Margate, Holy Trinity and St John's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Margate, Holy Trinity and St John’s Church of England Primary School St John’s Road, Margate, Kent CT9 1LU

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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 Good School 28 and 29 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school. They learn about teamwork in ‘woodland school’ and develop their wider interests in the clubs on offer. Staff value what pupils have to say. For example, pupils elected to the school council work with staff to make improvements to the school. Pupils are happy and safe. Staff care for the welfare of the pupils deeply. A parent confirmed this when they said, ‘The staff are welcoming, caring, encouraging and enthusiastic.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live the values of the school. They behave well in class and at playtimes. They are caring towards each other and respectful of adults. When bullying happens, staff deal with this swiftly and make sure that pupils learn how to improve their behaviour. As one pupil said, ‘Teachers are kind here; if you are worried, they always help you.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to rise to the high expectations and ambitions that staff have for them. Staff understand the interests and needs of the pupils. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in lessons and in the school’s specialist resource provision well.

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better?

Leaders provide an ambitious curriculum. Although pupils in Year 6 did not achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics in 2022, leaders have taken swift and decisive action to refine the curriculum design and improve pupils’ achievement. Most subject leaders support teachers well. Leaders deliver training and provide support to strengthen teachers’ subject-specific knowledge. However, in a few subjects, the knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn are not identified precisely enough, and teachers are not always clear about what they should teach and when. As a result, in some subjects, pupils sometimes develop gaps in their knowledge and do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

Teachers are keen for their pupils to succeed. They adapt their teaching to make sure that all pupils can access what is being learned. Adults identify the needs of pupils with SEND well. Children with SEND in the early years are supported adeptly in class to access learning alongside their peers. Throughout the school, teachers provide pupils with helpful resources to enable them to make sense of what they learn. In most subjects, for example reading, mathematics and religious education, teachers check what pupils know in lessons and over time. They question pupils skilfully and review what pupils know. Teachers use this information to adjust what they teach. However, this is not the case in all subjects. There is still some inconsistency in how well teachers check pupils’ understanding, but leaders are rightly addressing this where needed.

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better?

Pupils develop a love of reading and use their mathematical skills well. The sequence of learning from early years to Year 6 in mathematics is suitably ambitious. Teachers encourage pupils to apply their mathematical and reading School 28 and 29 March 2023

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knowledge across a wide range of subjects. Children in the early years learn phonics successfully using a precise programme. Pupils develop vocabulary and comprehension through reading carefully selected texts. Teachers encourage pupils to read frequently. For example, older pupils receive awards for reading at home. This creates an enthusiasm for reading in pupils. Effective support for pupils who have fallen behind with their reading helps them to catch up quickly.

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Pupils grow into responsible and respectful citizens. They are considerate of difference in others. Pupils are keen to attend clubs offered by the school. They learn about democracy and the rule of law and create their own class rules. Staff support the social and emotional needs of pupils well. Pupils experience a range of visits and visitors to the school. For example, pupils have met with representatives from local emergency services and enjoy their trips to the local church.

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Leaders create a calm and purposeful approach to learning. They have recently reviewed their approach to how staff support pupils’ behaviour. This has made a positive impact on the culture in the school. Strong systems support pupils’ emotional well-being effectively. This helps pupils to learn how to manage their feelings and to remain focused in lessons. When pupils’ behaviour is more challenging, staff respond in a clear and consistent manner.

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Leaders and governors work well together to continue to improve the school. The recent changes made to the structure of the leadership team have strengthened the school. Leaders engage well with staff. For example, the ‘workload review committee’ is made up of representatives of all staff groups. This makes sure staff have the time needed to manage their workload well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive timely and helpful training in keeping pupils safe. This helps staff to identify pupils at risk of harm quickly. When a concern is raised, leaders work swiftly to put support in place for children and families who need help. Leaders and governors check that the procedures for safeguarding in school are followed through carefully.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about staying safe. They learn about how to behave online and what to do if they feel unsafe. They are confident that they can speak to a trusted adult in the school if they have a worry. School 28 and 29 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified the curriculum sequence precisely enough. This means that teachers are not always clear what they have to teach and when they need to teach it. Leaders need to ensure that there is a clearly sequenced curriculum for all subjects that identifies the precise knowledge that pupils need to learn, right from the start of early years to the end of Year 6.  In some subjects, teachers do not check how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum. They are not clear about gaps in pupils’ knowledge, and do not address these before moving on to new learning. As a result, pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that teachers use assessment effectively in all subjects to support pupils to develop their understanding and to achieve well across the curriculum.

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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. School 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary-controlled Church of England primary school within the Diocese of Canterbury. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in January 2018. The next inspection will be within eight years of that last inspection.  The school is an associate member in a local collaboration of schools with the Thanet Endeavour Learning Trust.  The school has a designated specialist resource provision catering for 9 pupils with autism spectrum disorder. The provision has up to 16 designated spaces for pupils.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision. School 28 and 29 March 2023

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff at the school. The inspectors met with the chair of governors and five members of the governing body. The inspectors spoke with a representative from the Diocese of Canterbury and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, geography and music. For each deep dive, the 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. The inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and carers through responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey. The inspectors spoke to staff, parents and pupils during the inspection and took account of the staff and pupil confidential online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and considered safeguarding documents and records. This included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been referred to outside agencies.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Toby Martlew Ofsted Inspector School 28 and 29 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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