Chilton Trinity School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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James Lamb Headteacher Chilton Trinity Chilton Street Bridgwater Somerset TA6 3JA

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Short inspection of Chilton Trinity

Following my visit to the school on 25 September 2018 with Trudi Baker, Ofsted Inspector, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in September 2014.

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Short inspection of Chilton Trinity

Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I have identified some priorities for improvement which I advise the school to address. In light of these priorities, the school’s next inspection will be a full section 5 inspection. There is no

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change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

You took up your post in September 2018 and it is evident that the changes you have already made are having a positive impact on the school. You also have a clear vision for its future development and an accurate understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. You are aware of the challenges the school faces and you have clearly identified the steps to be taken to bring about rapid but sustainable improvement. You have the strong support of staff and governors, and the assistance of a very capable leadership team.

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change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Pupils’ progress, measured across eight GCSE subjects, was below the national average last year and in the previous two years. In particular, their progress in key subjects, such as GCSE mathematics and French, was poor. Disadvantaged pupils made much slower progress than their peers nationally. As a result, the proportion of pupils achieving basic qualifications was too low. You have already identified weaknesses in teaching and a system to monitor its quality is now in place. Line management responsibilities have been clarified and a new behaviour policy has been introduced to ensure that behaviour for learning improves across the school.

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change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

At the previous inspection, the school was asked to improve the standard of teaching so that all students make rapid progress. This has not yet happened and standards have not improved. However, you were involved in a number of new appointments and staffing changes before you took up your post, and you are confident that these will quickly have an impact on pupils’ progress. You are aware that teachers need to share good practice more effectively so that they can learn from each other. You have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, and you encourage them to have high aspirations and ambitious plans for the future.

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change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are accurate. The school has a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are well trained and understand the risks pupils face, including sexual exploitation and the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Pupils say that they feel safe at school.

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change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Staff with specific responsibilities for safeguarding take care to ensure that they meet the needs of all pupils. There is a strong, personalised approach which parents and pupils value. There have been incidents of bullying, but these are dealt with quickly and effectively.

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change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Vulnerable pupils are well cared for and appreciate the support given by the staff responsible for their welfare. Leaders keep detailed records which they check carefully to identify and act on the lessons to be learned from any incidents that occur.

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change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Governors have a thorough understanding of safeguarding and they attend regular training sessions. They work alongside the leadership team to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

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Inspection findings

 Inspectors agreed several lines of enquiry with you at the start of the inspection. The first of these focused on the progress of pupils and, in particular, the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Pupils’ progress overall was significantly below average in 2018 and in previous years. The progress of disadvantaged students was particularly poor. You and your team are fully aware of this and you are already acting to remedy the situation. The school’s tracking systems have not been employed effectively in recent years and they are now being revised to ensure that teachers have a better understanding of the progress pupils are making in their classes. The progress of current pupils is improving but not quickly enough.  In 2018, results in GCSE mathematics and modern foreign languages were well below national averages and attainment in several other subjects was poor, including computing, drama and geography. Steps have been taken to provide

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Inspection findings

additional support and leaders are working hard to ensure that pupils are now better prepared for the demands of the new examination specifications. Recent staff changes are also helping to raise standards.  Pupils achieve well in English, though attainment is not yet in line with national standards, particularly for boys and the most able. Literacy is not given sufficient attention in key stage 3 and the school lacks a coherent cross-curricular approach to teaching these vital skills.  Pupils make good progress in science. However, their attainment has been limited due to inappropriate setting arrangements, with low-ability pupils struggling to cope with three separate sciences.  Disadvantaged pupils underachieved in 2018 and current progress is still poor. Leaders are aware of this and aim to ensure that teachers’ planning takes more account of the needs of individuals.  You are aware that the most able pupils should be making more progress from their

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Inspection findings

starting points. You and your fellow leaders are taking steps to ensure that pupils deepen and reflect on their learning more frequently. However, at present, teachers do not sufficiently encourage pupils’ ambitions and aspirations so that they achieve the highest grades.  The second line of enquiry focused on the effectiveness of the curriculum in meeting the needs of all pupils. You have a clear understanding of the limitations of the curriculum and a detailed review is planned.  In 2018, pupils whose first language is English were entered for a qualification in English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). Although this was done as a supportive measure, it did not help them make progress. Similarly, a significant number of pupils took the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) programme to enhance their progress scores. More appropriate forms of support for less-able pupils have since been introduced and there is now a much stronger focus on the

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Inspection findings

needs of individual pupils.  The school is proud of its inclusive and supportive culture, but some aspects of the wider curriculum are in need of development. You are keen to ensure that pupils have a wide range of extra-curricular activities available to them. You are also aware that some aspects of the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum need strengthening. In particular, pupils felt that they did not have enough opportunities to engage with the world of work. They described a lack of consistency in the teaching of PSHE, where a pupil’s learning was dependent on who was teaching them.  Inspectors also considered the effectiveness of school leaders in monitoring the quality of teaching. The quality of teaching is inconsistent, and some middle leaders have not been effective in securing sustained improvements. A robust system has now been put in place and this has helped to improve accountability at all levels.

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Inspection findings

Leaders are working hard to support less-effective staff and share good practice across the school.  In 2018 attendance was below average and a significant number of pupils were persistently absent from school. Measures have now been put in place to ensure that attendance improves rapidly. For example, teachers made phone calls to every pupil in their tutor groups prior to the start of term to check that they were ready to return to school.  The number of exclusions from school has risen in recent years. In 2017/18, seven pupils were permanently excluded. There were five in the previous year and four in the year before that. The number of fixed-term exclusions is also too high. You are confident that the new behaviour policy, with its intense focus on high-quality teaching, will help to reduce the number of exclusions.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the quality of teaching improves to secure rapid improvement in pupils’ progress by ensuring that all teachers: – have high expectations of all pupils – plan activities to support and challenge the learning of all pupils, including the disadvantaged and the most able – check pupils’ knowledge and understanding, and then use the information to adapt teaching to deepen pupils’ understanding  behaviour for learning continues to improve so that fewer pupils are excluded from school, all groups of pupils attend school regularly and persistent absence is rare  the curriculum is improved to ensure that – all pupils follow courses best suited to their needs and aspirations – there is a systematic focus on literacy skills across the curriculum – there is a well-planned and coherent approach to support pupils’ personal, social, health and emotional development, including targeted careers information, advice and guidance.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Somerset. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely

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Information about the inspection

Inspectors held meetings with you and your senior team, middle leaders and members of the governing body.

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Information about the inspection

We talked to pupils, both formally in groups and informally around the school. We visited lessons with you and your team to observe learning and looked at the quality of work in pupils’ books. We considered documentary evidence relating to the impact of the school’s work, including safeguarding, attendance and the use of pupil premium funding.

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Information about the inspection

Inspectors took account of 170 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, and 66 written comments from parents.

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