Eppleby Forcett Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Trinity Academy Eppleby Forcett Eppleby, Richmond, North Yorkshire DL11 7AY

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Debbie McLean. This school is part of the Dales Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Damian Chubb, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Ferguson. 29 and 30 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school and Trinity Academy Middleton Tyas operate as one school. Despite being split across two sites, there is a strong sense of unity. Children in the early years are educated at the Eppleby Forcett site and experience a seamless transition to the Middleton Tyas site when they join Year 1. The school ensures that all pupils are safe and happy. Pupils are articulate and confident. Through the school council, all pupils have a voice. For example, they have created an impressive reading den in the playground and have set up an eco-club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils. Pupils achieve very well in English and mathematics. Since the last inspection, staff have worked together to improve the curriculums in the foundation subjects. As a result, most subjects are now well planned and sequenced. This means that pupils are beginning to achieve more consistently across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend well. They behave exceptionally well in lessons and show very positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are supportive of each other. They demonstrate the school’s values of respect and perseverance. Incidents of bullying are rare. Pupils are confident that if it did happen, adults would sort it out quickly.

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better?

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Leaders consider how to prepare children in the early years for the range of subjects they will encounter in key stage 1. Staff work well together to improve their subject knowledge. With the trust’s support, they access regular professional development opportunities.

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better?

In some subjects, such as history, the curriculum has been refined so that it meets the needs of pupils well. Leaders have identified key knowledge and concepts that they want pupils to know and remember. In other subjects, this work is ongoing. While pupils can talk about some of their learning, they mostly remember isolated facts or pieces of information. Teaching does not consistently support pupils to make links between their learning, or to understand how experts in different subjects might work. For example, pupils cannot talk about the types of work historians might undertake to help them understand the past. Adults check what pupils know and remember. However, they do not routinely check that pupils’ knowledge is building and deepening over time.

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better?

Children in the early years enjoy positive relationships with adults. Routines and expectations are securely established. As a result, children behave well and play cooperatively with each other. There is a sharp focus on extending children’s vocabulary. The school thinks carefully about how to ensure activities in the setting are purposeful. However, occasionally there are missed opportunities for children to extend their learning. 29 and 30 November 2023

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Pupils quickly become competent readers. The school trains all staff in how to teach phonics. Pupils who find learning to read difficult are effectively supported to catch- up. The school provides opportunities for pupils to explore different books in depth. As a result, pupils have positive attitudes to reading. For example, older pupils talked about enjoying the work of Shakespeare. Several of them are reading non- fiction texts linked to their aspirations for the future, such as pursuing a career in medicine.

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The school has made improvements to the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities since the last inspection. Where necessary, adults use daily intervention time to help pupils to catch-up with their peers. Some pupils access several interventions for different subjects over the course of a week. The school does not consistently consider what the most important knowledge and skills are that pupils need to work on during intervention time.

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Pupils are proactive about making changes that have a positive impact on the school or community. They fundraise for different charities and work to improve the school environment. There are a multitude of opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles. For example, pupils can be subject leaders, play leaders or reading leaders. They can develop their talents and interests through attending one of the extra- curricular clubs. Pupils lead some of these. For example, they run a dance club and then put on a performance at the end of the year.

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Pupils develop a strong sense of right and wrong. They learn that everyone should be treated equally. However, pupils are not clear about how differences might affect how we treat each other. The school has started to address this. Leaders are working to improve how pupils learn about diversity.

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Governors are passionate about supporting the school. They understand their role and fulfil their duties well. Staff appreciate their support, as well as the support of the trust. There is a strong sense of collegiality in the school. All those involved with the school are proud to be part of it.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teaching does not consistently support pupils to make links between their learning, or to understand how experts in different subjects might work. As a result, pupils remember isolated facts and pieces of information. The school should ensure that the key knowledge identified in curriculum plans is taught 29 and 30 November 2023

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effectively and that adults routinely check whether pupils’ knowledge is building and deepening over time.

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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). 29 and 30 November 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 February 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Trinity Academy Eppleby Forcett works in conjunction with Trinity Academy Middleton Tyas. They operate as one school, split across two sites. All pre-school and early years pupils attend the Eppleby Forcett site and pupils in Year 1 to Year 6 attend the Middleton Tyas site.  The schools joined the Dales Academies Trust in November 2017.  There is provision for two-year-old children at the Eppleby Forcett site.  Before- and after-school childcare provision operates at both sites. This is run by the trust.  Eppleby Forcett CE Primary School’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in February 2020.  Neither school currently uses any alternative provision. 29 and 30 November 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) 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

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders, including the chief executive and deputy chief executive officers from the trust. They also met with the chair and other members of the governing body, the chair of the trust board and the schools adviser: senior leadership for the Diocese of Leeds.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and design and technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also visited a sample of phonics, reading, mathematics and design and technology lessons.  Pupils were observed reading to familiar adults.  The curriculum offer for pupils’ personal development was considered.

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Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktimes was observed.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  The responses made by parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments were considered as part of the inspection. Inspectors also considered the responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Philippa Kermotschuk, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie McGrane Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 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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