sociable and kind. This is consistent across all the areas of the school, and at all times of the day.  In lessons, pupils remain well focused on what they are doing, and very seldom need any reminders about the school’s expectations. This means learning continues at a good pace. Incidents of poor behaviour are very rare.  Pupils speak enthusiastically about the extraordinary variety of clubs and activities they can choose from, all of which are very popular. These include chess, Latin, choirs and music, mathematics, cooking, art and a wide range of sports.  At the start of the day pupils come straight in and start learning, as soon as they arrive. This gives them

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Behaviour

the opportunity to do some of their own work, or get support for particular needs. It makes a very calm and stress-free start to their day. They love being at school and attendance is above average.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding because pupils are given plenty of information and opportunities to think about how to stay safe. In particular they know how to keep safe when using the internet and other technologies.  Pupils feel extremely well cared for because of the excellent relationships with adults; they also demonstrate this care for one another. For example, while having fun playing in the snow, they were careful to ensure others did not get hurt. Any pupil who does have a bump or graze is very well cared for by trained first aiders.  Pupils say that bullying of any kind does not happen at this school because the staff are very strict about it, and would deal with it immediately if it did occur. They added that everyone gets along so well, it would be impossible for a bully to get away with it. They are careful about the words they use and it is never acceptable to use unkind words.

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Safety

 Parents and pupils say that the adults care a great deal about the pupils, can never do enough for them, and address any worries very quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Evidence from inspection, in pupils’ books and the school’s records about the quality of teaching show that Inspection report: Holy Trinity, Guildford, Church of England Aided Junior School, 03 – 04 February 2015 6 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

teaching is consistently good across the school in all subjects. Teachers use the information they gather about how well pupils have understood what they are doing to plan carefully for the next lessons. They probe pupils’ confidence through good questions and adapt what they are doing during lessons in the light of how pupils respond.  There is increasing evidence of teaching and learning which is outstanding, such as the work in Year 5 towards the pupils’ Earth Summit for parents in a few weeks. The opportunity to choose their own particular focus within this is strongly motivating pupils to produce excellent writing, develop their communication skills and to make rapid progress. They are very excited and committed to persuading parents what they can do to help make our world a better place. Similarly, Year 6 pupils were inspired by the book they are reading, and the use of Shakespearian quotes to illustrate being true to themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

However, this level of exceptional teaching is not yet consistent across all classes.  Pupils are encouraged to reflect about their success in each lesson. However, in a few classes, pupils do not get enough time to think carefully about how to improve their work, and they do not have enough time to make the improvements they should. Consequently, some spelling and grammatical errors persist for longer than they need to. When pupils do get these opportunities, they respond very positively.  Teaching assistants and other volunteer helpers are kept well informed about the work they are asked to do and the needs of the pupils they work with. They, too, exhibit the great care the school shows for pupils and their families, and help to promote the ethos and values of the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs benefit from a wide range of support, using appropriate resources and approaches. These are closely checked to make sure they are proving effective,

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The quality of teaching is good

and changed quickly if not. This ensures these pupils make up ground, and many get to a point where they no longer need the support.  Teachers make sure that the most able pupils are given work to do which stretches their skills and knowledge so they have to think and work hard. In the best lessons they quickly move into doing their work as soon as they understand what they need to do, or get extra input from the teacher, to challenge their thinking.

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is good

 In 2014, pupils in Year 6 reached the highest standards the school has achieved, which were high in comparison to national figures. Their progress when they joined the school in Year 3 was initially slow, but accelerated as they went through Years 4, 5 and 6. By the end of their time at the school they had made good progress in reading, writing and particularly so in mathematics. Far more pupils than average reached the highest levels in mathematics.  Pupils currently in Year 6 have also made good progress since joining the school. They are already well placed to reach standards which are above average.  Progress in Year 3 has accelerated as senior leaders have improved the quality of teaching. Pupils make good progress across the school. Their progress in reading is outstanding because phonics (linking letters and the sounds they make) is taught very well, and ensures pupils have the skills to read confidently.

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is good

Progress in mathematics has accelerated because of training to make sure teachers are confident with the new curriculum. The school has adapted the approach to teaching writing and progress is also now accelerating here.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they are helped to make great gains in their skills and confidence. Some of these pupils make outstanding progress and overcome the difficulties they have.  The most able pupils make good progress because they are given harder work to do and they enjoy the extra challenges available. In mathematics, many of the older pupils are working at standards well above those expected for their age.  Disadvantaged pupils have made up considerable ground compared with other pupils in the school. By the end of Year 6, these pupils were about a term behind other pupils, in reading, writing and mathematics. This meant that they were ahead of other pupils nationally, by about a year in reading, writing and

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is good

mathematics. In the rest of the school the gaps are either small, or are closing further. Inspection report: Holy Trinity, Guildford, Church of England Aided Junior School, 03 – 04 February 2015 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Holy Trinity, Guildford, Church of England Aided Junior School, 03 – 04 February 2015 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 125288 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 451058

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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 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 382 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rev. Robert Cotton Headteacher Richard Rowe Date of previous school inspection 2–3 May 2013 Telephone number 01483539033 Fax number 01483451227 Email address hts@holytrinity.surrey.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 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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