Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School

Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School

Address: Church Lane, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 2ES Unique reference number (URN): 149275

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders’ work to improve attendance is effective and shows improvement in recent years. Staff work closely with families in order to fully understand any barriers that pupils face. Leaders work well with external professionals. They use a range of strategies, such as 'wellbeing check-ins' and a 'walking bus', to ensure that pupils benefit from a settled start to each day. This prevents attendance from becoming a barrier to pupils' achievement.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Across the school, pupils generally behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Securely embedded routines help to maintain a calm, orderly and respectful learning environment. Pupils move around school safely and focus on their learning with minimal prompting. Staff intervene effectively when reminders are needed and behaviour policies are applied consistently well. Pupils report feeling safe and well cared for. Most pupils describe behaviour as positive. Bullying is rare. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are supported to manage strong emotions so that they can participate fully in school life. Pupils respect difference and contribute to an inclusive environment where discrimination or harassment are not tolerated. Any concerns about negative behaviours are addressed promptly and effectively.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have designed a coherent and well-sequenced curriculum. The curriculum responds directly to children’s starting points and staff adapt it appropriately to meet children's needs. This includes adaptations for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access learning alongside their peers.

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Early years Expected standard

Stories underpin the curriculum and promote opportunities for language development. In the Nursery Year, leaders ensure there is a clear focus on communication, language and physical development. Reading is prioritised and phonics begins promptly in the Reception Year. Generally, staff model and extend children's language well. However, staff do not consistently maximise the opportunities for engaging children in high-quality interactions throughout the day, for example deepening children's understanding of key vocabulary.

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Early years Expected standard

Partnership work, including with parents and carers, is purposeful. It supports children with SEND and those who are disadvantaged well. Transition arrangements into and within the setting are clear and effective. Staff share detailed knowledge of children's’ development and next steps. Staff build warm, positive relationships with children which supports children to settle quickly. Effective information sharing between Nursery and Reception staff enables them to tailor the provision appropriately from the outset. Similarly, there are established transition processes into Year 1, with opportunities for children to become familiar with new routines and expectations.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders show commitment to meeting every pupil’s needs. They know pupils and their families well. From the early years, children's needs are identified and supported promptly. For example, staff quickly establish children's speech and language needs. They provide effective support to ensure that all children can access the curriculum and learn to communicate well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide appropriate training for staff to ensure they have the expertise to tailor support to pupils in their care. Typically, staff ensure that support is closely matched to individual needs. This enables pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and others who face barriers to their learning to access the full curriculum. Leaders work closely with external specialists. Provision is adapted well, including using resources recommended by healthcare professionals. Leaders keep a close eye on the progress pupils make through the curriculum so that they can adjust the support if needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Additional funding and pastoral care ensures that disadvantaged pupils are fully included in the school's wider experiences. Inclusive events such as 'rainbow day' and targeted initiatives like 'little heroes day' support pupils' wellbeing effectively, including those from service families. They foster a sense of belonging among groups of pupils and further enhance pupils' readiness to engage with school life.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school's personal development and wellbeing offer includes a well ‑ structured personal, social and health education curriculum, including relationships education. This begins in the early years and continues progressively to Year 6. There is a particular focus on health and wellbeing, relationships and living in the wider world. Activities help pupils to build secure, age ‑ appropriate knowledge over time. Safeguarding is woven through the curriculum. For example, pupils know how to stay safe when online. They confidently explain strategies such as blocking, reporting and seeking help from trusted adults. Pupils show an awareness of risks in the local community, including water and road safety.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide effective pastoral support for pupils. Pupils speak positively about the staff who help them. Leaders ensure that staff are appropriately trained, in some cases through accredited programmes, to support pupils' emotional and mental health. This support enables pupils who face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing to engage fully in school life. Pupils understand how to keep themselves healthy, both mentally and physically. They understand positive and negative relationships and can identify behaviours that are unhealthy or unkind. Pupils show a developing understanding of equality and diversity. They are able to challenge stereotypes and value inclusive events such as 'rainbow day'.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Class discussions and assemblies help pupils to understand the fundamental British values such as democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. Pupils' understanding of democratic processes is further strengthened through various roles, such as 'pupil governors', which ensure their voices are heard. A range of wider opportunities, including sports, drama, singing and dance clubs contribute to pupils’ confidence and enjoyment. Visits to a local farm and library, along with early leadership experiences in the early years, enrich children's learning experiences and readiness for the world beyond school.

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Achievement Needs attention

The most recent published outcomes for Year 6 pupils in national tests in reading and mathematics have improved against previous years. This reflects leaders' efforts to support pupils to achieve well. Historically, published outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 have been below national averages. Leaders are taking appropriate action to secure sustained improvement across the curriculum and ensure that all pupils benefit fully from the school’s ambitious offer.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders rightly prioritise helping pupils to overcome gaps in their basic knowledge in English and mathematics. Pupils learn to read fluently. They develop important mathematical understanding. However, pupils’ achievement across the curriculum is mixed. In some subjects, leaders’ recent actions to improve teaching have not had time to have an impact on current pupils’ learning. Pupils generally remember recent learning but their knowledge across subjects lacks depth. Some pupils are not well prepared for their next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders’ vision for what pupils should learn across the curriculum is not fully realised. Leaders have implemented a curriculum that identifies what pupils need to know as they move through the school. However, the quality of teaching across the school does not consistently support pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to achieve as well as they should. Leaders have taken steps to improve teaching. However, their actions have not secured effective teaching across all subjects, including English and mathematics. For example, sometimes, staff do not ensure that gaps in pupils' knowledge are closed before they move on to new learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Phonics is taught well. If pupils need help with their reading, they receive support to catch up quickly. However, in some subjects in the wider curriculum, gaps in teachers’ subject knowledge mean that some tasks are not well suited to pupils' abilities and starting points. This hinders some pupils from learning as well as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have made changes to the curriculum and to teaching approaches to ensure that high-quality teaching supports pupils to keep up or catch up. Their actions are appropriate, but it is too soon to see the full impact of this work.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders' actions are focused on appropriate priorities. However, some actions have not fully impacted on all pupils' learning and pupils' achievement has not improved quickly enough. With support from the trust, leaders have enacted a clear rationale for improvement. Following the challenges of reorganisation, leaders have taken decisive steps to improve areas such as behaviour, attendance and early reading. Leaders recognise where aspects of provision continue to fall short of their expectations, including variability in teaching quality. While leaders know that outcomes for pupils at the end of Year 6 need to improve, they have not ensured that the quality of the curriculum and teaching is consistently high. Those responsible for governance meet their statutory duties, with appropriate oversight of areas such as safeguarding and equalities. However, sometimes opportunities for robust challenge are missed. Governors do not hold leaders to account about pupils’ achievement

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

effectively enough to ensure that they have a secure overview of it.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders make decisions with pupils’ best interests in mind. For example, leaders have improved provision for pupils previously at risk of exclusion. Partnerships with external agencies such as the local authority further enhance their work to support disadvantaged pupils.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders promote staff development through professional learning opportunities. This includes effective support for staff new to teaching. The school engages well with external partners such as the diocese to support staff wellbeing. While many staff speak positively about leaders' actions to support them, some feel that workload has not been sufficiently addressed.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

This is a welcoming community where pupils feel safe and happy. Each morning, staff warmly welcome pupils into school. Staff are ambitious for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They take positive steps to ensure pupils who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing are fully included in school life.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy learning. Classrooms are calm spaces with expectations that help pupils to focus. In 2025, pupils' outcomes in national tests for reading and mathematics improved as a result of leaders' actions to address weaknesses in teaching and provide high-quality training for staff. However, variability in the way staff deliver some aspects of the curriculum remains. Consequently, pupils, in particular disadvantaged pupils, do not achieve as well as they should compared to their peers nationally.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils generally demonstrate the school's high expectations for behaviour. This starts in the early years, where children follow well-established routines. Positive relationships enable staff to get to know pupils well. Bullying and discrimination of any form are rare. Pupils are confident that staff will deal with such issues promptly should they occur. Pupils enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in the school's high rates of attendance.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Beyond their academic learning, pupils enjoy wider opportunities that broaden their horizons and help to prepare them for life beyond the school. These include a range of extra- curricular clubs and educational visits to local places of interest, such as Ripon Cathedral. Pupils take pride in their leadership roles, such as 'digital leaders' and 'the caring crew'. These roles help them to foster responsibility, make improvements and welcome those who are new to the school and country.

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Next steps

Leaders should strengthen teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and address inconsistencies in teaching, so that staff have the expertise needed to deliver the curriculum effectively and pupils are appropriately challenged to achieve the academic standards of which they are capable. Leaders should ensure that teaching enables all pupils, in particular those who are disadvantaged, to develop appropriate knowledge and skills across the curriculum so that they make effective progress from their starting points and achieve well in national tests. Leaders should ensure that school improvement priorities are implemented as intended, with consideration of the impact on staff workload and wellbeing, and with appropriate challenge from those responsible for governance. Leaders should continue to embed their work to promote children’s vocabulary and language skills in the early years, so that children’s communication skills are developed

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Leeds Diocesan Learning 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), Richard Noake, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter Foskett.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the trust school effectiveness director, a member of the board of trustees, the CEO and members of the governing board during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. The last section 48 inspection for Holy Trinity Church of England Infant and Nursery School took place in March 2025.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. Holy Trinity Church of England Nursery and Infant School merged with Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School on the junior school site.

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Lead inspector:

Kathryn McDonald, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Kerry Partington, Ofsted Inspector Emily Stevens, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 62% 62% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 79% 75% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 72% 72% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 71% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 71% 74% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 47% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.3% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.3% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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