Trinity Road Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Trinity Road Primary School Trinity Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6HS

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Trinity Road are polite and welcoming to visitors. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school. This is because of the relationships they have with trusted adults whom they can speak to about concerns they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Respect, achieve, belong’ are the school’s values. However, pupils do not always demonstrate these values. At times, the behaviour of some pupils disrupts learning or becomes boisterous on the playground. This is not always addressed swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities in the school such as through the school council, as learning mentors or team captains. There are a range of clubs on offer to pupils, for example football, science and the very popular choir club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum pupils follow matches the scope of what is expected nationally. However, it is not consistently taught well. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not develop the knowledge they should. This limits some pupils’ achievement, including in national assessments, and their readiness for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders know there is more to do to ensure all pupils receive a good education. Staff, pupils, parents and carers appreciate some of the changes that have been made already.

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

Leaders have made significant and necessary changes to the school. They have recently introduced an entirely new, ambitious curriculum across the whole school. The curriculum 14 and 15 January 2025

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is designed to gradually build pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. Staff do not teach the curriculum consistently well. In some lessons, teachers do not model learning well enough or use age-appropriate language clearly. This can leave pupils unsure about what they need to do. Children in the early years are not consistently being taught the intended curriculum. This leaves them poorly prepared for key stage 1.

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Staff do not always have high enough expectations of pupils and their work, including presentation. As a result, some pupils lack ambition. Lessons are not always clearly adapted to meet pupils’ needs. This disproportionately effects pupils with SEND. Teachers do not identify and correct misconceptions precisely. Because of this, pupils do not always progress well enough through the curriculum.

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Alongside the new curriculum, there is now a new assessment process in place. This is at the very early stages of being used and has not yet given teachers and leaders the information they need about pupils’ learning. Teachers are not consistently aware of where pupils are in their learning or what adaptations may be needed to the curriculum.

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The school prioritises reading and has recently made changes in the phonics reading scheme it uses. Teachers have received the appropriate training to ensure pupils learn the letters and sounds they need. Sometimes, teachers do not follow the scheme, which leads to inconsistencies in teaching. Pupils have daily reading sessions, which help them improve their reading fluency. Pupils who require additional help work in small groups or have additional personalised sessions. This support helps these pupils to become more confident readers.

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In lessons, many pupils engage well with tasks, but a few do not. Staff do not consistently support all pupils to concentrate well, so some start to distract others. Leaders have introduced a new behaviour policy with help from a specialist. Pupils and teachers say they have seen some improvement in behaviour. Pupils like the visual rewards and praise they now get for working hard and following the policy. Behaviour at playtime is not consistently sensible. Some pupils do not demonstrate respect for each other or the equipment they have access to outdoors. Leaders are aware, and this is the next stage of the new behaviour plan.

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The school analyses attendance and lateness carefully. The school works with the pastoral team to offer a range of support for pupils and their families. Pupils attend more frequently as a result. Leaders have a strong understanding of the community they serve.

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Pupils receive meaningful support for their wider personal development. Through the taught curriculum and enrichment activities. This means they are well prepared for their next steps. They learn to reflect if they make mistakes. Pupils understand differences, which are important to them in this multicultural school.

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The school has worked diligently this year during a period of temporary leadership. Pupils are safe and benefit from compassionate pastoral care. However, there is more to do to develop the curriculum, teaching and behaviour. Parents are positive about the school. Staff feel well supported. They have received useful training this year in many areas, 14 and 15 January 2025

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including SEND. Support from the local authority has helped develop leaders’ skills. The governors support leaders and hold them to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teaching is not well adapted for pupils, and staff’s expectations are too low. Staff do not use the agreed routines and approaches to organise and deliver the curriculum. The school should ensure staff have the training they need so the curriculum is implemented routinely well.  Assessment processes are not well developed. As a result of this, teachers are not consistently aware of how well pupils are learning over time. Leaders must ensure there are reliable assessment processes which enable teachers to ascertain how pupils are building knowledge.  Sometimes pupils, including those in the early years, do not show respect for staff, each other and property. This means pupils are sometimes not able to focus on their learning. The school needs to ensure that the new behaviour policy is consistently applied in all areas of the school so that behaviour improves, and pupils engage with their learning.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The planned early years curriculum is not taught consistently well. Therefore, children in the early years do not have the skills and knowledge to be ready for key stage 1. Teachers need to implement curriculum plans to ensure that children in the early years are prepared for their next steps.

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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 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2016.

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Keith Roddy and Louise Thompson (Co- Chairs) Headteacher Ellaina Blake

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been recently appointed.  There are now two co-chairs of the governing body.  The school has recently expanded from a one-and-a-half-form entry to a two-form entry school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with senior leaders and the attendance officer. 14 and 15 January 2025

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 The inspector met with governors, including a co-chair.  The inspector met with the school effectiveness partner and the consultant behaviour specialist.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took into account 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’ interest first.  The inspector scrutinised a range of other documentation, including governor meeting minutes and leaders’ improvement plans.  The inspector took into account the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and spoke to them to gather their views on school life.  To gather the views of parents, the inspector took account of the responses from

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Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector also spoke to some parents on the playground.  The inspector took into account the staff survey and met formally with staff to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Suzanne Thrower, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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