Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School

Inspection Report Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School

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112841 Unique Reference Number DERBYSHIRE LEA LEA 279033 Inspection number 24 January 2006 to 25 January 2006 Inspection dates Mr. Roger Fry LI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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14 Clifton Road School address Primary Type of school DE4 3PW Voluntary controlled School category 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01629582862 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01629582862 Fax number 58 Number on roll Mrs.Judy Crook Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr. Simon Gostick Headteacher 4 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279033 24 January 2006 - 4 to 11 25 January 2006 Inspection Report: Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School, 24 January 2006 to 25 January 2006

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school serves the village of Matlock Bath and surrounding area. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and a small proportion is from other minority ethnic groups. A very small number of pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who have free school meals is low. The school has a small number of pupils with learning difficulties. When children join the school, their knowledge and skills are typical of children nationally.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School, 24 January 2006 to 25 January 2006

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Grade: 2

Holy Trinity is a good school with some outstanding features. Pupils' standards of work and the progress they make are improving. Pupils, from all backgrounds, now make consistently good progress from Reception to Year 6. Pupils with learning difficulties and with English as an additional language make rapid progress. The school is providing good value for money and it has a good capacity to improve further. The provision in Reception is outstanding. Children make many gains in knowledge and skills and a significant proportion of them reach standards that are higher than expected by Year 1. Pupils' standards in Years 2 and 6 last year were outstanding. Although not yet a consistent trend, pupils' standards of work were much higher than in previous years. Pupils' personal development is good. They have excellent attitudes to work and behave exceptionally well. Parents confirm that their children are very happy in

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Grade: 2

school and enjoy their work very much. Despite the school's good efforts, attendance is below average. The school cares very well for pupils and teaching and learning are good with outstanding features. Lessons are taught at a good pace and pupils' interest in their work is developed effectively because the curriculum is very good. There are many clubs and visits that encourage pupils to look forward to going to school and to learn new things. The headteacher and staff lead the school very well. There is a strong sense of teamwork amongst adults. The school has successfully tackled most of the issues from its previous inspection. However, the school improvement plan covers too short a period. The school has made accurate judgements about itself in its self-evaluation and the areas for improvement below match the school's priorities closely.

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What the school should do to improve further

- Work with parents to improve attendance. - Plan and record school priorities for three years in advance to help financial planning and raise standards.

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Grade: 2

Between Reception and Year 6 pupils have made good progress year on year, mainly because the teaching is consistently good and pupils work hard. Pupils from minority ethnic groups make similar progress as their peers. Pupils with learning difficulties make very good progress. They thrive in the constructive learning atmosphere and benefit greatly from the generous adult to pupil ratio. Pupils with English as an additional language who attend school regularly make very rapid progress in learning to speak English. The provision in Reception is exceptional. Children learn to read, write and use numbers very quickly and they concentrate on tasks outstandingly well. A good proportion of them reach standards that are higher than expected by Year 1. Pupils' standards of work in Years 2 and 6 last year were outstanding, having been closer to average in previous years. In Year 6 last year pupils attained highly in science

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Grade: 2

and standards in English and mathematics were almost as good. The good quality of 2 Inspection Report: Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School, 24 January 2006 to 25 January 2006 teaching and the focus on improving learning have increased the progress pupils make. Last year pupils in Year 6 exceeded their high targets in mathematics and science but missed the challenging target in English by a small margin. This year pupils continue to make good progress in lessons and they also have challenging targets to reach.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good. Their moral and social development is very good. The school's attention to these aspects shows in their attitudes and behaviour, which are outstanding. Pupils are mature and responsible, not least in Reception. Pupil's spiritual and cultural development is good. They have many opportunities to understand their feelings and to talk about them. They experience the range of cultures represented in Derbyshire when they visit places of worship and take part in exciting arts projects. Pupils enjoy their schooling hugely because, as one pupil said, 'Lessons are interesting'. Learning is often fun and pupils receive much personal attention, which gives them the confidence to learn more. However, attendance is below average because some pupils take holidays in term time. This is an area for the school to improve with parents' help. Pupils feel safe, knowing,

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Grade: 2

for example, why there are school rules and how to cross the road safely. They have a good understanding of what to do to be healthy and can talk about the value of exercise and about eating and drinking wisely. The school provides many healthy lunch options and pupils' take-up is good. Pupils make good progress in developing the personal qualities that will enable them to live in the community by, for instance, making decisions about improving the school's environment during school council meetings and at other times. Through their learning in subjects, including English and mathematics, pupils make good progress in gaining the skills that will be needed in their working lives.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good and as a result pupils make good progress. Some teaching is outstanding because teachers have high levels of expertise, are lively and convey their enthusiasm to pupils, who in turn enjoy their learning even more than usual. All teachers have strong positive relationships with their classes and develop pupils' interest in their work well. Pupils have a good idea of what they need to do to improve because teachers mark their work with care and set them targets to reach. The school has recognised the need to develop pupils' capacity to assess their own work further. Teachers are highly skilled in giving groups of similar attainment work that meets their needs. The highest attaining pupils have work that stretches them in the mixed-age classes. The school makes very good use of teachers' expertise. In Years 3 to 6, the two teachers teach effectively to their strengths. The school also employs

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Grade: 2

a part-time teacher to improve pupils' knowledge of information and communication 3 Inspection Report: Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School, 24 January 2006 to 25 January 2006 technology (ICT). Pupils' standards in ICT have improved over the last year. Support assistants promote pupils' learning very well. They know pupils very well and are well prepared for each lesson. Their support for pupils with learning difficulties helps them make very good progress.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is very good. It interests and engages pupils and teachers, for example, make good use of the locality to develop pupils' historical understanding of the Matlock area. There is very good provision for literacy, numeracy and science, and much improved provision for ICT. Consequently, pupils make good and improving progress. The well-planned practical activities for pupils with learning difficulties help them to achieve very well. Teachers give all pupils a good understanding of how to be healthy and a good awareness of safety issues. Teachers recognise that pupils often learn best when their investigative skills are used, such as in science and history lessons. Many pupils talk excitedly about their learning and the displays around the school give pupils a sense of pride in their achievements. Pupils' learning is further enhanced by the very good range of after-school clubs and competitions they take part in. There are clubs

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Grade: 2

for sports and the arts. Pupils also attend residential centres, such as near Buxton, to experience the countryside at first hand to support work in geography and science.

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Grade: 2

The school provides very good care, guidance and support for its pupils. Staff are committed to promoting pupils' health, safety and well-being. The superb rural site and adequate accommodation are well looked after. The arrangements for child protection are well known to staff. Teachers guide pupils effectively by giving pupils a good idea of what to do next to improve their learning, particularly in mathematics and English. Each pupil has targets to reach. As a result pupils usually reach their challenging individual targets as they work on short-term targets each week. Parents confirmed that the school works closely with them when the need arises. The support given to pupils with learning difficulties is very good. Pupils' needs are identified early. The school works well with other agencies, including for pupils with English as an additional language or who have behavioural difficulties, to ensure that they are well

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Grade: 2

supported and can make very good progress.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and staff provide very good leadership. They are building successfully on the work done previously and are well focused on improving the school further. The school has judged itself to be good with some outstanding features. The local authority's review came to a similar conclusion last term and the inspection concurs with this judgement. The school's process of self-evaluation is accurate and robust. 4 Inspection Report: Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School, 24 January 2006 to 25 January 2006 The rigorous approach to change for the better has led to pupils' improving rate of progress over the last 18 months. Checks on the school's work are carried out rigorously by the headteacher and teamwork is very strong. Consequently, the school is significantly better than it was at the time of the last inspection. The school consults governors, staff, pupils and parents effectively. As a result, the school has a good basis

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Grade: 2

upon which to move forward. The school makes sure that all have equal opportunities to participate in what it offers. The school has successfully dealt with all but one issue arising from the previous inspection. The school wrote a three year improvement plan after the last inspection, but the current school improvement plan mostly has targets for one year and needs to incorporate a longer-term perspective. However, within the present plan, the school identifies realistic targets to be reached, such as how to improve attendance, and knows how it intends to reach them. Governors are committed to improving the school's performance further and are now well informed. Governors make proper checks on the school's work and they have invested wisely in, for example, a very good adult to pupil ratio. The record of change for the better puts the school in a good position to improve further. The school is good value for money.

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Grade: 2

5 Inspection Report: Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School, 24 January 2006 to 25 January 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Matlock Bath Holy Trinity CofE Controlled Primary School, 24 January 2006 to 25 January 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I enjoyed visiting your school and meeting you all. Thank you very much for being so friendly and helpful, especially at lunchtimes. I liked so many of the things I saw. Here are some of them. - You are making good progress with your work. - Your attitudes to work and behaviour are outstanding. - You enjoy school very much. - One of you said, 'Lessons are interesting'. I agree that teachers make lessons interesting. - You are growing up into responsible young people. - Adults look after you very well. - Your headteacher and staff lead the school very well. - The site is superb and you look after it very well. There are two things the school should do to improve. The first one you may be able to help with. We are asking your headteacher and teachers to: - make sure you all come to school regularly; - make sure that they plan their improvements, not just for this year, but for three years into the future. I wish you all every

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