Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Lavenham Way, Combs, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 2BZ

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Trinity Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary 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?

Pupils love being part of this warm and welcoming school, where they confidently declare that ‘nothing is impossible’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As soon as they enter Reception, children quickly learn and demonstrate the school’s values. Pupils learn remarkably well how to show care and consideration for each other. During lessons, pupils support each other and celebrate each other’s successes. Older pupils diligently take on their responsibilities as positive role models and trained reading mentors for younger pupils. Older pupils continually show younger friends the high expectations of conduct at the school. Pupils love their active playtimes, where they are free to ride bikes, go-karts and skateboards. Everyone follows the one, all-encompassing rule, to ‘be kind’. Pupils learn how to quickly resolve any occasional disputes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils delight in learning, they ‘welcome all others’ and they learn to ‘look after God’s creation’. They successfully explore the world through the subjects they study, and many pupils achieve very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s many and varied opportunities to develop talents and interests. Pupils enjoy the various clubs available, including history, gardening, art and a range of sports. They are well prepared for their next steps in education as well-rounded individuals. 10 and 11 December 2024

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

The school has high ambitions for what pupils learn and achieve. The curriculum is well designed. Leaders have provided precise guidance for teachers to ensure that they teach knowledge in sensible steps. This helps pupils build their understanding without being overloaded or confused. Leaders have established a strong culture of curriculum review. For example, the school is currently in the process of evolving its approach to making physical education even more engaging for pupils.

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

Teachers deliver the curriculum well. They understand pupils’ learning needs and provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers carefully check what pupils know and understand. When pupils find something difficult, staff provide immediate support so that pupils do not fall behind.

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

Pupils draw confidently on what they already know when learning new things. This secures their understanding and allows them to talk with increasing confidence about their learning. Some pupils do not yet consistently demonstrate their understanding of the new ideas that they have been taught. The school has identified this and is currently working to enhance pupils’ knowledge, understanding and use of subject-specific vocabulary.

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

Reading has an extremely high profile. From the start of Reception, children are immersed in high-quality books and stories. Phonics is taught exceptionally well. This ensures that children get off to a flying start in learning to read. Staff make sure no one is left behind. Pupils, including those with SEND, are given effective, focused support to help them catch up quickly. As pupils move through the school, their love of reading grows because of the strong support the school provides. The range of books pupils read continues to expand and they become confident, fluent readers.

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

Not only in Reception, but also in Years 1 and 2, staff provide learners with highly effective opportunities to study the curriculum through structured play and exploration. This helps pupils to become independent, imaginative and resourceful. As a result, children learn what they need to be ready for the expectations of key stage 2.

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

The school’s well-established ethos and adults’ calm, consistent approaches ensure that pupils behave impeccably. Starting in Reception, pupils learn to sustain their concentration for extended periods. Pupils are courteous and demonstrate maturity during class discussions. They listen intently to their teachers and peers.

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

Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and attend regularly. If pupils struggle to attend school, leaders and the pastoral team work well with families and provide effective support. As a result, pupils’ attendance is high.

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

The school supports pupils’ personal development extremely well. Pupils learn about different lifestyles and beliefs found in modern society. They respect others’ differences. Activities including ‘Trinity Twenty’ enrich pupils’ experiences and skills and help towards 10 and 11 December 2024

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them being ‘the best they can be’. In assemblies, even the youngest pupils delight in confidently presenting recent learning to parents and the school.

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Parents are proud of the school, many speaking positively about the strong sense of community and the important values the school promotes. Staff similarly enjoy working there. They appreciate how leaders support them to maintain a reasonable workload, saying that any changes are carefully assessed, including the impact these may have on staff as well as pupils.

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Governors carry out their duties effectively. They have an accurate understanding of the school and hold leaders accountable for the quality of provision at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have identified that pupils use of subject-specific vocabulary requires further development. Pupils do not yet consistently demonstrate orally or in writing the new words and phrases that they have been taught. This means that, at times, pupils’ answers lack precision or conciseness. The school should continue to develop its strategies to ensure that pupils consistently use subject-specific vocabulary in both speech and writing.

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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 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, 10 and 11 December 2024

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019.

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary aided Church of England primary school in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in February 2017. The next section 48 inspection is likely to take place by February 2025.  The school does not currently use 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.  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 that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum with leaders. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 The inspector met with senior staff in the school, including the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other school leaders.  The inspector met with the chair of the governing body and other members of the governing body.  The inspector spoke on the telephone to a representative of the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  The inspector met with other school staff, including teachers and support staff.  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.  The inspector took account of a range of other information, including the school’s development plans, school policies and governing body minutes and local authority visit reports.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school

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and discussed behaviour with pupils throughout the inspection.  The inspector considered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff survey and of parents and carers through responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector also gathered the views of pupils and staff through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Nick Rudman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 December 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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