Holy Trinity CofE Infant School

Inspection of Holy Trinity CofE Infant School Westgate, Southwell, Nottinghamshire NG25 0LD

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding

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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 Marie Thompson. This school is part of Minster Trust for Education (MITRE), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Matthew Parris, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nigel Turner.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Holy Trinity CofE Infant School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Holy Trinity CofE Infant School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as Holy Trinity CofE Infant School as a result of conversion to academy status. 23 and 24 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Holy Trinity CofE Infant School is a joyful, nurturing school. The school’s vision, ‘Together we grow to be the best that God created us to be,’ is lived out by both staff and pupils. Pupils are very happy and feel safe. They describe the school as, ‘a school where everyone cares about you’. They know they can talk to any adult about anything that is worrying them and that adults will support them. Pupils feel a real sense of belonging. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious and has high expectations of all pupils. Pupils, including ‘early learners’ and the Reception Year, consistently follow the school’s ‘Rainbow Rules’. They all show an eagerness to do their very best. They show pride in their personal achievements and the achievements of others. Pupils demonstrate mature attitudes to their learning. They achieve well. Children’s achievement in the early years is exceptional.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a wealth of additional opportunities. These include attending an extensive range of clubs, carefully planned trips and being actively involved in their local community. ‘Connections’ provides pupils with an intergenerational experience with nearby elderly residents. The school’s work to support a school in Uganda is something that pupils are particularly proud of.

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

Children get off to an exceptional start in the early years. They enjoy taking risks. Children cooperate well and show high levels of self-control. They are considerate of each other and show each other kindness and support. Spoken interactions between adults and children have a highly positive and consistent impact on learning. Staff interact but do not interfere in children’s play. Staff model the use of ambitious vocabulary in their own spoken language and encourage children to use new words. As a result, children are extremely well prepared for key stage 1.

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

There is a strong reading culture at the school. Phonics lessons support pupils to quickly learn how to identify sounds and blend them to decode unfamiliar words. The reading books that pupils take home are carefully matched to the sounds they already know. This supports the development of pupils’ reading fluency. As a result, a high percentage of pupils achieve the expected standard in the phonics screening check. Pupils access a range of high-quality texts which cover all genres. Whole-class texts are chosen carefully to expose pupils to a range of cultures and life experiences which may differ from their own.

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

Mathematics lessons provide pupils with daily opportunities to practise their mathematical fluency. Pupils show determination when problem solving. They enjoy working collaboratively and are not put off if they find something difficult. Pupils describe Holy Trinity as ‘a safe place to make mistakes’.

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

The school’s wider curriculum focuses on exploration and investigation. Pupils enjoy learning about subjects through the vehicle of an overarching topic. The school designs a 23 and 24 April 2025

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range of experiences to supplement classroom learning. This helps pupils to explore the world around them with awe and wonder. In a small number of subjects, the important knowledge that pupils should know and remember has not been as clearly identified as it could be. Teachers are not always clear what essential knowledge they should be focusing on when checking how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum content.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They carry themselves with a respectful confidence. This is the result of clear and robust systems and expectations. The school’s values are at the core of this highly effective work. In lessons, pupils show high levels of engagement. They talk about their learning with commitment and enthusiasm.

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The school’s personal development offer is exceptional. It provides rich experiences which go beyond the classroom. This includes ‘outdoor learning Friday’ where pupils explore and investigate in the school’s nature garden. The school focuses greatly on the social, moral, spiritual and religious development of pupils. The way the school goes about developing pupils’ character is exemplary. An example of this would be where a group of pupils represented the school at a Diocesan event focused on global citizenship. The wider curriculum successfully prepares pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils demonstrate a mature understanding of mutual respect and tolerance. They can articulate how these values relate to their everyday lives.

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Those responsible for governance understand and fulfil their roles effectively. The trust’s workload charter is well established in the school. Staff feel highly valued. They access a wealth of training opportunities. Staff particularly value the opportunity to network with other professionals across the trust. The school provides support and guidance to a number of schools through its outreach work. The online survey, Parent View, shows that 100% of parents would recommend the school to others.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the curriculum does not identify clearly enough the important knowledge that pupils should learn. As a result, teachers are not always sure what knowledge they should be checking pupils are remembering to help pupils build their knowledge over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum makes clear to teachers what the important knowledge is that pupils should embed into their long- term memory. The school should ensure that teachers accurately check whether pupils have acquired it. 23 and 24 April 2025

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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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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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 Minster Trust for Education (MITRE).  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  A section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in March 2019.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 23 and 24 April 2025

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 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.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in: reading, mathematics and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and reviewed samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for behaviour, personal development, early years and SEND.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body and with representatives from the trust.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Luella Dhoore, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Ward Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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