Trinity Church of England/Methodist School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Trinity Church of England/Methodist School Kiln Lane, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 8PW

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Outcome

Trinity Church of England/Methodist School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school holds high ambition for its pupils to achieve well. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils embody the school value of perseverance. They work hard in lessons and make the most of the opportunities that the school provides for them. Across much of the curriculum, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment children join the two-year-old provision, they learn the importance of sharing and cooperating. Pupils across the school strive to meet the high expectations of behaviour. They do this well and value the importance of treating others in a way that they would like to be treated themselves. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the range of clubs available to them. These include debate club, chess and cookery. The school ensures that many pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, benefit from attending these clubs. Pupils learn about the positive difference that they can make for others in their local community and in the wider world. For example, they take part in community litter-picks and raise money for charitable causes in Uganda. Such opportunities build pupils’ understanding of empathy and what it means to be a good citizen.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including those with SEND. Across the curriculum, the school has set out the important knowledge that pupils should learn, starting from the two-year-old provision through to Year 6. Pupils with SEND benefit from well-chosen resources that help them to access the same curriculum as their peers. This 5 and 6 November 2024

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is supported by the effective systems that the school has in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Across many subjects, pupils, including those with SEND, are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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Teachers benefit from a range of high-quality training. In many subjects, this helps them to design activities that connects earlier learning with new content. In the early years, many staff are skilled in educating young children, including two-year-olds. In most subjects, the school has established effective ways for teachers to identify any gaps in knowledge that pupils might have. Teachers use these approaches well and provide timely support for pupils. That said, in a very small number of subjects, the school has not ensured that teachers have the knowledge they need to be able to deliver the curriculum as intended. Some of the learning activities that pupils complete do not enable them to learn and remember the important knowledge that is set out in the curriculum. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not build up a deep body of knowledge.

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The school places a high priority on ensuring that pupils become fluent readers by the time they leave Year 2. Effective approaches to the teaching of phonics helps pupils to become assured readers. Children begin to develop a love of books from the early years. As pupils begin to read books independently, teachers ensure that these closely match the phonics knowledge that pupils have learned. This helps pupils to experience success when reading. Parents and carers value the workshops and resources that the school provides, which helps them to support their children at home with phonics and reading.

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Children in the early years are well behaved. They work and play well together. Pupils across the school learn with little disruption to their activities. Clear school rules and routines help to create calm classrooms. The school’s systems and procedures to promote high attendance are effective. Any attendance concerns are quickly identified and addressed. Many pupils attend school regularly.

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The school has carefully selected opportunities to enhance pupils’ personal development. For example, the school ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. The school is highly effective in how it develops pupils’ confidence, resilience and independence. This helps pupils to be well-prepared for life beyond the school.

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Governors support and challenge the school well to improve the quality of education. They work effectively with the school to realise the agreed values. This has made a positive contribution to maintaining the standards identified at the previous inspection. Staff are positive about what the school has done to further support their workload and well-being. This includes ensuring that staff have the time to carry out their different roles and responsibilities well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 November 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of subjects, the school has not ensured that teachers have the knowledge they need to teach the intended curriculum effectively. Some of the learning activities that pupils complete do not enable them to learn the important knowledge as well as they should. The school should make sure that teachers have the subject knowledge they need to deliver the curriculum effectively, so that pupils achieve well.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in October 2015.

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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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 5 and 6 November 2024

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Christopher Bamford Spittle

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England/Methodist primary school in the Diocese of Liverpool/North West Methodist Circuit. The previous section 48 inspection took place in September 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by the end of 2029.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in December 2023.

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Information about this school

 The governing body operates a breakfast club and after-school provision.

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Information about this school

 The school provides educational provision for two-year-old children.

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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 The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.

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 The inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.

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 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.

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. He spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. He also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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 The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. He also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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 The inspector spoke with some parents and carers. He also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 5 and 6 November 2024

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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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