Trumpington Community College

Inspection of Trumpington Community College Lime Avenue, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 9FD

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Outstanding Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The head of school is Jess Pearce. This school is part of United Learning, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sir Jon Coles, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richard Greenhalgh. There is also an executive principal, Matt Oughton, who is responsible for this school and one other. 28 and 29 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that staff at the school have unashamedly high ambition for them. They appreciate the hard work teachers put into designing engaging and challenging lessons. Pupils respond by working hard. They produce high-quality work and, as a result, learn well. They make exceptional progress and achieve excellent exam outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils can see how the school has improved in recent years. They can see how all pupils learn in quiet, calm classrooms. Pupils acknowledge that disruption still occurs occasionally. However, they have confidence in their teachers to deal with any interruption quickly and consistently.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the opportunities the school provides beyond the classroom. They welcome responsibility and the chance for personal growth. Over half of eligible pupils take part in The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. These opportunities help individual personal growth. Pupils develop pride in becoming valuable members of their community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are highly supportive of the school. One comment, reflective of many, was: ‘The statistics show the school is clearly achieving exceptional academic things with all its students. But it is that it manages this in a joyful, safe and loving way that I find so deeply impressive. I love going there and so do my children.’

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better?

The school has developed and implemented a curriculum that is broad and highly ambitious. Subject experts have defined exactly what pupils need to know and when. Curriculum plans identify how pupils can use what they already know to help them learn new information.

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better?

The school ensures all pupils are able to read fluently. Where pupils need to catch up, effective support is put in place. This focus on making sure all pupils read well means pupils are able to fully access the whole curriculum.

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better?

High-quality training supports teachers to deliver the curriculum’s aspirational aims. As a result, they plan and consistently deliver exceptional learning experiences. They provide regular opportunities to revisit key knowledge. Teachers link this knowledge to different contexts. They skilfully check if pupils have understood what has been taught. If pupils have a misconception, questions precisely pinpoint them. Teachers then change how they explain something or use other examples to overcome these misconceptions. Pupils develop a deep and rich understanding in all areas of the curriculum.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) flourish. The school’s inclusive culture means that they are fully involved in the life of the school. The level of ambition for pupils with SEND is the same as for all other pupils. Expectations are 28 and 29 November 2023

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equally high. Pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum content. They produce work that is of an equally high standard. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve impressively as well as all other pupils.

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The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. The majority of pupils behave extremely well. Most lessons proceed without interruption. Around school, pupils are generally polite and respectful. Teachers deal with any incidents when learning is disrupted quickly and without fuss. However, some pupils struggle to consistently meet the high standards of conduct expected. While the school has provided effective support, it has not always precisely addressed the underlying causes of the behaviour of a small number of pupils. This means some pupils find it difficult to improve how they behave. Consequently, a small number of pupils receive high numbers of sanctions and, in some cases, suspension.

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The school’s personal, social and health education programme is well planned. Pupils build an age-appropriate understanding of important subjects. They learn about tolerance, consent and democracy. Most pupils use this information well in their daily lives. However, a small number of pupils have not fully understood the importance of healthy relationships. As a result, some pupils do not always interact with others appropriately or respectfully.

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The careers programme is well designed. Pupils access a wealth of information across a range of academic and vocational options. Pupils in Year 10 place high value on their work experience. Pupils are well informed about their next steps.

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Leaders, including those from the trust, have made exceptional improvements to the quality of education pupils experience. They have ensured staff get the best training to maintain this journey of improvement. Local governors and trustees have clarity about the school’s performance. Staff are hugely proud to work in the school. They feel cared for, engaged with and valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not determined precisely enough the underlying reasons a small number of pupils cannot meet the high expectations leaders have for their behaviour and conduct. Consequently, some pupils experience a high rate of sanctions and suspension from school. The school should ensure that it understands and addresses the root causes of some pupils’ behaviours. 28 and 29 November 2023

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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). 28 and 29 November 2023

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CEO of the trust

Principal Matt Oughton (Executive Principal) Jess Pearce (Head of School) Website www.trumpingtoncc.org.uk/

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CEO of the trust

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of United Learning Trust. It joined the trust in September 2019.  The head of school took up post in September 2023. The executive principal took up post in September 2020.  The school currently uses two alternative providers. Both are registered and inspected separately by Ofsted.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 28 and 29 November 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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders, including the executive principal, the head of school, the vice-principals and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector also met with the trustee responsible for secondary academies, representatives of the local governing board and the chief executive officer’s representative.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, geography and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To further inspect the curriculum, inspectors reviewed curriculum documentation

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Information about this inspection

and met with leaders of art, physical education, and design and technology, and reviewed documentation setting out support for pupils with SEND.  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 considered the 68 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the 33 free-text comments submitted. They considered the 56 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff and the 241 responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.  Inspectors also spoke to groups of pupils about their experiences of school life and their learning in lessons to understand what it is like to be a pupil in their school.

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Inspection team

Dave Gibson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham His Majesty’s Inspector 28 and 29 November 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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