Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School

Holy Trinity CE (VA) Primary School Longlands Close, Crossbrook Street, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire EN8 8LU

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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 Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Leaders and governors have a very clear view of how well the school is performing and where it can do better. Leaders are committed to ensuring that pupils achieve their potential, personally and academically, and that teaching is as effective as possible. As a result, all aspects of the school have improved since the last inspection.  Accurate assessment underpins good teaching and effective feedback, which helps pupils to improve their work and be stretched in their learning.  The pupil premium grant is spent effectively. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make good progress.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well. They make good progress and achieve well.  Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning and their excellent behaviour have a clear impact on ensuring their good achievement and their enjoyment of school.  A highly supportive and nurturing atmosphere contributes strongly to pupils’ safety and their

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This is a good school

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Parents and carers are very positive about the school. Most parents who stated a view say that they would recommend the school to others.  Governors provide strong support and challenge to the school. They use their expertise effectively, visit the school often and know what is going on because they talk to leaders regularly.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Subject leaders are not fully effective in improving standards in their subjects.  The most able pupils are not challenged with sufficient vigour to achieve as well as they could.  Pupils’ progress in reading is not as good as it is in writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership in reading so that pupils’ progress is more meticulously monitored, and ensure that pupils make the progress of which they are capable.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that provision meets the needs of the most able pupils so that they achieve their full potential.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership of subjects so that more pupils make rapid progress by: – developing subject leaders’ ability to analyse information effectively – ensuring that subject leaders are fully effective in using monitoring information to improve standards in their subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher leads a committed team of senior and middle leaders who share the same high expectations. The consistent implementation of school policies and systems creates a calm and purposeful atmosphere in school, making it a place where children can thrive and learn.  Senior and middle leaders monitor the quality of teaching well. Leaders at all levels monitor provision through regularly looking at pupils’ work, checking the progress they make and observing lessons. Regular training opportunities and staff meetings allow teachers to share expertise, so that teaching improves.  The school uses sports premium funding effectively. Specialist teaching is used to increase the opportunities for pupils to participate in a wide range of sporting activities. At lunchtime, sports coaches spend time with pupils in the playground ensuring that their physical play is purposeful and that they develop new skills. After school, the ‘Movers & Munchers’ club links physical activity with healthy eating

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and promotes well the pupils’ physical well-being.  The pupil premium grant is spent effectively. Disadvantaged pupils are identified early and appropriate measures are put in place to enable them to achieve well. Leaders monitor the progress of disadvantaged pupils closely and ensure that these pupils make good progress.  The school ensures pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain through lessons and extra-curricular activities. For example, electing the school council allows pupils to learn about and participate in a democratic process. Year 6 chaplains and the school council model both leadership qualities and the school’s values, including respect and tolerance.  Parents are very supportive of the school. Those who spoke to inspectors, as well as those who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, confirmed that they are confident that their children are happy and safe at school, are well taught and are making good progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well led. The impact of the school’s work is monitored and evaluated carefully, giving the school a very clear picture of pupils’ needs and how well they are being met.  The local authority provided effective support following the previous inspection. The amount of support has now lessened as the school has increased its capacity for self-improvement.  The leaders of individual subjects now have access to more robust information about the quality of teaching in their subjects and about the progress pupils make. However, they do not use this information well enough to ensure that they are fully effective in monitoring and raising standards in their subject areas.  The governance of the school – Governors know the school well. Their regular visits have helped them to develop a very clear picture of both the strengths of the school’s work and the areas that still need improvement.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

– Governors, together with the headteacher, have evaluated the school’s strengths and weaknesses accurately. They know what needs to be done to ensure that pupils in all year groups make improved progress to raise standards. – Governors now make the most of training opportunities and this helps to ensure that they have the right skills to fulfil their roles. They carry out their duties efficiently and ensure that all statutory responsibilities are fulfilled to a high standard, including those related to safeguarding.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff and governor training is up to date. The designated safeguarding lead is well trained and experienced in the role. She takes prompt and appropriate action to address concerns when they arise. Child protection procedures work well to identify any pupils who may be at risk. The school works effectively with outside agencies to provide extra

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved since the previous inspection. It is now consistently good.  Staff meetings are used to share good practice. Teachers learn from each other and this helps to ensure that high teaching standards are applied consistently across the school. As a result, teaching continues to improve and pupils’ achievement continues to rise.  Displays in classrooms celebrate the achievements of pupils and provide useful prompts and reminders on key learning points. Pupils regularly use these displays to support their learning, for example to answer questions during independent learning activities.  Relationships between pupils and teachers are very positive. Teachers plan and deliver interesting learning activities so pupils enjoy participating in lessons. Pupils enjoy opportunities to work together. This collaboration extends pupils’ learning because supporting one another encourages them to think

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

more deeply.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils. Lower-ability pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from varied and interesting activities that stimulate and challenge them. These activities are well matched to pupils’ particular needs and ensure that they make good progress.  When discussing their work, or their school, pupils are confident and fluent speakers. Teachers and teaching assistants are consistent in their expectations. This enables pupils to develop the ability to express themselves very well in class when responding to questions, in discussions, in conversations or when presenting to groups of their peers, for example in learning assemblies.  The school has a number of initiatives that have successfully given pupils a love of reading. For example, visits from authors and theatre companies have encouraged pupils’ interest in storytelling. Pupils are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

encouraged to read regularly at home. They are provided with a variety of incentives, and home-school communication via technology is used well as part of this.  The school’s marking policy is applied consistently to steer pupils in making good progress. The impact of this can be seen in pupils’ books and in the way that they can discuss how they have improved.  Pupils are proud of their work. Books are well looked after and pupils take great care with their presentation. They are keen to improve the quality of what they produce.  The most able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently. In some cases, teachers’ questions limit responses from the most able pupils rather than encouraging them to think more deeply. Similarly, some tasks restrict the progress that the most able pupils make because they are too easy.  Pupils do not make as much progress in reading as in other subjects because some pupils are not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

sufficiently stretched. For example, some pupils spend too long on a level of the reading scheme when they are ready to move to the next one.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils are respectful and caring towards each other. Pupils talked to inspectors about what it means to be respectful and were able to give examples of what this means in a number of contexts. This was also seen clearly during the inspection. For example, on one occasion, an older pupil carried a younger pupil’s dinner tray to the table and then made sure that she had a seat.  Pupils are taught about the types of bullying that children of their age might experience and what to do if they do encounter any. They know what constitutes bullying and say that it is rare. Pupils are confident that, were it to happen, it would be dealt with straight away. Pupils feel able to share any concern with an adult in the school.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe. They described to inspectors the lessons and

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Personal development and welfare

regular assemblies they have on things like road and water safety as well as staying safe online. They know there are rules designed to keep them safe. Pupils were able to give examples of this, such as how the rules for using the school’s wildlife area are there to keep them safe during their outdoor learning.  Pupils were able to discuss how they need to behave to keep themselves safe in a number of different situations. For example, they told inspectors that fire drills happen regularly and they were able to discuss exactly what to do if the fire bell rings.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils show high levels of care and respect towards each other and they are exceptionally polite and welcoming to visitors. This helps the school to be a warm and harmonious community.  Pupils’ excellent attitudes towards their learning make a strong contribution to their progress. They are eager to learn and enjoy taking part in all subjects. These attitudes are fostered exceptionally well right across the school. During lessons, pupils work collaboratively with others and support each other’s learning very well. There is no behaviour that disrupts the learning of other pupils.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and are very keen to talk about the topics they are studying. During the inspection, Year 5 pupils shared and discussed their learning with the rest of the school in an assembly. Pupils also attend a variety of after-school activities, which further enrich their learning.

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Behaviour

 The overwhelming majority of pupils rise to the high expectations of them set by all members of staff and this enables them to enjoy a variety of outdoor areas and facilities safely. There is stringent adult supervision at breaktimes.  Attendance overall is improving and is currently in line with the national average for primary schools. There have been significant improvements in the attendance of some groups of vulnerable pupils and these are now much nearer to national averages. The school monitors attendance carefully and is working hard with parents to continue to improve this.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The school’s information on outcomes for pupils, confirmed by work seen in pupils’ books, shows that all year groups are making good progress and achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics. They are making similar progress in other subjects, such as science.  Attainment at key stages 1 and 2 was above the national average in 2015 and has been rising for the last three years. Attainment in writing was particularly strong. At key stage 2, higher-than-average numbers of pupils made more than expected progress in writing.  Gaps in attainment between disadvantaged Year 6 pupils and their peers widened in 2015, but in-school assessment information for the present cohort of Year 6 pupils shows that the school has addressed this and the gap is now closing. Assessment information for pupils in Year 5 also shows that the progress for disadvantaged pupils is similar to others in the same year.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are very well supported and make good

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Outcomes for pupils are good

progress.  Although improving, achievement in reading at key stage 2 did not match that in mathematics and writing in 2015. Current assessment information suggests that the majority of pupils in key stage 2 are making expected progress in reading, but this is not consistent. Too few pupils make rapid progress.  The most able pupils attain well and make good progress overall. However, the progress of some of the most able pupils is too slow because they are not challenged enough.

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Early years provision is good

 The Reception classroom provides a safe, secure and stimulating learning environment. Children respond by behaving well and learning enthusiastically.  Staff interact skilfully to help children make good progress through a range of exciting activities. A varied curriculum gives children experiences that help their development across a wide range of areas.  Children’s progress is monitored carefully and leaders make sure that any children who may need additional help receive very effective support promptly. In 2015, the proportion of children that achieved a good level of development was above the national average. Current school assessment information shows that outcomes are expected to reach at least the same standards this year.  Leadership and management of the early years provision are good because the leader has a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for development. Leaders swiftly identify training needs for new

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Early years provision is good

members of staff and systems are put in place to support them. They are also aware that the outdoor learning area in Reception needs further development and plans are in hand to do this.  Parents are made very welcome. They are increasingly involved in activities that help them to share and support their children’s reading.  Reception children enjoy their lessons and this helps them to engage and learn. Children are well prepared for their move to key stage 1.

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School details

Unique reference number 117428 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 10011832

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School details

This inspection 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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 202 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Matt Smith Headteacher Sarah Chaloner Telephone number 01992 623467 Website http://holytrinity.herts.sch.uk Email address admin@holytrinity.herts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 8–9 May 2014

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Information about this school

 Holy Trinity is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium has risen since the last inspection and is currently above average. The pupil premium is additional funding provided by the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Since the last inspection, a new deputy headteacher has been appointed. A new leader for special educational needs will join the school in September.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team visited 11 lessons to assess the quality of teaching and learning, four of which were visited jointly with a senior leader.  The inspection team met with groups of pupils from both key stage 1 and key stage 2, the school’s senior leaders and those responsible for English and mathematics, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. They also held discussions with the leader of early years, the leader responsible for pupils who have special educational needs, and subject leaders for geography, history and science.  The inspection team considered a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, information about pupils’ progress and achievement, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  The inspection team considered the 15 responses to the online Parent View survey. Inspectors also considered the views expressed by parents who spoke with them informally at the start of the school

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Information about this inspection

day.  The inspection team looked at samples of pupils’ work from a variety of subjects. They also listened to pupils read.

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Inspection team

Vanessa Love, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Elizabeth Kissane 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

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