Ossett Holy Trinity CofE VA Primary School

Inspection of Ossett Holy Trinity CofE VA Primary School Church Street, Ossett, West Yorkshire WF5 9DG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This school was last inspected 15 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. 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. 14 and 15 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy in this school. They behave in a calm and orderly way and are keen to talk about their successes. Pupils say that bullying sometimes happens, but that when it does, staff deal with it quickly. Pupils know that when they share problems with adults, they get the help they need. Pupils leave this school with an understanding of how to keep themselves safe and how to contribute to their community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They are clear that pupils deserve a high-quality education so that they can be successful in the future. The ‘promises’ booklet lists the trips and experiences pupils will have during their time in school. The new leadership team have made changes which are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils. For example, a new curriculum has been introduced which pupils are responding to positively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, pupils do not learn the key knowledge they need to be successful. This is because leaders have not defined this knowledge clearly enough. Although reading is prioritised in school, inconsistencies in the teaching of phonics mean that some pupils do not learn to read as well as they could.

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better?

Leaders have made changes to the curriculum which are beginning to have an impact. They have worked hard to develop a school vision. They are ambitious for all pupils. Leaders are beginning to think about the order in which lessons are taught to pupils so that pupils have the best chance of knowing and remembering more. However, the important knowledge leaders want pupils to know in each subject is not defined clearly enough. This means that pupils are not able to build on their knowledge in different subjects over time. Leaders do not check on how well pupils are being taught the intended curriculum regularly enough or in sufficient detail. In some subjects, such as mathematics, teachers assess what pupils know so that any gaps or misunderstandings can be addressed. However, teachers do not use assessment well in other subjects. Strategies to check what pupils know and remember are not used consistently. As a result, leaders and teachers do not know

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better?

the curriculum areas in which pupils need more support.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Book corners in each classroom are well used and pupils have lots of opportunities to read during the school day. Pupils talk enthusiastically about reading. They know it is an essential life skill to develop.

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better?

There is a clear curriculum in phonics but teachers do not deliver this with consistency or fidelity. Some pupils are not taught the precise sounds they need to know. In some phonics lessons, pupils do not use the correct sounds for some letters within certain words and staff do not correct them. Pupils who need extra 14 and 15 June 2022

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help with reading are identified for additional support. However, this support is not matched closely enough to the sounds or parts of reading they need help with.

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There are clear systems to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are ambitious for pupils with SEND. Teachers provide pupils who have an education, health and care plan with the support they need to develop their independence and become more confident learners. Leaders work effectively with external professionals to access more support for those pupils who need it. However, leaders do not check on the support that pupils with SEND receive closely enough.

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In the early years, adults help children to understand that it is important to take turns and be kind. There is an atmosphere of positivity and care within the classrooms. Leaders have developed the indoor and outdoor learning environments well. In some early years curriculum areas, leaders have thought about the knowledge and skills children need to support their future learning. This is not the case in all curriculum areas. As a result, some activities do not have a clear purpose or help to prepare children for the next stage in their learning.

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Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to develop their character. Teachers organise relevant trips and experiences across different year groups which link to different subject areas. Pupils have a strong understanding of important issues such as discrimination. As one pupil said, ‘You shouldn’t leave someone out because they are not the same as you.’

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Governors understand their strategic role. They offer support to the new leadership team and do challenge leaders when necessary. However, the challenge governors offer is not focused on how the changes the leadership team have made are supporting the most vulnerable learners.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are alert to the needs and vulnerabilities of families and the local community. Staff understand that safeguarding is the responsibility of everybody. There are clear systems in place to help staff identify and refer pupils and families who may need support. Leaders ensure that other professionals work with pupils and families when required. Staff are aware that some pupils are more vulnerable to abuse than others. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils understand about consent and safe touch and know how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that phonics is taught with fidelity and consistency. As a result, some pupils do not learn to read as quickly as they could. Pupils who 14 and 15 June 2022

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need additional help with reading do not get the targeted support they need to catch up quickly. Leaders should ensure that all staff receive the training and support necessary to ensure that all pupils receive the consistent phonics teaching they need to become fluent readers.  Leaders have not thought carefully enough about how the early years curriculum establishes solid foundations for children’s learning in Year 1 and beyond. As a result, some activities and resources are not chosen with enough consideration about the learning they are designed to support. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in the early years is designed to support pupils in their current and future learning across all areas of the curriculum.  Monitoring systems do not give leaders, including governors, a clear picture of the way in which the school’s curriculum is being enacted for all pupils. As a result, leaders are not able to direct their school improvement activities in the areas

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which are most in need of attention. Leaders should ensure that there are rigorous and systematic approaches to the monitoring of the curriculum and the impact it is having on pupils’ learning and progress.  Leaders have not clearly defined the knowledge they want pupils to know in some wider-curriculum areas. As a result, pupils are not able to build consistently on their knowledge in some subjects over time. Leaders should ensure that the key knowledge in each subject area is clearly defined so that pupils know more and remember more.

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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. 14 and 15 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211885 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.holytrinityossett.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 December 2007

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant change in leadership since September 2021.  The new leadership team is temporary and has been in place in its current form since January 2022.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors 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 leaders and this has been taken into account in the evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke to senior leaders including the chair of the governing body, the vice chair, and several other members of the governing body.  The inspection team also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subject areas including science, geography and art.  The lead inspector met with the safeguarding team and spoke to pupils and staff about the safeguarding practices in the school. 14 and 15 June 2022

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 The lead inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator to discuss the provision for pupils with SEND.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in mathematics, early reading, geography, science and art. For each deep dive, the inspection team discussed the curriculum with the subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  The inspection team evaluated responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Liam Colclough, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Stout Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 June 2022

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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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