Holy Trinity VC School

Inspection of Holy Trinity VC School Bank Top, Darwen, Lancashire BB3 2RW

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 18 and 19 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely proud of their school. They feel assured that they are cared for well. Pupils value the warm, nurturing relationships that they have with staff as part of the school’s close-knit community. Pupils enjoy the ready smiles, celebrations and assemblies that help to make them feel happy and welcome. This includes those pupils who are new to the school, of which there are a high number.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils are polite and respectful to others. They are accepting of other people and friendly towards visitors. In class, pupils are focused and keen to learn. At breaktimes, most pupils play sensibly and kindly together. However, there are occasions when the behaviour of some pupils disrupts the recreational time of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for pupils’ academic achievement. However, this is not currently realised in some aspects of the curriculum. The school is sharply focused on educational improvements, although, at present, the impact is not evident as too few pupils are ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beyond the academic curriculum, pupils are supported in being active, positive members of their community. They support a range of charities and have been involved in projects to enhance the locality, such as planting bulbs in the town and organising food collections for the local food bank. Pupils benefit from the wide range of trips and visits which help to enhance their learning experiences.

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

The school has undergone significant changes in leadership in recent times. There has been a strong and successful focus on ensuring that pupils and staff are supported well, particularly with their emotional well-being. When they are in school, pupils are enthusiastic. Staff morale is high. The governing body carry out their statutory responsibilities. Together with the school, they have placed a robust focus on improving standards of academia and behaviour. The substantial, strategic and relentless work that the school is undertaking is producing many green shoots.

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

The school has established curriculums for each subject which have their roots in the early years and finish in Year 6. Pupils learn the curriculum content in order. Recent curricular revisions and the implementation of various published schemes have supported staff’s subject knowledge. However, the impact on pupils’ learning, including in the early years, is still an emerging picture.

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

Sometimes the school does not have clear and accurate information about how well pupils are learning. Consequently, it is unable to make the necessary adjustments and improvements which, in turn, slows pupils’ progress in learning.

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

The school’s early reading curriculum is well-embedded. Children in the Reception Year get off to a secure start in learning the phonics code. This continues for pupils in Year 1 who learn to read more complex sounds. Staff deliver the phonics programme with clarity 18 and 19 March 2025

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and consistency. They quickly spot any pupils who are not keeping up with the pace of the programme and provide appropriate support. This is also true for the many pupils who join the school after the Reception Year. As a result, most pupils become confident, fluent readers by the time that they leave key stage 1.

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The reading curriculum after phonics is less well organised. The curriculum lacks clarity and guidance for staff. This means that, sometimes, staff are unclear on the most important information that they are to deliver in the lessons. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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Staff check on pupils’ learning to evaluate their understanding. However, on occasion, the information from these checks is not used to address pupils’ misconceptions in a timely and effective manner. Consequently, some pupils carry gaps in their knowledge over time. New learning is sometimes introduced before these gaps are addressed, meaning that some pupils are not able to build on what they know and can do.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are cared for extremely well, particularly those pupils with complex needs. The school identifies their needs quickly and puts appropriate support in place. However, due to the lack of clarity in some aspects of the curriculum, pupils with SEND often do not achieve as well as they could.

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The school has introduced rigorous approaches to monitor and track attendance. These strategies are helping the school to identify and address low attendance strategically. However, pupils’ attendance remains a concern. Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

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Pupils, including children in the early years, are confident and charismatic. ‘Peer Mediators’ play an important part in supporting others around the school, acting as positive role models. They carry out their responsibilities diligently and enthusiastically.

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The school supports pupils in developing their talents and interests through the wide range of clubs and activities on offer, such as film, board games, choir and sporting clubs. School councillors act on behalf of their peers and school, organising activities such as fundraising and celebration days. Pupils learn about discrimination and tolerance of people from different backgrounds. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The reading curriculum beyond phonics currently lacks clarity in its design and organisation. Consequently, staff do not have sufficient guidance on the important information to deliver in lessons. This means that pupils do not develop their reading 18 and 19 March 2025

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knowledge and skills as intended, and their access to other parts of the curriculum is hindered. The school should ensure the content and sequencing of the reading curriculum is clearly defined to ensure that staff have the appropriate information on how to teach the curriculum as intended.  Sometimes the school does not know in enough detail the impact of its actions on pupils’ learning. This means that the school does not have an accurate understanding of how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum. The school should continue its work to strengthen subject leadership, including monitoring. This is so that it has an accurate understanding of how to effectively bring about improvements to increase what pupils know and can do in those subject areas.  Sometimes the information from the checks on pupils’ understanding are not used effectively enough to determine if pupils have secured the knowledge that they need to

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move on. Consequently, some pupils do not build the secure body of knowledge set out in the curriculum. The school should make sure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to effectively identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that they are ready for their next stages of learning.  Absence rates, including persistent absence, for many pupils remain too high. This means that these pupils miss out on important learning and social opportunities. The school should strengthen the effectiveness of its approaches to support pupils and families to improve levels of attendance.

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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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 An acting headteacher was appointed in September 2024. Several other leaders in school have taken up post since the beginning of this academic year, including the chair of the governing body.  This a Church of England school which is part of the Diocese of Blackburn.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in June 2018. Its next section 48 inspection is due before the end of the academic year 2025.  The school runs an on-site breakfast club.  The school does not use any alternative 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 18 and 19 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 the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. They met with subject leaders and with staff. Inspectors visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and spoke with groups of pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects. They looked at documentation and reviewed pupils’ work in these subjects.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the vice-chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority and a

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representative from the Diocese of Blackburn.  The lead inspector visited the school’s breakfast club.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors spoke with pupils during meetings throughout the school day, including at recreational times. No pupils responded to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ attendance, welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also spoke with some parents and carers during the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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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Inspection team

Sheena Clark, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Donna Thorpe Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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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