Trinity Church of England First School

Inspection of a good school: Trinity Church of England First School Nunney Road, Frome, Somerset BA11 4LB

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 September 2023

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Outcome

Trinity Church of England First School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils cherish the many memorable experiences provided to them by this school. They enjoy coming to school and they feel safe. The school has high aspirations for all. The environment is calm and purposeful. Pupils know how to behave. They talk enthusiastically about the rewards system. Pupils are clear that the school’s values of kindness, curiosity, respect, resilience and teamwork are important principles to live by.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is alive with the many musical pursuits on offer to pupils, including violin lessons, piano and drumming clubs. Pupils get to show off their talents at a music showcase at the end of the year. These opportunities widen pupils’ interests and help develop confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to be responsible citizens. They contribute to school life by being members of the school and ethos councils. Councillors enjoy making their voices heard when working with school leaders and governors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has immersed itself into the local community. Pupils learn about the local area through strong church links, and visits to the bakery and book shop. Pupils put on a ‘Purple Elephant’ day to raise money for a local charity. They recognise the positive impact their actions can have.

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

The school has designed a well-constructed curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. They have considered the essential knowledge they want pupils to learn. The school monitors how well the curriculum is taught. They train staff to strengthen their subject knowledge. This helps them to teach the curriculum well. For example, in geography, teachers break down new learning into small steps to teach pupils how to make a key for a map of the school. This enables pupils to learn the curriculum successfully. 12 and 13 September 2023

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In many subjects, pupils build knowledge well over time. Teachers use assessment to check how well pupils are learning the curriculum. For example, pupils revisit prior learning to help them remember their learning. This helps teachers identify pupils who need more support. As a result, pupils know more and remember more. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, previous learning is not regularly revisited. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their learning.

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In most subjects, the curriculum is well sequenced from the early years. For example, in mathematics, the concepts children should learn from when they start school are clear. Children develop a secure understanding of number. They count out leaves and conkers up to 10. This progresses to them identifying numbers instantly without counting. The school has structured the curriculum to build on this learning seamlessly so that pupils develop an understanding of more complex mathematical ideas. However, in a small minority of wider curriculum subjects, the precise knowledge and sequence of learning from the early years lacks the same clarity.

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Children learn to read as soon as they begin school. All staff are trained to deliver phonics. The school provides books for pupils to practise reading the sounds they have learned. Consequently, pupils become fluent readers. The school uses assessment information well to identify any further support children may need. This means pupils keep up with the pace of the school’s phonics programme. Pupils talk excitedly about books they have read. They are rightly proud of a book they have had published, called ‘We Belong Together’. The book captures their thoughts on what belonging means to them. This links to the school’s work on well-being.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have appropriate support in place. The school swiftly identifies the needs of these pupils. Targets are well matched to help them learn well. The school has oversight of the progress that pupils with SEND are making. As a result, pupils with SEND learn successfully.

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The school expects pupils to behave well. They do. Pupils play cooperatively at social times. Relationships between staff and pupils are caring. This extends to early years, where staff know children well. Children have settled quickly into school and know the classroom routines.

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The school has developed a curriculum to help pupils to learn about life beyond Trinity. Pupils learn about different relationships. The school encourages pupils to be kind to one another as well as to themselves. Pupils understand that rest is important for well-being. They talk knowledgeably about how to use the internet safely. They know what to do if something is worrying them.

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Staff feel well supported. They say there is a culture of teamwork. Governors work closely with the school. Parents express positive opinions about the school. They comment that their children are happy at Trinity.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 and 13 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some wider curriculum subjects, teaching strategies do not help pupils to remember their learning. As a result, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge. The school needs to ensure that pupils revisit their prior learning so that gaps can be addressed.  In a minority of wider curriculum subjects, curriculum thinking does not fully include the early years. In these subjects, the knowledge the school expects pupils to know has not been considered to prepare pupils for future learning. The school should set out the knowledge it wants pupils to know at each stage of learning so that pupils progress well through the curriculum.

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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 November 2013.

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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. 12 and 13 September 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 12 and 13 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is designated as having a religious character. The school is in the Diocese of Bath and Wells. At the most recent section 48 inspection of the school, carried out in February 2019, the school was judged to be good.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.  There is a before- and an after-school club for pupils who attend the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, school staff, governors, a representative from the diocese and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 12 and 13 September 2023

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a known adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtimes and breaktimes. In addition, she met with pupils formally and informally to hear their views.  The inspector considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. She also looked at responses to the pupil survey and responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lakmini Harkus, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 September 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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