Trinity Church of England First School

Inspection of Trinity Church of England First School Coopers Lane, Verwood, Dorset BH31 7PG

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding 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 James Newbery. This school is part of the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust (DSAT) which means other people in the trust have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mark Lacey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sian Thornton.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Trinity Church of England First School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Trinity Church of England First School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Trinity Church of England First School sits at the heart of the local community. The nurturing relationships between staff and pupils shine through. As a result, pupils are happy and safe. Pupils describe it as a school where ‘all their ideas matter’ and where everyone shares the Trinity values of ‘faith, hope and love.’ They are proud of their school and attend regularly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn the behaviours expected of them quickly. The school’s high expectations start in the early years where staff teach children the importance of how to be kind and care for one another. There is a purposeful environment for pupils to learn. Pupils behave well during lessons and social times. The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievement and personal development. Pupils are keen to learn and most achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The provision for pupils’ wider development is a strength of the school. Pupils take pleasure in the rich and varied opportunities on offer, such as music, dance and sports. These activities develop pupils’ interests and talents exceptionally well. Parents and carers are delighted with the ‘safe and nurturing environment,’ a school where pupils, ‘flourish and grow holistically’. Parents appreciate all that it does for them and their children.

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

School leaders are aspirational for the pupils at this school. Their vision is shared by the whole school community. The school is unwavering in its determination to provide the very best learning experiences for the pupils. High-quality training for staff is pivotal to the success of this school. Staff value the training, coaching and mentoring they receive from school leaders and the wider trust. As a result, staff are confident and effective teachers with secure subject knowledge and impressive pedagogy. This allows them to develop their teaching to the highest standard. Bespoke curriculums have recently been designed to better meet the individual needs of a minority of pupils with more complex barriers to learning. These are beginning to have an impact on these pupils’ learning, but will take more time to fully embed.

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

Reading is taught well across the school by trained staff. This is reflected in the impressive outcomes in published data for the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. Children begin their phonics from the moment they start in school. Children in the Reception Year enjoy hearing stories and joining in. Pupils at risk of falling behind are identified quickly and additional support is put into place. By the time pupils move to middle school, they are fluent readers. However, the small number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or who are disadvantaged can struggle with their reading. This is because books are too difficult for them, and they do not gain the fluency they need. This can hamper their success across other subjects as they cannot fully access their learning. Decisive action is being taken by the school to ensure these pupils catch up rapidly.

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

Learning in the Reception Year gives children a firm foundation on which to build. Children learn how to socialise and to work independently, as well as develop their early reading, 11 and 12 March 2025

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writing and mathematics knowledge. The school carefully considers the experiences children are offered to prepare them well for the demands of key stage 1 and beyond.

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The school’s programme for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. It is integral to its work. Opportunities to expand and develop pupils’ interests are abundant and open to all pupils. Clubs on offer include art, choir and a wide range of sports such as netball and rounders. These help to develop pupils’ interests and talents. Residentials and trips are planned carefully. For example, the trip to Osmington Bay is a firm favourite where pupils build their resilience and perseverance.

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Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the chances they have to develop their leadership skills. They relish the roles and responsibilities afforded to them which include, play buddies, school councillors, members of the worship team and Trinity eco warriors. Pupils learn how to become thoughtful young people who respect and appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live. Pupils actively support charities which include food banks and sending resources to their link school in Uganda.

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Trust leaders provide valuable support. The school welcomes and appreciates this guidance. Governance is extremely strong. Governors are aware of their roles and responsibilities and carry these out with aplomb. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They rigorously hold the school leaders to account for the quality of education they provide for all pupils and do not hesitate to challenge when needed. Staff are extremely proud to work at the school. They feel highly valued and respected by school leaders. Staff appreciate the high levels of support and welcome the consideration leaders have to ensure they have a manageable workload and reduce any burden.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The bespoke curriculum put in place for those pupils with more complex needs are not yet fully embedded. Therefore, the very small number of these pupils have not in the past reached their full potential. The trust should ensure that the bespoke curriculum is implemented effectively so that these pupils achieve well.

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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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Since becoming an academy in 2021, the school is part of DSAT.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Salisbury. The school received its section 48 inspection under the Education Act for schools of a religious character in December 2023. The school is due their next section 48 inspection within the next five years.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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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. 11 and 12 March 2025

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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, the assistant headteacher and staff.  The lead inspector met with the CEO, the deputy CEO and the regional director of education from the trust.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of governors and a trustee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a member of

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staff. Story time was visited in the Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 4.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered key documentation, including the academy improvement plan and minutes of governors’ meetings.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Inspectors met with school leaders to discuss and review how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil survey. They considered the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Jen Southall, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Laura Bennett Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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