Trinity Catholic College

Inspection of Trinity Catholic College Lacy Road, Middlesbrough TS4 3JW

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Andy Rodgers. This school is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Hugh Hegarty, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Joseph Hughes. 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy an improving educational experience at Trinity Catholic College. Many pupils relish coming to school and are happy. They appreciate the important changes made since the last inspection. The school sets high standards for pupils’ behaviour. A calm and orderly atmosphere is now the norm. Pupils know that their school is a better place in which to learn and thrive than before.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what pupils can achieve. It has made significant changes to the curriculum to reach this aim. However, these changes have not shown significant impact on pupils’ recent outcomes in external tests. Pupils perform below the national average in many subjects. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not achieve as well as their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Students in the sixth form are proud of their school. They are ambitious for their future. The school helps them to understand the range of routes they can take to fulfil their aspirations. Students speak highly of the teaching staff. They understand how teachers push them to be successful. For many students, this leads to positive outcomes.

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

High-quality and determined leadership is making a pivotal difference at the school. Leaders across the trust unite to make improvements to the quality of education. This includes putting in place an ambitious, well-planned curriculum. Effectively sequenced learning builds from primary school to the sixth form. Teachers check how well pupils learn the intended knowledge. These checks identify errors and help pupils to improve their work. Many pupils acquire important knowledge and skills throughout the curriculum.

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

Sixth-form students achieve positive outcomes in many subjects. This includes sport and engineering. Students pick courses that are now well matched to their ability, aspirations and interests. They develop into subject experts over time. For example, English language students learn deep knowledge about how children learn to talk. They use a range of sophisticated subject-specific vocabulary and theoretical insight to explain their ideas.

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

The school has high expectations for pupils with SEND. Diligent leadership and expert teaching assistants support them well. However, some guidance for pupils with SEND lacks clarity and is not used to consistent effect. This contributes to some pupils with SEND not achieving well. This underachievement in national tests is also evident for other pupils. Too many leave the school at age 16 without pass grades in a range of subjects. The improving curriculum is now helping pupils to know and remember more. Pupils’ outcomes are starting to improve.

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

Reading is prioritised. Staff swiftly identify pupils who need extra support. Well-trained staff carry out impactful interventions. Pupils improve their reading skills over time. Younger pupils enjoy reading group texts in form time. Staff choose texts that help pupils 19 and 20 November 2024

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explore important themes, such as prejudice. Sixth-form students read widely and often. This enhances their learning in a range of subjects.

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The school is proud to be one of the most improved for attendance in the country. An expert pastoral team helps break down barriers to learning and attendance. This has had a notable impact. Pupils engage well with school. They treat one another and staff with respect. This helps everyone commit to learning. Some pupils struggle to regulate their behaviour. The school responds in a fair and supportive way. Since the last inspection, suspensions have reduced dramatically in number. However, more work is needed to reduce them further.

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Pupils enjoy an effective personal, social and health education curriculum. This teaches them how to stay safe in local, national and global contexts. Students in the sixth form also learn about age-appropriate relationships and sex education. This helps develop their mature outlook. Pupils enjoy an increasing range of extra-curricular opportunities. Sixth- form students revel in their experience of working with the ‘T6 Football Academy’. Alongside academic study, they enjoy professional football coaching. As a result, many students have ambitious plans for careers in sport. Expert careers guidance helps these students and others achieve their aims.

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The impact of new leaders and the wider trust is striking. It is also making a notable difference for the school community. Trustees and governors know the school well. They provide effective support and challenge to the school. Staff speak warmly about the impact of trust leaders on the school. They know they consider their workload well. Parents and carers are positive about the school. Many commented on how much it has changed in recent years.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some guidance for pupils with SEND lacks clarity and is not used consistently well by staff. This can mean that learning is not as well matched to the needs of some pupils with SEND as it could be. The school should improve the guidance it provides to help staff to better meet the needs of pupils with SEND.  Recent improvements to the quality of education have not impacted consistently on pupils’ overall achievements in external examinations. Pupils, including those with SEND and those who are in receipt of the pupil premium, are not achieving the educational standards they should. The school should continue its work to implement, review and improve the curriculum so that pupils learn well and achieve high outcomes over time. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 Some pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, miss too many lessons due to suspensions. These pupils develop gaps in their learning and do not achieve as well as their peers. The school should continue its work to improve pupils’ engagement, reduce their suspensions and improve outcomes.

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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.

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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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,302

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form

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 May 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up his post in January 2023.  The school is part of Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust.  The school’s religious character is Catholic. The last section 48 inspection took place in June 2023.  The school uses three registered and one unregistered alternative provisions.  The sixth form includes a football academy in partnership with Middlesbrough Football Club. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 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.

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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 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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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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, the assistant CEO and other senior leaders over the course of the inspection. The lead inspector also met with the CEO of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, history and technology. 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.  An inspector also visited additional lessons across a range of subjects in the sixth form.  An inspector met with the leader responsible for SEND, visited a range of lessons to consider SEND provision and reviewed pupils’ support plans.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector met with trustees and governors. They also reviewed documentation relating to governance, including minutes from meetings.  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 met with groups of pupils and staff formally throughout the inspection and spoke with them informally at social times and in lessons.  A range of school documents was reviewed, including the school’s self-evaluation and the school improvement plan.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils. 19 and 20 November 2024

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Inspection team

Hannah Millett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jayne Gaunt Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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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