Holy Trinity Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Holy Trinity Primary School Broad Croft, Bradley Stoke, Bristol BS32 0BD

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Outcome

Holy Trinity Primary School continues to be a good school

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe at Holy Trinity. They say that it is a friendly, welcoming school. Staff give pupils opportunities to contribute to the running of the school. For example, the school council works with school leaders to promote the school values of generosity, compassion and forgiveness. Pupils show these values both in class and around the school. They are kind and supportive of each other. Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning and want to do well. They are, rightly, proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff teach pupils about world faiths and different ways of living. Pupils understand the importance of tolerance and respect for each other. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. This is a strength of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are positive about the school. A typical view was, ‘This is a wonderful school that really cares for the children.’ Parents appreciate the high standards and pastoral support at the school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders ensure that pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding of a breadth of subjects. Teachers design exciting lessons that ignite pupils’ curiosity and help them to draw on their prior knowledge. Through the well-planned curriculum, pupils learn about topical issues. For example, pupils discuss traffic and pollution problems confidently. Visits by engineers have helped pupils to consider solutions to environmental issues. Year 6 pupils were excited about constructing a bridge to help wildlife cross the road safely.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils learn to read well because the teaching of phonics is effective. Leaders ensure that pupils regularly read books that match their understanding of letters and sounds. In early years, children are excited about reading. For example, the inspector observed children enthusiastically helping each other to read. Pupils have many opportunities to listen to high-quality texts in class. Pupils read aloud regularly to staff and maintain impeccable 24–25 October 2019

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records of the books they have read. Pupils’ learning in this and other subjects is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour. Any rare incidents of bullying are quickly dealt with by staff

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The teaching of reading in all year groups is well planned. Pupils develop knowledge and understanding of how authors use language to convey ideas. Pupils enjoy reading. Pupils in Year 6 write with sophistication about the ways in which characters are constructed in the novel ‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar. Leaders have accurately identified the need to broaden pupils’ vocabulary to help them read more complex texts successfully. Leaders have recently introduced a whole-school focus on vocabulary. However, it is too early to judge the impact of this yet.

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Leaders have revised the teaching of mathematics. Pupils explore a variety of problem- solving methods. Leaders use assessment information to plan more effective lessons. Pupils use a wide range of resources to help them understand complex concepts in mathematics. Pupils reflect on how they learn as well as what they learn. Teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding before they move on to more difficult problems. However, some pupils struggle to understand because teachers sometimes do not follow these checks up with sufficiently clear explanations.

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Disadvantaged pupils receive effective additional support to ensure that they do not fall behind. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive tailored support to ensure that they can learn well. One parent echoed the views of many when she stated that her child had ‘thrived beyond her wildest expectations’. Pupils with English as an additional language receive appropriate language support.

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Pupils have many opportunities to enrich their learning. They learn survival skills such as fire-making on residential trips. Pupils take part in a breadth of sporting and musical activities. Many visitors come to speak to pupils about life beyond school. For example, pupils recently participated in a ‘Jamaican Tasting Day’ where they learned about Jamaican culture.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They work as a team and feel well supported by leaders and governors. Governors know the school well. They visit regularly. They pose effective challenge to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff receive appropriate training to enable them to act quickly to deal with any concerns. Leaders work well with external agencies to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Leaders conduct checks on all adults who work at the school. All pupils who spoke with the inspector said that they felt safe and well cared for at the school. They said that they could speak to an adult at the school if they had a problem.

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Safeguarding

The designated leader for safeguarding and the family link workers provide impressive 24–25 October 2019

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support for families in crisis. Governors regularly check safeguarding on visits to the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have successfully planned an effective reading curriculum. This ensures that pupils develop comprehension, inference and analytical skills and knowledge. Leaders need to embed the whole-school approach to the acquisition and development of vocabulary so that all pupils can deepen their understanding of texts.  Leaders have revised the mathematics curriculum to ensure that all pupils develop their problem-solving skills and knowledge. However, teaching approaches to help pupils understand abstract concepts are not consistently effective in all year groups. Leaders need to ensure that teachers make clear abstract concepts before moving pupils onto new topics.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Holy Trinity Primary School to be good.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 24–25 October 2019

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 24–25 October 2019

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Website www.holytrinity-pri.s-gloucs.sch.uk

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Date of previous inspection 12 January 2016

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Information about this school

 There have been changes in leadership since the previous inspection, with the appointment of a new headteacher.  Holy Trinity is a Church of England/Methodist primary school.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils with English as an additional language is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support by the pupil premium funding is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior and curriculum leaders and governors. The inspector held a telephone discussions with a representative from the 24–25 October 2019

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local authority.  On the first day of the inspection, the inspector focused on reading, mathematics and religious studies. This meant that, in each subject, the inspector met with senior and curriculum leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at pupils’ work.  The inspector met with staff to consider their views.  The inspector reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks on staff.  The inspector considered the views of 43 parents who responded to the confidential Ofsted parental questionnaire, including 43 free-text messages.

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Inspection team

Susan Aykin, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 24–25 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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