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Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mark Kennedy Interim headteacher Trinity Academy New Bridge Craigshaw Road Sunderland SR5 3NF

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Urgent inspection of Trinity Academy New Bridge

Following my visit with Emily Stevens, His Majesty’s Inspector, to the school on 7 January 2025, I write on behalf of His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and the time you took to discuss the school.

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Urgent inspection of Trinity Academy New Bridge

This inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for urgent inspections. The inspection was carried out because His Majesty’s Chief Inspector wished to determine the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements at the school and was concerned about pupils’ attendance and the effectiveness of leadership and management in the school (including governance) as concerns had been raised with Ofsted.

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Urgent inspection of Trinity Academy New Bridge

We do not give graded judgements on urgent inspections. However, if we find some evidence that overall standards may be declining, but where no serious concerns have been identified, then the next inspection will normally be a graded inspection, which will be carried out under section 5 of the Act and be brought forward. If we have serious concerns, we will deem the urgent inspection as a graded inspection immediately.

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Evidence

We scrutinised the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements. We reviewed a wide range of documents, including school policies, minutes of governing body meetings, attendance records, alternative provision documentation (including risk assessments), safeguarding reports and follow-up actions.

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Evidence

We met with the interim headteacher, the interim deputy headteacher, the academy business support lead, the assistant headteacher for behaviour and attendance, the trust head of safeguarding and designated safeguarding lead (DSL), the inclusion and safeguarding officer and deputy DSL, groups of pupils, the chair of the board of directors, the chief executive officer of the trust and the director of school improvement for the trust. We talked to a range of staff both formally and informally. We visited lessons and the school’s nurture provision, walked the school site during lessons, spoke by telephone to a sample of alternative education provisions used by the school and observed pupils departing the school at the end of day.

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Evidence

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Evidence

Arrangements for safeguarding are effective .

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Main findings

The school has experienced significant turbulence in leadership over the past academic year. In addition, there have been changes to leadership roles in the trust. This has dovetailed with recent changes in governor roles and the trust’s governance structure. The trust has added temporary leadership capacity in the school to ensure it is stable until substantive leaders are appointed and embedded in their leadership roles.

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Main findings

In a short space of time, the school has implemented a range of new initiatives to strengthen its work. This includes further developing its systems and processes to ensure pupils are kept safe and supported effectively, including those who are educated off site. As a result, many aspects of the school’s work are new and being embedded. Leaders at all levels have a clear vision for the next steps of the school. This includes refining systems and processes to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), improving the curriculum pupils learn and intensifying its work to ensure pupils attend school well.

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Main findings

Leaders, with the support of the local authority, have implemented a programme of regular training for all staff, including DSLs and newly appointed staff during their induction. All staff receive training for reporting and recording safeguarding concerns. Staff training includes developing an understanding of their statutory responsibilities and raising awareness of the risks pupils may face in the community. End-of-day staff briefings ensure staff can discuss any pupil matters and raise safeguarding issues promptly for follow up. All staff recognise that safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone and that any concern should be reported no matter how small. The school keeps detailed safeguarding records. These clearly document the actions and follow-up activities when supporting pupils. This ensures that there is a positive culture to safeguard pupils. As a result, pupils who shared their views with inspectors feel safe and supported in school.

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Main findings

Leaders at all levels recognise that too many pupils are absent from school. As a result, the school has focused its work in this area. Inspectors saw some evidence of a positive impact to engage pupils and improve their attendance. However, persistent absence and severe absence in the school are too high. This includes those pupils who are educated off site, for example, in alternative provision. All pupils’ attendance is monitored, and any absences are followed up. However, the school’s systems and process to monitor and oversee pupils’ attendance should be strengthened further. During the inspection, inspectors found incorrect attendance coding. This was corrected during the inspection. In addition, school policies to promote attendance do not reflect up-to-date guidance on managing attendance registers. This means governors do not have an accurate picture of pupils’ attendance to challenge and support the school to make consistent improvements.

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Main findings

Generally, the school is calm and orderly. Pupils respond positively to morning check-in routines and lessons. During afternoon activities, some pupils can lose focus. Staff manage pupils’ behaviour well. They adapt their approaches to meet pupils’ needs and patiently help them make the right choices. There is a high staff presence in lessons and around the school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm, and staff know pupils’ individual needs well. This ensures that the learning environment is mostly purposeful and productive. The school is well kept, with dedicated spaces for learning, therapies and one-to-one support. The school’s learning areas are bright and engaging. Damage to the school is reducing as leaders’ high expectations are realised.

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Main findings

Governance of the school is undergoing a period of change. The trust has appointed a new chairperson and has recruited new governors. These are being inducted and receiving training for their roles. The trust implemented an external review of governance that recommended changes in its organisation. The trust is in the process of responding to these recommendations. As a result, governance of the school is new and in its early stages of development to monitor the impact of the school’s work effectively.

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Main findings

Trust leaders acknowledge that the school has experienced fragmented and uncertain leadership over the past academic year. As a result, the trust has endeavoured to provide stability in the school during a period of significant change by providing additional leadership capacity from other areas of the trust. It recognises the need to create a sustainable leadership structure to secure further improvement in the school. The trust is working with another multi-academy trust to consider its approaches to support pupils with similar SEND and vulnerable needs successfully. This work is in its infancy.

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Additional support

The local authority and school leaders work closely together to ensure that pupils’ well- being and safety remain the highest priority. The school works effectively with the local authority safeguarding team to train and develop staff. The Department for Education has brokered support from a specialist multi-academy trust to further develop systems and processes to improve pupils’ attendance at school and develop the curriculum that pupils learn. The trust has implemented a governance review to strengthen oversight and provide regular scrutiny of the school’s work in order to hold leaders to account effectively.

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Priorities for further improvement

 The school should intensify its work with parents and carers to overcome any barriers to attendance to ensure their children attend school regularly.  The school, including the governing body, should strengthen its monitoring and oversight of pupils’ attendance, including those who are educated off site.  The school, including the trust, should ensure that the governing body implements the new governance arrangements and its members have the skills and attributes to support and challenge the school in its improvement.

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Priorities for further improvement

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of Trinity Academy Newcastle Trust, the Department for Education’s regional director and the director of children’s services for Sunderland. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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