Holy Trinity Catholic School

Inspection of Holy Trinity Catholic School Oakley Road, Small Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands B10 0AX

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding 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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Colin Crehan. This school is part of St Teresa of Calcutta Multi-Academy Company, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Ryan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Frances McGarry. 26 and 27 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a truly inclusive and holistic education at Holy Trinity. They have exceptional opportunities to develop their interests and talents. Pupils express great appreciation for the opportunities, which help them grow into caring and responsible people. They know that they have a voice in the school and its development. Various pupil groups contribute to the rich life in the school. These include an environment team, a mental health and well-being group and the ‘Yes/No’ programme.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils rise to meet these and thrive. As a result, the ethos of the school is brought to life by the caring and respectful environment that exists between pupils and all staff. Leaders and staff support pupils to achieve well, despite the barriers that they may have. Pupils have strong and trusting relationships with staff. Pupils also support each other in the classroom and around school very well. This could be a kind smile or help with work they are doing.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils know that they are expected to work hard, and they do so. They enjoy seeing their efforts rewarded and look forward to learning more. Pupils are keen to be successful, but they know they can ask for support whenever they need it and that it will be provided.

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better?

The school is highly ambitious for all pupils, especially pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have built a curriculum that carefully considers pupils’ starting points. They have ensured that they understand the community they serve and work with every pupil as an individual. Leaders collaborate effectively so that they have a detailed understanding of how to support them. Pupils fully engaging in the curriculum is their top priority.

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better?

Teachers have strong curriculum and subject knowledge. They use a range of assessment techniques to check that pupils know and remember what they have learned. Information from assessment is used well to identify misconceptions or gaps in learning. This also helps to inform future curriculum planning.

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better?

Pupils consistently experience an effective curriculum. Overall pupils, including pupils with SEND, are doing well and progressing through the curriculum. Nevertheless, in a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not as securely developed. This means that some pupils do not reach their full potential in these subjects.

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better?

The school has a sharp focus on pupils who are at an early stage of reading. Pupils’ needs are identified precisely, and pupils receive effective support to help them to catch up. The school uses a structured programme and monitors pupils’ progress effectively. Reading is a crucial part of curriculum planning. Pupils meet a variety of literature in different subjects. As a result, all pupils are becoming more confident and fluent readers. 26 and 27 September 2023

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Pupils rapidly develop the exceptionally positive behaviours expected by leaders and teachers. Where pupils fall short of these, the school takes highly effective action to help them to succeed. Pupils appreciate the time, forgiveness and chances that they are given. They speak very highly of the positive work done with them by staff. This means that pupils return to the classroom quickly and learn effectively.

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Personal development is integral to all that the school does. The school coordinates the detailed planning in all areas, including form time. The school provides an extensive range of opportunities to develop the interests and strengths of pupils outside the curriculum. The school makes expert use of assessment in personal development lessons. Pupils can recall what they have learned well. They talk highly of these lessons. Leaders have carefully mapped all aspects of the personal development curriculum to other subjects. For example, pupils make use of specific mathematical knowledge to help them understand finances. Topics such as relationships are covered in an age-appropriate way.

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Careers education is visible in many aspects of school life and is exceptional. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, are supported incredibly well to make an effective transition at the end of Year 11. This includes targeted support for disadvantaged pupils to raise their aspirations.

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The school places a high value on being inclusive. It is exceptionally well led. Equality for all and respect for everyone are clear to see in the culture of the school. This comes from the senior leadership. Leaders are reflective, evaluative and prepared to make things even better to help the pupils and their families. The school communicates extremely well with its parents and carers. This relationship is highly valued by leaders and pupils. It is carefully and purposefully nurtured.

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The school shows holistic care for the well-being of all staff. Teachers report that their workload is well considered and that leaders have gone above and beyond to support them in a variety of life situations. Staff receive bespoke professional development to enable them to help the pupils have the best possible education. This is very clear in the support given to teachers in the delivery of the personal development curriculum.

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Governors and directors understand their roles and responsibilities and fulfil them exceptionally well. They offer constructive support and challenge to the school and its leadership. The school invites external reviews of its practices to aid improvement. It encourages staff to suggest and make improvements.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 26 and 27 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is yet to have a consistent and exceptional impact for all groups of pupils. Therefore, some pupils are not achieving as highly as they could. The school needs to continue to embed and develop the curriculum in all subjects so that all pupils achieve exceptional outcomes.

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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’ 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). 26 and 27 September 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Holy Trinity Catholic School converted to become an academy in May 2019. When its predecessor school, Holy Trinity Catholic School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the of St Teresa of Calcutta Multi-Academy Company.  The school’s last Section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, was in January 2020, when the school was graded as outstanding.  The school uses two registered alternative providers.  The school is currently going through a phased expansion in pupil numbers to support the need in the local area. Building work had recently been completed on the science department and sports facilities.  The school’s ‘Yes/No’ programme is built on the Unicef Rights Respecting School Charter and Catholic social teaching.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and

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engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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

 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, directors of the trust and governors, senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally to pupils and staff to gather general information about school life.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, science, modern foreign languages and geography. 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 discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and discussed

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Information about this inspection

the overall curriculum structure.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.  Inspectors reviewed the personal, social, health and economic education curriculum plan, spoke with the curriculum leader, and visited form time and personal and social development lessons. An inspector also reviewed the support provided for pupils in regard to reading.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to behaviour, bullying and attendance.  A range of documents were scrutinised, including leaders’ plans to improve the school and their self-evaluation of the school’s work.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the pupil and staff surveys, as well as

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted Parent View. 26 and 27 September 2023

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Onyon Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 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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