Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School 14 Clifton Road, Matlock Bath, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3PW

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a very happy and caring place for pupils to learn. The school’s values of compassion, perseverance and community underpin how pupils behave towards each other and staff. The school community celebrates these values each week. Pupils are proud to be in the school’s ‘green book’, which recognises their personal and academic achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for all pupils, starting in the early years. Pupils meet these expectations by working hard in lessons. They are enthusiastic and enjoy learning. They achieve well in most areas of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave very well. At breaktimes, they enjoy playing together. They have fun using the equipment and engaging in the activities that staff provide for them. On the rare occasions when bullying happens, adults sensitively and swiftly put things right.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers overwhelmingly value the work of the school. One summed up the views of many, saying, ‘Our child loves coming to school. It is a welcoming place where staff work with us as parents to do the best for our child.’

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

Leaders have an ambitious vision for the school. Their actions are making a positive difference. Governors, parents and the local authority are confident that leaders will continue to improve the school. 2 March 2023

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Leaders have reviewed the curriculum in each subject to make sure that it meets the requirements of the national curriculum. They have identified what pupils need to learn and when. However, in a few subjects, leaders have not been precise enough in deciding the most important knowledge and skills that pupils need to know.

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Teachers have sound subject knowledge. They explain tasks clearly to pupils and make use of appropriate resources. Teachers often check pupils’ understanding to inform their teaching. They provide pupils with ‘live feedback’ during lessons so that pupils know how well they are doing with their learning. Teachers are quick to notice and correct pupils’ mistakes. Pupils respond well to teachers’ guidance about how to improve their work.

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Children in the Reception Year settle well. They grasp the routines and expectations for learning quickly. Staff foster a genuine love of reading in pupils as soon as they start school. The phonics books that pupils in the Reception Year and key stage 1 read are well matched to the sounds they have learned. Pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Leaders promote reading for enjoyment throughout the school. Teachers read often to pupils and introduce them to a range of quality texts. Books chosen often promote pupils’ awareness and discussion of issues such as cultural diversity, equality and difference.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from high-quality provision. Leaders identify and assess the individual needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Teachers ensure that pupils with SEND get the support they need to access the curriculum alongside their peers.

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Pupils benefit from opportunities to extend their learning beyond the classroom. They enjoy visits from authors and illustrators. Pupils welcome opportunities to develop their character. They can train to be play leaders, to lead acts of worship and become school councillors. Pupils value meeting members of the community, such as the High Sheriff of Derbyshire. This helps to broaden pupils’ knowledge of the local area. They like visiting local areas of interest, such as Cromford Mills.

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The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is well structured. Pupils revisit topics such as e-safety and consent in an age-appropriate way. They learn about issues that affect them in their local context. For example, the local police deliver sessions to pupils about road safety. Pupils reflect on their own beliefs and are respectful, understanding and accepting of the views of others. They value diversity and explore important British values in the weekly ‘picture news’ sessions.

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Leaders are considerate of staff workload and their well-being. Staff are proud and happy to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders place high importance on keeping pupils safe. They have developed a strong 2 March 2023

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culture of safeguarding throughout the school. Leaders ensure that suitable checks are made on all adults who work with the children in school.

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Staff are well trained. They are vigilant in identifying any concerns they have about a pupil’s well-being or safety. Leaders respond to issues swiftly and sensitively.

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Staff teach pupils to keep themselves safe, both online and more widely in the community. Pupils feel safe in school and know the importance of reporting any concerns they may have to adults.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, leaders have not yet identified precisely enough the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum in these subjects is planned thoroughly. They need to check that teachers implement these well-thought-out curriculums consistently well so that pupils know and remember more.

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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 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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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 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. 2 March 2023

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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. 2 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

21 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant leadership and staffing changes since the previous inspection. The current headteacher started in post in January 2022.  The school is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Derby. A section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in June 2017.  The school does not use the services of any alternative providers.  The school runs a breakfast club, overseen by the governing body.

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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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in three subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum 2 March 2023

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documentation, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and with other staff, including the leader responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke to a representative of the local authority.  To inspect safeguarding, the lead inspector checked the single central record. Inspectors checked staff’s knowledge of the school’s safeguarding procedures through discussions with staff. Safeguarding records were scrutinised.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including curriculum documents, behaviour logs, attendance records, minutes of governing body meetings, plans to improve the school, school policies and information on the school’s website.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class and at other times of the school day.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

George Huthart Ofsted Inspector 2 March 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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