Holy Trinity Church School

Inspection of Holy Trinity Church School Lime Tree Avenue, Yeovil, Somerset BA20 2PW

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Adam Beauford. This school is part of the Bath and Wells Muti Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by a chief executive officer, Nikki Edwards, and overseen by a board of trustees, chair by Pam Cosh.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since September 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupil’s everyday actions embody the school’s ‘rainbow values’. They treat everyone around them with the utmost respect. This begins in the early years, where children quickly learn the school’s routines and high expectations for behaviour. This sets the foundation for pupils’ exceptional attitudes to their learning throughout the school. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupil voice is at the very heart of the school. They know that they can make a difference. Staff build positive relationships with pupils. Pupils trust staff will help them with any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy at school. Parents and carers are unwavering in their support for the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with a wide range of leadership opportunities, including heads of school, sports captains and junior governors. These opportunities build pupils’ understanding of responsibility and how they can influence change for the benefit of others. The school’s offer to promote and develop pupils’ interest and talents are vast. It ensures that all pupils have the opportunity to participate in a range of different clubs, including rugby, art, music and Rubik’s cube club.

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

The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils. It has identified the key knowledge pupils need to learn from early years through to Year 6. This supports pupils to build knowledge sequentially over time and helps them to tackle more complex concepts. In some subjects, pupils develop a depth of understanding and are confident about their learning. For example, children in early years learn how to count and to quicky add numbers. Older pupils build on this and use their knowledge of number to balance equations. Similarly, in physical education (PE) pupils learn the basic skills of how to control their feet during a game of netball, before older pupils learn the more complex action of pivoting when they catch the ball.

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

In some curriculum subjects, however, the work given to some pupils does not appropriately match their needs. For example, pupils in the early stages of writing are given tasks that are too complex for them before they have secured the basic foundations. This prevents pupils from building a depth of knowledge overtime.

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

The school has prioritised reading. As soon as children join in early years, they learn to read letters and sounds. Staff are experts in the delivery of phonics. They have benefitted from appropriate training to implement the school’s phonics programme with consistency. Staff check to ensure pupils have learned the sounds and quickly spot pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Pupils receive the support they need to catch up. Staff give pupils at the early stages of reading books that match the sounds they know. This helps them to develop confidence and become fluent readers. Older pupils read a wide range of texts by different authors. They learn to predict and summarise what they have read. The strong focus on ambitious vocabulary helps them to understand words, such as ‘deforestation’ and ‘intensely’. 12 and 13 November 2024

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The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff gain a thorough understanding of pupils’ needs. Staff empower pupils to understand their own individual needs well. Pupils can explain what additional resources they need to succeed with their learning. Adaptations to the curriculum enable these pupils to access the full curriculum and achieve well.

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Pupils conduct themselves exceptionally well during lessons and around the school. They are eager to contribute to class discussions. The school is a calm, orderly and safe environment.

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The school ensures that pupils access broad and rich opportunities that help to develop their character. Staff help pupils to develop a strong moral compass. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong. Older pupils are good role models for younger children. They hold doors open for one another and adults. During ‘community time,’ pupils learn about the importance of tolerance and acceptance. Pupils emphatically say that everyone is equal and treated fairly. They appreciate the range of opportunities the school provides to be active during social times, as well as having access to a quieter space. Pupils learn how to keep a healthy mind and body. ‘Junior governors’ check on the impact of ‘breathing techniques’ used to help pupils to manage their well-being.

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The school continues to prioritise pupils’ education and well-being. Regular training and a collaborative vision promote continuous improvement. Staff feel well supported by the school, governors and trust, to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the work given to some pupils does not support them to learn the intended curriculum. As a result, some pupils do not secure the knowledge they need or develop a sufficient depth of understanding. The trust needs to ensure that the work given to all pupils supports them to achieve the knowledge and skills to move on to more complex learning.

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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 November 2024

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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 November 2024

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School details

Website www.holytrinitychurchschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 September 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Bath and Wells Muti Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Diocese of Bath and Well. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2020, when it was judged to be excellent.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils that attend the school.  Holy Trinity Church School converted to become an academy in November 2016. When its predecessor school, Holy Trinity Church of England School was last inspected, it was judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and 12 and 13 November 2024

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management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 met with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and representatives from the trust and governing boards.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff surveys, pupil surveys, Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including free-text replies. Inspectors spoke with some parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Wendy D’Arcy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jyotsna Paranjape Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 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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