Holy Trinity CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School Kenyon Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire OL6 7DU

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Outcome

Holy Trinity CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at Holy Trinity CofE Primary School. They said this is a school where everyone is welcoming and friendly. Pupils settle into school quickly and make lots of friends. The core values of family, respect and encouragement are at the heart of the school’s work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave consistently well. Leaders have high expectations of behaviour and learning for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are highly focused on their learning. This includes children in the early years, where children listen attentively and follow familiar routines. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that staff are caring and look after them well. There is very little bullying or unkind name-calling. Leaders do not tolerate it; any incidents of bullying or poor behaviour are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Pupils have great trust in staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Inclusion is a high priority. Leaders want pupils to broaden their horizons through the rich set of experiences the school has to offer. For example, pupils take part in visits and trips to places of local, historical and religious importance. Pupils spoke with relish about their trip to Portland Basin to learn about Lancashire’s cotton industry and their visit to a Buddhist centre to learn about a different faith.

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

Leaders have designed a varied and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of pupils, including those pupils with SEND. The curriculum is well organised and develops pupils’ knowledge across a broad range of subjects. Leaders have made sure that the curriculum is thoughtfully sequenced from early years to Year 6. Disadvantaged pupils, and those with SEND, follow the same curriculum as their peers.

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

In some subjects, leaders have carefully identified the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order in which they should learn it. This enables teachers to design 8 and 9 February 2023

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and order learning well. Consequently, pupils develop a secure understanding of key concepts over time.

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In other subjects, subject leaders have not defined in enough detail the building blocks of knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils, and children in the early years, should know. This means that teachers do not have the detailed information that they need to help them to deliver the curriculum. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in these subjects.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They present information clearly and use a range of activities that engage pupils in meaningful learning. Teachers check pupils’ knowledge and spot misconceptions quickly to help pupils to learn well. That said, in some subjects, teachers are less certain about what learning pupils should revisit. This is because subject leaders and teachers are unclear about the end-points that they want pupils to reach. Consequently, in some subjects, pupils move on to new learning before teachers are certain that previous learning is fully secure.

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Reading has a high profile throughout the school. Pupils benefit extensively from the array of carefully selected books for the school library and classroom libraries. Older pupils spoke with enthusiasm about a range of authors, genres and characters from their favourite books. They appreciate the value of reading and understand how it will help them in their future lives.

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Phonics is taught effectively across the school. All staff are well trained to deliver the school’s phonics programme. Typically, children joining the school in the Nursery or Reception class have limited experience in speaking English. Early years staff have risen to this challenge by immersing children in a vocabulary-rich environment through stories, rhymes and songs. Children start to learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception class. Pupils in the Reception class and key stage 1, receive twice daily phonics lessons. This supports them to learn the sounds of letters quickly. Pupils, including those with SEND, are given reading books that match the sounds that they have learned. This helps them to practise their phonics. Teachers quickly identify pupils who need extra help to keep up and ensure they get the support that they need.

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Leaders ensure that pupils’ needs are understood by staff. Teachers adapt activities effectively so that that this group of pupils can access the same curriculum as their classmates. Pupils with more complex needs receive tailored support from skilled adults. Pupils with SEND, and those pupils who are disadvantaged, take part in all that the school has to offer.

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Pupils display very high levels of conduct during lessons and at breaktimes. Leaders have a clear behaviour policy in place that is well understood by staff and pupils. Lessons are focused, even when there is a hive of activity. Pupils show positive attitudes to learning. They know that their teachers believe in them.

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Leaders ensure that the curriculums that support pupils’ personal development prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain and as global citizens. Pupils are taught about diversity, equality and respect for others’ beliefs and perspectives. Pupils understand that 8 and 9 February 2023

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everyone is unique. They typically said, ‘Everyone deserves to be treated with respect.’ There are ample opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles and responsibilities, for example as reading ambassadors or school councillors.

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Governors and leaders consider staff workload in all that they do. For example, leaders have taken steps to ensure that the use of assessment strategies is not onerous but remains effective. Teachers said that they are proud to work at the school. They are appreciative of leaders’ actions to take care of their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a clear understanding of the local risks that pupils may face.

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Safeguarding

There is a well-established culture of vigilance. Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate and regular safeguarding training. Staff know how to spot the signs that a pupil’s welfare may be at risk of harm. Staff make timely referrals to leaders, who take swift action.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are tenacious in their approach to ensuring that the right support is in place for vulnerable pupils and their families. Leaders work closely with external agencies to support and protect pupils who are at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Leaders offer enrichment activities to target specific risks relevant to the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all subject curriculums identify the precise knowledge, skills and vocabulary that subject leaders want pupils to learn, including children in the early years. This means that teachers do not have the information that they need to ensure that pupils know and remember more over time. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders finalise their curriculum thinking and ensure that teachers are clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn.  In some subjects, subject leaders have not defined the end-points of learning that they want pupils to reach. As a result, teachers are unclear about what learning pupils may need to revisit and may move on before new learning is secure. Subject leaders should clearly define the end-points of learning in these subjects.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We 8 and 9 February 2023

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do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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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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. 8 and 9 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Manchester. The school’s section 48 inspection was carried out in February 2020.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision for pupils at the school.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, subject leaders and other members of staff. She also spoke with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a representative of the Diocese of Manchester.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of evidence, including leaders’ self-evaluation documents, improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and records of 8 and 9 February 2023

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pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspector checked the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures and the single central record. She met with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, she discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke with leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Kate Bowker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 February 2023

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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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