Holy Trinity Church of England Academy

Holy Trinity Church of England Academy 1 Quemerford, Calne, Wiltshire SN11 0AR

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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This is a good school

 Pupils do well at this academy. They make good progress and achieve standards that ensure that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Children in the early years get off to a good start. Good teaching and effective leadership ensure that, by the end of the Reception Year, they are ready to begin Year 1.  Good-quality teaching across key stages 1 and 2 engages pupils and enables them to develop a strong desire to learn.  Teachers and teaching assistants work together very well to support pupils’ development.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent. They are motivated and keen to achieve their best.  Behaviour in lessons and around the school is very good. Pupils are polite, courteous and helpful.  Staff know pupils very well. They ensure that pupils’ safety and welfare are paramount.  The academy’s strong Christian ethos contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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This is a good school

development.  The acting headteacher is highly motivational. His leadership style is proving very successful at drawing everyone together into a highly effective team.  Governors are strong advocates for the academy. Like the headteacher, they are very ambitious for the academy’s future improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not plan activities with enough challenge for the most-able pupils and thereby enable them to fully reach their potential.  Middle leaders are not yet playing a full part in checking the progress of pupils over time in their respective areas of responsibility.  The success criteria used to judge the impact of the changes being implemented are not precise enough.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and thereby raise standards, by ensuring that teachers plan activities that fully challenge all groups, particularly the most able.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the effectiveness and impact of the school’s leadership and management, including governance, by: – ensuring that middle leaders play a greater part in checking the gains in knowledge, skills and understanding made by pupils over time – sharpening the success criteria that are used to monitor and evaluate the impact of the academy’s improvement plans.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior leaders have high expectations for everyone at the academy. Their determination for pupils to do well is paramount to the academy’s continuing success.  Following the previous headteacher’s departure at the end of 2015, the acting headteacher has picked up the baton and is implementing all of the actions that had been planned to address improvement priorities. His leadership is ensuring that no time is being lost in strengthening the academy’s position and his plans for the future are well founded in a secure knowledge of the academy’s continuing improvement. He is being ably supported by senior leaders, who are making a strong contribution to the academy’s development.  Staff are firmly behind the new leadership. Morale is high. The responses to the staff questionnaire reflect a very positive view about all the changes being implemented across the academy.  Leaders are knowledgeable about the academy’s current position. Their evaluation of the academy’s

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

strengths and areas for improvement are accurate. Senior leaders have worked with governors to create an improvement and development plan that sets out a clear strategy to strengthen the work of the academy by focusing on appropriate priorities.  Staff with subject leadership responsibility are knowledgeable about pupils’ achievement in their respective subjects. Plans are being implemented to enable middle leaders to take greater responsibility for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching in their respective subjects.  To take account of the changes being introduced nationally, leaders are developing a new system to record pupils’ progress in all subjects. At present, the academy’s tracking system is still a ‘work in progress’. Middle leaders are not yet playing a full part in checking pupils’ progress over time using the school’s chosen approach to assessment.  Staff have worked together well to plan a carefully thought-out curriculum that provides pupils with many

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding in a wide range of subjects. The topics are very appropriate to pupils’ ages, interests and experiences. The pupils spoken to during the inspection were excited to discuss the different topics being taught in each of their classes. For example, Year 5 pupils described how they had used modelling material to make their own individual Aztec masks, which they had decorated in exceptional detail. In addition, the strong emphasis on bringing learning to life ensures that pupils benefit from an exciting range of enrichment activities that include visits to places of interest and having visitors to the school.  The academy’s well-resourced and inviting library is used very well to foster in pupils a love of books and a keen interest in reading.  The academy’s leaders make good use of the pupil premium grant to ensure that disadvantage is not a barrier to academic achievement and participation in a wide range of enrichment activities. For example,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

disadvantaged pupils new to the school receive excellent support to enable them to settle quickly. If they are identified as having a specific need, senior leaders ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure that they are able to benefit from all of the learning opportunities being provided.  The physical education and sports premium is also used well to encourage pupils to be active and engage in sport. The use of a specialist physical education coach is broadening the range of sports that pupils experience. Staff also benefit as they work alongside the coach, which is helping them to improve their confidence to teach high-quality physical education lessons.  The academy’s Christian ethos permeates all of its work. Leaders ensure that Christian values are embodied throughout the academy. Assemblies are based on the academy’s ‘Values for Life’, which include themes such as friendship, generosity and perseverance. As a result, there is a strong and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

appropriate emphasis on ensuring that all pupils develop a very good knowledge and understanding of the importance of working together to create a fair and equitable society. Religious education lessons are used well to broaden pupils’ understanding of other faiths and cultures so that they recognise the many similarities that exist between the world religions. The academy’s links with other schools also support pupils’ awareness of other cultures and beliefs. As a result, the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The values of respect and tolerance are clearly visible in all aspects of the academy’s work.  Throughout the academy, there is a strong and appropriate focus on promoting British values. Pupils benefit from learning about British history and having opportunities to visit sites of cultural interest. For example, the trip to Salisbury Cathedral enabled pupils to see and learn about the Magna Carta. Pupils

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

also learn about democracy through participating in annual elections to select pupils to join the school council. The school council is very active in debating ideas and deciding which to take forward. Members also take responsibility for deciding which charities to support during the year and then think about relevant fundraising ideas to put forward. For example, during the inspection, pupils were very excited to participate in the fun run in aid of Sport Relief.  Parents are very positive about the academy. A very high number responded to ‘Parent View’, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, to share their views about all aspects of the academy. Many also wrote at length in support of the academy and described it as being excellent, with staff that ‘go above and beyond’ to ensure pupils’ well-being and academic achievement. They appreciate the regular communications they receive from the academy and see leaders as taking time to act on any concerns they raise.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school – Governors make a significant contribution to the life of the academy. They are frequent visitors to the academy. They are also highly influential in the academy’s work and play a key strategic role in determining its development plans. They have the highest aspirations for pupils and staff. – They are becoming increasingly robust in their role of monitoring the impact of the academy’s work. For example, two governors visited recently to observe pupils’ behaviour as a means of monitoring the effectiveness of the recently revised and updated behaviour policy. They liaise closely with subject leaders to monitor the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress. – During this current period of change in leadership at the academy, the governing body is providing continuity. Governors are very supportive of the acting headteacher and have great confidence that they have secured leadership which will take forward their plans to secure further improvements at

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the academy. As initiatives are introduced, they recognise that the academy’s improvement plans need to be strengthened with the addition of sharply focused targets that they can use to monitor the impact of each new change on pupils’ achievement.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff at the academy recognise that pupils’ safety is a key priority. They are all fully informed about their role and responsibilities. They are very well trained and highly vigilant in monitoring pupils’ safety and well-being. Although the academy is in a transitional period with the appointment of a new leader, an appropriate contingency plan has been established that ensures that pupils’ safety is paramount. Office staff maintain detailed records to ensure that relevant information can be accessed quickly. The acting headteacher is a lead trainer for the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty, which focuses on ensuring that pupils are kept safe from the dangers of extremism. He

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

has shared his knowledge with all staff so that they are fully aware of this risk to pupils’ safety. In terms of day-to-day safety, classrooms are tidy and orderly, the playground is well supervised and the equipment is checked regularly. In addition, very comprehensive risk assessments are completed for relevant activities, such as the recent field trip by Year 3 pupils to the local River Marden.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers are very proud to work at the academy. They are fully committed to the academy’s culture of high expectations. Teaching in all year groups works well to ensure that pupils develop effective learning skills in readiness for their move to secondary school.  During lessons, teachers manage pupils’ behaviour very well. Pupils respond quickly and sensibly to teachers’ instructions and no time is lost as they move between activities. Throughout lessons, pupils focus strongly on the tasks provided. There is an appropriate emphasis on developing pupils’ confidence in the subjects being studied. In mathematics, for example, pupils are encouraged to persevere and gain satisfaction when solving problems.  Teachers know their pupils very well. They monitor pupils’ academic development carefully through regular marking and checking their understanding during lessons. As a result, they are informed about

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

what pupils already know and generally plan well to build on their prior learning. Nevertheless, planning is not focused sufficiently on providing all groups, particularly the most able, with enough challenge to enable them to make the rapid progress of which they are capable.  Teachers have very good levels of subject knowledge. They ask pupils searching questions that help pupils to articulate and develop their understanding.  Teaching assistants make a significant contribution to the quality of teaching. They are very well informed and trained to support pupils’ learning. Teachers brief teaching assistants ahead of each lesson so that they can provide high-quality support to those pupils needing additional help. They are often assigned to work with pupils who have special educational needs or disability on an individual or small-group basis. They do this very well as they have a very good knowledge and understanding of the needs of those

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

pupils they support.  The teaching of English and mathematics is very effective. The strong emphasis on developing pupils’ literacy skills is evident throughout the academy. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) provides the structure for pupils to be able to sound out unfamiliar words and begin to comprehend that words convey meaning. In mathematics, pupils are taught the different mathematical operations so that they become very confident mathematicians by the end of Year 6. During the inspection, for example, Year 6 pupils were observed measuring angles very accurately using protractors and applying their knowledge of two-dimensional triangles and quadrilaterals to work out the size of unknown angles.  The academy employs a specialist music teacher to teach Year 3 and 4 pupils drumming skills. During the inspection, the teacher ensured that there was a very effective balance of discussion and practical

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

activity, which maintained the pupils’ interest throughout. The lesson resulted in pupils making excellent progress while having lots of fun. Their excitement was clearly evident as the lesson generated frequent cheers throughout the activity.  Teachers implement the academy’s agreed marking policy well. As a result, pupils are supported to learn from their mistakes and identify how to improve their work.

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Personal development and welfare

 The academy’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils are exceptionally positive about their education. They have a full understanding of what it takes to be a successful learner. They recognise that they are making good progress and developing their knowledge and understanding. They possess excellent attitudes to learning. In each of the classrooms, there is a good working atmosphere, with pupils working hard and trying their best. Talk is focused on the task in hand and contributions to class discussions are positively encouraged.  Older pupils enjoy being given responsibilities and carry out their tasks in a very mature manner. For example, Year 6 pupils enjoy the responsibility of being ‘Reading Buddies’ to Reception children. Comments from parents of Reception children recognise that this approach provides the younger children with extra encouragement and support that helps to develop their early reading skills. The school council

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Personal development and welfare

also provides all year groups with an opportunity to contribute to the academy’s work. To be elected to the council, pupils have to prepare and present a statement setting out the reasons why they should represent their class. Votes are then cast to decide which pupils will be elected, which helps pupils to gain an understanding of democracy in action.  The recent decision to appoint a pastoral support manager is proving very successful. The teacher works closely with pupils to help them overcome barriers to learning and to learn how to cope in demanding situations. These pupils are quickly supported to re-engage in learning with little time being lost.  Pupils have a very clear understanding about how to stay safe. They are confident that staff take great care of them. They are also clear that staff help them to develop their knowledge of how to stay safe. For example, pupils enjoy learning to swim and they talk knowledgeably about the need to be vigilant when

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Personal development and welfare

using the internet. They also understand that bullying can happen and that its effects can be very damaging. Staff at the academy take strong action to ensure that any incidents are swiftly and effectively resolved. Pupils’ posters around the school reinforce the strong message that bullying is not acceptable behaviour.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ behaviour around the academy and in lessons is excellent. Pupils have a very clear understanding of the academy’s expectations of behaviour. They understand the academy’s rules and are very clear that unacceptable behaviour is not tolerated. They are polite and engage well with adults and each other. During breaks and lunch periods, pupils get on well together and use the time to socialise.  Pupils are very proud of the academy. They are very welcoming and want to talk about their experiences. They describe the academy as being very friendly. Pupils new to the academy quickly settle and begin to make friends. Pupils arriving from outside the United Kingdom are supported exceptionally well to help them adjust to a new way of life.  Pupils enjoy being at the academy; for example, those arriving for the breakfast club, enjoy having time to socialise with friends before classes begin. As a result, attendance levels are higher than the national

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Behaviour

average.  Parents are very positive about the academy’s strong approach to promoting pupils’ positive behaviour. Parents are confident that their children are happy at school and that pupils behave very well.  Staff too are very positive about the high standards of pupils’ behaviour around the school.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Standards at the end of Year 6 have been consistently well above the national average. In 2015, a dip in the attainment of Year 6 pupils to slightly above the average was associated with a higher than usual proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability in the cohort. Even so, those Year 6 pupils who have special educational needs or disability last year made good progress from their starting points and achieved results close to those of other pupils nationally. As a result, all pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 show a three-year improving trend, with pupils’ attainment continuing to increase just ahead of the national average.  In 2015, the proportion of Year 1 pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check was in line with the national average and it was well above the national average in 2013 and 2014.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 In all year groups, current pupils are doing well and making good progress. Work recorded in pupils’ books shows that they are making at least the expected progress as they move through the school.  As a result of the strong and appropriate focus on helping all pupils to achieve, disadvantaged pupils make at least good progress; in some year groups, they achieve standards higher than other pupils.  Although teachers generally plan well for the lessons they teach, there is insufficient challenge for the most able as pupils are often completing the same task as others. As a consequence, they find the work too easy, which limits their achievement.  Provision for pupils who have special educational needs or disability is planned well so that they receive specialist support as necessary. Teaching assistants make a strong contribution to helping this group of pupils to do well and experience success. Consequently, their confidence levels are high and they are

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Outcomes for pupils are good

motivated to achieve.  The displays of pupils’ high-quality written work emphasises the standards pupils are capable of achieving. Similarly, the excellent art work on display highlights the wide range of work being taught across the curriculum.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years provision is well led. Parents of Reception children are full of praise for the good quality of education being provided. They describe the academy as providing a welcoming and positive learning environment. They also recognise that children settle quickly, which they describe as helping to support their child’s learning.  Senior leaders have acted on the recommendations made in the previous inspection report to strengthen and enhance the early years provision. The outdoor learning area has been improved and the classroom provides for a range of well-organised learning activities. Further improvements are planned as funds become available as leaders want to build on their earlier work and create an early years setting of the highest quality.  Although there are some differences between each year’s intake, most children join the Reception Year with skills that are at least typical for their age. Over the course of the Reception Year, most children

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Early years provision is good

make good progress and achieve a good level of development so that they are well prepared for the start of Year 1.  Transition arrangements work well. Staff make nursery and pre-school visits before children begin the Reception Year so that they can develop supportive relationships with individual families and answer any specific questions. Parents are also very appreciative of the many opportunities to visit the academy and hear about different aspects of the academy’s work, such as the teaching of phonics, early writing and mathematics. To strengthen the current arrangements for children starting school, the early years leader is planning to work with feeder nurseries to discuss a range of issues, including the early teaching of phonics.  Teachers plan activities that provide for children’s early interests and build on their prior learning. Work in books is neatly presented and shows that the children are making good progress. Teaching assistants are

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Early years provision is good

well informed about their role for working with designated individuals or small groups of children. As a result, the classroom atmosphere is conducive to learning.  On entry, children are introduced to phonics as a means to develop their early reading skills. The phonics lessons observed during the inspection confirmed that children have a good grasp of the sounds letters make and that they are able to sound out a range of new and unfamiliar words. Children display positive attitudes to learning. They respond well to praise and, as a result, are keen to ‘have a go’ at writing and spelling simple words.  Staff take great care to ensure children’s safety. Good behaviour is actively encouraged and staff monitor children’s well-being closely.

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School details

Unique reference number 138109 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 10011145

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 207 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kathryn Miller Acting headteacher Graham Shore Telephone number 01249 812424 Website www.holytrinitycalne.co.uk Email address admin@holytrinitycalne.wilts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 October 2011

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Information about this school

 This academy is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Holy Trinity Church of England Academy converted to become an academy on 1 May 2012. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  Since January 2016, the deputy headteacher has become the acting headteacher, taking over from the previous headteacher, who had been appointed to another headship. The governing body has appointed the acting headteacher to be the academy’s substantive headteacher with effect from April 2016.  Since the predecessor school’s previous inspection, a new chair of the governing body has been appointed.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  A few pupils are from minority ethnic groups.  Children in the Reception Year attend full time. They are taught together in a single-age class, as are pupils in other year groups.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is average. Similarly, the

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Information about this school

proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need or an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is lower than the national average.  The academy’s breakfast club operates each morning during term time.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 19 lessons during the inspection. The acting headteacher accompanied the lead inspector during eight of these observations.  Inspectors made observations around the academy at breaktime and over the lunch period. The lead inspector attended a hymn practice and a celebration assembly.  Inspectors observed the arrangements for pupils at the start and end of the day.  Inspectors talked with individuals and groups of pupils. They also looked at a wide range of pupils’ work, both in their books and on display.  The lead inspector met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body. Meetings were also held with the acting headteacher and academy staff, including the majority of teaching assistants.  Inspectors talked with parents at the start and end of the day.  During the inspection, inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the academy’s

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Information about this inspection

development plan, minutes of the governing body meetings and reports about the academy’s effectiveness. A wide range of the academy’s safeguarding documentation and records was also scrutinised.  The inspectors took account of the views expressed in the 71 online responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 34 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Ken Buxton, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Violet McLaren Ofsted Inspector Richard Lucas Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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