The Trinity Catholic Academy

Inspection of The Trinity Catholic Academy Titchfield Street, Vauxhall, Liverpool, Merseyside L5 8UT

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good 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 Michelle Forrest. This school is part of the St Joseph Catholic Multi 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), Andrew Truby, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ann Connor OBE. The headteacher is responsible for this school and one other. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value highly the care and support that they receive from their teachers and other school staff. This helps pupils to feel happy, safe and secure while at school. Pupils like how their teachers make learning interesting and fun. As a result, pupils engage well and rarely disrupt lesson time. They get along together nicely. They are caring and compassionate towards others, which means that bullying is rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has completely overhauled its curriculum to ensure that it is more ambitious for what pupils should learn. Many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well through this much-improved curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular clubs. The school asks pupils’ opinions when deciding on which clubs to provide, which has led to more pupils signing up. These clubs are varied, including opportunities such as gardening, sport and cooking. The school also organises kayaking experiences and a residential visit to an outdoor activity centre.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their social times. Many like to play on the climbing equipment or join in with relay races, while others like to spend time with Star, the school therapy dog.

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

The trust, including school leaders, has a strong-held moral purpose of driving rapid school improvement on behalf of its pupils. It champions pupils’ right to a good standard of education. This sentiment has been central to bringing about a significant turnaround in the school’s fortunes. The school has also been successful in rebuilding stronger relationships with stakeholders after a period of turbulence, resulting in happier parents, carers and staff.

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

The school has dramatically improved the design of its curriculum. It has clearly identified the knowledge and skills that it intends for pupils to learn from the Nursery Year through to Year 6. It has invested heavily in appropriate resources and professional development to ensure that staff are well-equipped to deliver many curriculum subjects well. Staff appreciate this curriculum support and feel that it helps them to maintain a manageable workload.

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

Although the school’s published outcomes in national assessments have been low, it is not an accurate reflection of the quality of education that pupils now receive. Older pupils have experienced a historically weak curriculum, which was compounded by excessive turbulence in teaching staff. While the school has worked hard to remedy the impact of these issues, there has not been the time needed to fully address older pupils’ knowledge gaps. Nonetheless, pupils who have experienced the improved curriculum for a larger proportion of their schooling typically know and remember more in many subjects.

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

Although the school has significantly improved the curriculum overall, the implementation of some areas of the curriculum is still at earlier stages of development. This includes how 11 and 12 March 2025

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well curriculum delivery is adapted for pupils with SEND. This sometimes hinders pupils from learning all that they could.

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The school typically carries out effective checks on pupils’ learning to establish when further help might be needed. However, pupils’ errors in handwriting, punctuation and spelling are not identified and addressed as effectively as they could be. Consequently, some pupils repeat these errors over time and across the curriculum.

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The school identifies pupils with SEND early and effectively. The school liaises well with external professionals when specialist support, such as for speech and language needs, is required.

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The school places a high priority on ensuring that pupils become confident, fluent readers as quickly as possible. Most do because the school delivers its phonics programme well. When pupils struggle with reading, the school swiftly intervenes with effective catch-up support that precisely targets pupils’ individual gaps in their knowledge of sounds.

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The school has enhanced its personal development offer. It ensures that pupils are being well prepared for life in modern Britain. The school promotes British values and concepts of diversity and difference particularly well. As a result, pupils have a firm grasp of these and develop a strong sense of respect and tolerance towards others. Pupils learn how to maintain healthy relationships and how to keep safe. They also know how to look after their own physical health and emotional well-being.

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The school takes appropriate action to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Although its overall average attendance has remained stubbornly low, the school’s actions have led to a notable reduction in the number of pupils who are persistently absent. Pupils, including those in the early years, have a positive attitude to their education. They engage well in lessons. Pupils also conduct themselves sensibly during social times.

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Those responsible for governance fulfil their duties effectively. They provide the school with appropriate challenge, support and strategic direction.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of subject curriculums are not implemented as effectively as others. This includes how well the delivery of the curriculum is adapted for some pupils with SEND. In these subjects, pupils are sometimes hampered from learning all that they otherwise might. The school should ensure that its subject curriculums are delivered consistently well, including for pupils with SEND. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 Some pupils’ errors in handwriting, punctuation and spelling are not identified and addressed as well as they could be. As a result, these pupils continue to repeat such errors over time. The school should ensure that it routinely helps pupils to resolve their issues in handwriting, punctuation and spelling so that pupils write with increased accuracy and fluency across the curriculum.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the St Joseph Catholic Multi Academy Trust.  The Trinity Catholic Academy converted to become an academy in April 2022. When its predecessor school, The Trinity Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate for overall effectiveness.  The school is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in October 2024.  The school does not make use of alternative provision for pupils.  The school offers breakfast and after-school club provision for pupils.

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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 11 and 12 March 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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 that 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 spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in the school.  The lead inspector met with trust leaders, including the chair of the trust, the CEO and the director of primary education. He also met with members of the local governing body.  An inspector spoke with representatives of the archdiocese.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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 An inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, mathematics, computing and history. They spoke with the leaders of these areas of the curriculum. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects. They spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects and reviewed a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes and when they moved around the school. An inspector reviewed leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors spoke with parents as they dropped their children off at school. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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 Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  There were no responses to the online survey for pupils. However, inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.

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Inspection team

David Spruce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Phil Dickson 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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