Trinity Academy Grammar

Inspection of Trinity Academy Grammar Albert Road, Sowerby Bridge, West Yorkshire HX6 2NW

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 22 and 23 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, including governors and trustees, have brought about significant and sustained change. They have comprehensively addressed the weaknesses of the predecessor school. All staff work together – their shared vision for excellence is increasingly a reality. Pupils enjoy a high-quality curriculum. They are well prepared for their next steps. Those who need additional support receive the help they need to achieve well. This is indeed a school where pupils are ‘known, valued, and understood’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe. Most pupils behave well and have good attendance. Most pupils are not worried about bullying. They know that staff will act quickly to sort out any concerns. Many parents, staff and older pupils celebrate the changes that leaders have brought about. Often, this is transformational.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have an absolute commitment to pupils’ personal development as healthy, responsible, confident and resilient individuals who are ready to take their next steps in modern Britain. Pupils have various opportunities both through the taught curriculum and from wider extra-curricular experiences. There are many examples of how pupils contribute to the community, support their peers and work with leaders to improve their school. The student leadership group is proud of the money they have raised to support the Happy Days homeless charity.

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better?

The great majority of pupils benefit from the ambitious curriculum that is increasingly in place. Subject leaders have highlighted the important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. Pupils have regular opportunities to revisit this knowledge. Teachers check carefully that pupils can recall this over time. The progress that many pupils make in some subjects is remarkable. Leaders are taking the right steps to strengthen the curriculum further.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that all staff have the knowledge, training and support so that all pupils have the chance to succeed. Teaching staff have strong subject knowledge and give clear explanations. Teaching assistants and wider pastoral staff work closely with teachers to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive the help and support they need. As a result, pupils including those who are disadvantaged or have SEND, benefit from what is now in place.

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better?

Leaders have an absolute commitment to ensuring that all pupils can read and speak English accurately and confidently. Pupils who need help in these areas are swiftly identified when they start at school. This includes those pupils who speak English as an additional language. Well-trained teaching staff help these pupils quickly learn to read and speak English with increasing accuracy and confidence. 22 and 23 February 2023

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Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour, both in lessons and around school. A number of pupils proudly display the reward badges pinned to their blazer, which they have received in recognition of their achievements. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around school. The number of suspensions and detentions is reducing as pupils increasingly have the support and guidance that they need to make better choices. Leaders know that there is work to do to reduce the number of times pupils need to be removed from lessons during the day.

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Leaders understand that some pupils have particular emotional and behavioural needs. Leaders work hard to understand and help these pupils and their families. Those pupils who attend the recently opened resourced provision, Trinity Academy Carlton Mill, receive the help and support they need. There are increasing stories of success.

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Leaders have ensured that pupils develop to become confident citizens who know and understand the diverse culture of modern Britain. There are weekly well-being lessons which cover many important topics, such as the fundamental British values and how to contribute to society. A comprehensive programme of assemblies, trips and talks by external visitors supplements this further. From the moment pupils start in Year 7, they learn about different careers through well-being lessons, and in subject lessons. Older pupils appreciate the advice that they receive from the independent careers adviser. Pupils are increasingly going on to ambitious next steps as they benefit from what all staff, working together, have brought about.

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Leaders, including governors, know the school well and have absolute clarity about the next steps to bring about further improvement. Staff value the support and training they receive from school leaders and through the wider trust. Staff know that leaders have their well-being at heart. This includes those at the early stages of their teaching career.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know the signs that suggest a pupil may be at risk of harm. There are regular staff briefings, ongoing training and quizzes to check that staff’s safeguarding knowledge is up to date. Staff report any worries that they have about pupils’ well- being. Leaders promptly follow up concerns. Leaders swiftly make referrals to wider safeguarding partners if necessary.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and how to report concerns. Pupils have confidence that staff will keep them safe from harm. Pupils learn how to use social media appropriately and how to recognise when relationships, including friendships, may not be healthy. 22 and 23 February 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils struggle to maintain leaders’ high expectations for behaviour in lessons. Despite leaders’ efforts, the number of in-lesson removals remains too high. This means that some pupils miss out on what their peers are learning in the classroom. Leaders should continue to refine the systems, processes and support in place so that the reductions seen in the number of suspensions and detentions given is similarly reflected in a reduction in in-lesson removals.

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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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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. 22 and 23 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255561 Type of school Secondary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is the first inspection since the predecessor school, Sowerby Bridge High School, joined Trinity Multi-Academy Trust in September 2017. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  There have been significant changes to the senior leadership team since the school joined the trust. This includes a new principal, who started when the academy joined the trust. After joining the trust, an interim executive board was formed. This was replaced by the local governing body. A new chair of governors has recently taken up post.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provider. The school has an alternative provision (Trinity Academy Carlton Mill) which is run by school staff.

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Information about this school

This is located a short distance from the school building. 22 and 23 February 2023

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 The school operates an on-site resourced provision for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. It is funded by the local authority and has places for 10 pupils.  The school holds the World Class Schools Quality Mark.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, including school leaders and representatives of both the local governing body and the trust. Inspectors spoke with teaching staff and wider support staff. Inspectors met with teachers who are at the early stages of their teaching career.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, modern foreign languages and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in personal, social and health education, and in reading. An inspector listened to

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Information about this inspection

pupils read. Inspectors visited lessons in wider subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation. This included safeguarding records, data and analysis on behaviour and attendance and wider policies. Inspectors checked carefully the systems to keep pupils safe.  Inspectors visited the school’s alternative provision and spoke to pupils who had been removed from lessons.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and through telephone conversations with some parents. Inspectors considered the views of pupils through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and through meetings held with pupils.  Inspectors considered the views of staff through meetings and informal discussions, and through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Belfield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stuart Voyce His Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 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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