Holy Trinity and Saint Silas CofE Primary School, NW1

Inspection of Holy Trinity and Saint Silas CofE Primary School, NW1 Hartland Road, London NW1 8DE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 5 and 6 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a good school where staff work hard to help all pupils to achieve well. Typically, pupils behave well. They told inspectors that they feel safe and happy at the school. Should any bullying occur, staff take it seriously and put things right.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Displays of pupils’ work celebrate their learning and show how leaders encourage pupils to appreciate human creativity and achievement. Parents and carers speak highly of the sporting and cultural opportunities which enrich the school’s planned curriculum, providing many opportunities for their children to grow in confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are eager to get to school each day and to get on with their learning. They rarely miss a day of school and arrive on time. Parents and pupils spoke fondly of the school. They value the work of leaders and staff who make this an inclusive, safe and supportive school in the heart of Camden.

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better?

Teaching staff get to know their pupils well. They frequently check what pupils have learned and use this information to identify and fill any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Teaching builds on what pupils already know and can do, and supports pupils to achieve highly. Pupils are well prepared for secondary school. In the early years, adults help children to be independent. Consistent routines support children who are new to the school to choose activities confidently and select the equipment they need. Across the school, pupils’ attitudes in lessons are positive, they cooperate well and are keen learners. They engage well with the curriculum on offer and teaching proceeds uninterrupted.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for every pupil to develop a love of reading. They have invested in resources to support the consistent teaching of early reading. Phonics teaching starts right from the beginning of the Reception Year. Children who find phonics difficult receive the help they need to help them catch up. Books are carefully chosen so pupils practise reading using the sounds they know. Pupils achieve well in reading. This is because leaders make sure all staff, from Reception to Year 6, have training in how to teach phonics. Teachers read to pupils daily. Pupils benefit from access to weekly ‘storytelling’ sessions and a rich diet of carefully chosen books and stories. Teachers’ choices of books broaden pupils’ knowledge and vocabulary.

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better?

Leaders make sure teaching staff are trained to support the needs of all pupils. Teaching staff successfully adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND are fully included in all that the school has to offer. Adults provide the support all pupils need to learn to read fluently.

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better?

The school’s wide range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural opportunities is a 5 and 6 October 2021

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strength. Pupils are taught a great deal through the school’s rich curriculum offer. For example, they are taught about cultures and beliefs other than their own and the importance of the school’s character virtues of care, courage and cooperation. Pupils enjoy the range of clubs that are on offer, including art, games, running, French, jazz and choir.

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Leaders reviewed the whole-school curriculum so that programmes of work are typically well sequenced, and pupils achieve well across subjects. Pupils study the full range of national curriculum subjects. Curriculum leaders have thought hard about the school’s curriculum and how learning in the early years can prepare children for Years 1 and 2. In some subjects, planning lacks details about what pupils need to know and remember in the long term to build up and deepen their learning over time. Some subject planning lacks sharply detailed content and sequencing that builds on what children learn in the early years.

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The headteacher and governors want all pupils to do even better at the school. They have plans in place to improve the curriculum further. Their intentions, outlined in the school’s development plan, support this purpose well. Governors measure how far the school has implemented the plan. They use their collective expertise to make sure funding is allocated where it is needed most, supporting all pupils to keep up with their learning since the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that the school acts consistently to protect pupils from harm. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online, and to understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships in an age-appropriate way. Staff know how and when to report any concerns. They are aware of the potential threats to pupils’ safety in the local area. Policies and procedures are thorough and well established. Leaders ensure all staff undertake regular safeguarding training and know the latest statutory guidance. Appropriate joint working with other professionals and agencies is swift and effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although leaders have thought about how the early years curriculum prepares children for key stage 1, some curriculum leaders are still in the process of bringing this about in their subject plans. Leaders need to ensure curricular planning is sufficiently detailed in all subjects to build on learning in the early years.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently well planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear that leaders have already taken action to plan next 5 and 6 October 2021

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year’s curriculum and to train staff in how to deliver it. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 5 and 6 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199385 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Father Graeme Rowlands

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School details

Website www.holytrinitynw1.camden.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 March 2007 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England school within the Diocese of London. Its denominational education and collective worship are inspected separately under section 48 of the Education Act 2005.  The school received its most recent section 48 inspection in July 2018.  The school uses no alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, including the headteacher. Meetings were held with six governors, including the chair of the governing body. Telephone conversations were held with representatives from the Diocese and the local authority. 5 and 6 October 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to teachers. They spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at subject curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some subjects. These included: art and design, design and technology and personal, social and health education.  In considering the effectiveness of the school’s safeguarding arrangements, inspectors scrutinised the single central record. Inspectors looked at records relating to safeguarding children. They held discussions with a range of pupils, staff and leaders. Inspectors visited the playground during break times and lunchtimes. Inspectors also considered records of the training staff receive

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relating to safeguarding.  Meetings were held with members of staff, including those responsible for behaviour and attendance at the school.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the day, to gain their views of the school. They reviewed responses to the online survey, Parent View, additional free-text comments and correspondence received. Inspectors also took account of responses to the staff online survey. They considered the views of pupils through discussions during this inspection.

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Inspection team

Jean Thwaites, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim McLoughlin Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 October 2021

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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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