Holy Trinity CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Holy Trinity CofE Primary School

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106244 Unique Reference Number Tameside Local Authority 287455 Inspection number 27 November 2006 Inspection date Henry Moreton Reporting inspector

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

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Kenyon Street School address Primary Type of school Ashton-under-Lyne Voluntary aided School category Lancashire OL6 7DU 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0161 3301065 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 3398298 Fax number 224 Number on roll (school) Mr Edward Hartley Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs K Menmuir Headteacher 21 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 287455 27 November 2006 3 °11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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

Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School is of average size. Children enter the Nursery class with skills well below those often found. Approximately 90% of children who enter the school are at an early stage in learning English as an additional language. Over three quarters of the pupils come from Asian/Asian British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good standard of education for its pupils and has some outstanding features. It gives good value for money. It has an accurate view of its effectiveness and demonstrates good capacity for further improvement. The school is successful in achieving its aims as set out in its mission statement. It is at the heart of its local community and is supported well by its parents. Overall, pupils achieve well. The children are given a very good start to their education in Nursery and make good progress in Reception. Pupils' personal development is good throughout the school and leaders prioritise the sustenance of activities that support this. Good behaviour and positive attitudes to learning enable pupils of all abilities to take advantage of the good curriculum. The level of care and support provided to pupils is excellent, as is provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The impact of the work done by the learning mentors and the

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Grade: 2

bilingual assistants is significant in helping pupils make good progress. On entry to the school, most of the children have not attained the levels expected for their age in most areas of learning. The great majority of children start Year 1 with very weak language and literacy skills. Despite the good progress made between Year 1 and Year 6, standards remain below average in both English and mathematics. There are, however, signs of improvement. Over the past few years there has been a clear upward trend in the results of the national tests for 11-year-olds. Pupils achieve well in science but standards in mathematics are hampered by their competence in English language and literacy. This includes some of the more able pupils. Though the 2006 results were not as good as they had been previously, most pupils achieved as well as expected. Pupils in Year 6 are on course to achieve their academic targets.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good because lessons are interesting and encourage pupils to do their best. Excellent support for those pupils at an early stage of learning English enables them to make good progress in learning English. Support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also of high quality, ensuring that they too make good progress. The large number of adults working alongside teachers in classrooms are well deployed, with teachers adept at planning lessons that meet the requirements of pupils with different needs. In English and mathematics pupils are organised into groups that match their abilities and this helps them to make good progress. Teachers mark pupils' written work in detail but they do not ensure that pupils read and act on the points for improvement given. Leadership and management are good. The senior management team has successfully implemented strategies that have steadily raised the achievement of pupils over time.

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Grade: 2

Work with parents and many other partners is outstanding. This makes a significant contribution to helping parents to support their children and unity within the local community. Parents say that the school has a loving and caring approach to all children and that they are made to feel part of a family. Any elements of discrimination are tackled head on. Parents are encouraged to be fully involved in the work and life of 2 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006 the school. So too, in many ways, are pupils but there is scope for them to be given a formal voice in the decision making processes.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that pupils read and respond to teachers' marking. • Give pupils a formal way of contributing to the decisions taken by the school.

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Grade: 2

Although standards in English and mathematics are below average by the end of Year 6, pupils achieve well throughout the school. By the time they enter Year 1, the good provision made in the Foundation Stage has ensured that many achieve the goals expected of them, except in communication, language and literacy where skills are still below average. The progress they make in their personal, social and emotional development is particularly noticeable. There is strong emphasis on developing pupils' speaking and listening skills throughout the school and they improve well. Parents say how much their children's confidence improves as a result. Overall, over the past few years there has been a good improvement in the pupils' achievement in English and mathematics. Pupils in the current Year 6 are on course to attain the challenging targets set for them in English and mathematics. Those pupils who are learning English

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Grade: 2

as an additional language are provided with closely targeted support, enabling them to make good progress in their acquisition of English. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are also provided with effective support, ensuring that they too make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good, a view which is strongly supported by parents. Throughout the school, pupils' moral and social development is good as is their behaviour. Their cultural and social development draws effectively upon the backgrounds of all pupils and is outstanding, as is their spiritual development. Pupils respond very well to instructions and cooperate with others. They enjoy their lessons because they are interesting. Teachers are quick to stamp out any misbehaviour through effective use of rewards and sanctions, and by working hard at enabling pupils to manage their anger and resolve any conflicts. Pupils are polite and consider the needs of everyone sensitively as they work and play together. Attendance has improved and is satisfactory now because of robust efforts taken by the school. Pupils' involvement in the life of the school is good. They willingly contribute to different

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Grade: 2

activities and take on responsibilities. However, they do not have a formal voice in decision making, which would help them to develop skills for later life. In this safe environment all pupils feel secure and know who to turn to if they have problems. They have a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and take regular exercise, using the all-weather facilities. Participation in residential activities 3 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006 has been a breakthrough for Asian heritage girls. Many pupils benefit both personally and academically from the sporting and other recreational provision made for them before and after school, at weekends and during school holidays.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school. Many lessons provide good opportunities for pupils to talk about their work. This is a key factor in the good progress made by pupils learning to speak English. Throughout the school, teachers manage lessons well, creating a calm and purposeful atmosphere for the pupils. Teachers take care to provide appropriate work for pupils of differing abilities. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive effective support in lessons from teaching assistants and others, and this helps them to reach their individual targets. Teachers mark pupils' work diligently but do not see to it that pupils follow their advice, so pupils continue to make the same mistakes. Teachers' planning builds on the key skills pupils need to develop and they use visits and visitors well to make learning relevant and increase pupils' enjoyment.

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Grade: 2

Overall, the curriculum is good. It is good in the Nursery and in the Reception class because work is well matched to children's needs and, because of their immediate needs, there is a very clear focus on developing children's speaking and listening skills. The quality of provision in Nursery and Reception ensures that children are well prepared for entry to Year 1. In Years 1 to 6, there are some good examples of literacy being taught through other subjects. A good number of extra-curricular activities enable pupils to develop confidence and teamwork. Good attention is given to teaching pupils about staying safe and keeping healthy. There is a wide range of activities that add significantly to the pupils' enjoyment of school.

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Grade: 1

The care, support and guidance given to all pupils are outstanding. Staff are ably supported by many visiting professionals and other adults. Child protection procedures are well established and safety checks are completed regularly by staff and governors. Risk assessments are well documented. The tracking and predictions of each pupil's progress are diligently recorded and give a very clear picture of what each one achieves over time. Effective actions are quickly taken when it seems that individuals are not on course to reach their personal targets. The promotion of a healthy lifestyle and the encouragement pupils get to make a positive contribution to the community are good. 4 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006 Guidance and support given to pupils who are in the early stages of learning English are excellent, as is the support given to their parents.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides excellent leadership and she is well supported by colleagues. Morale is high. There is a clear focus on raising standards. The effective guidance provided by senior staff has ensured mostly sustained improvement in pupils' achievements in English and mathematics. Senior staff have developed detailed assessment and tracking procedures that leave teachers in no doubt as to how well pupils are doing. The information is used meticulously to track the progress of different groups of pupils. There are clear procedures to ensure that staff and resources are used effectively. Parents are consulted regularly and virtually all have a high opinion of the school and support it well. Pupils' views are taken seriously even though there is no formal forum for them to express them. Governors, who are led by a very committed and experienced chairperson, support the school well. They fulfil their statutory responsibilities and

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Grade: 2

hold the school to account for the standards attained. 5 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the warm welcome you gave me when I visited your school recently. I particularly like these things: • the good progress you make • your good behaviour and enthusiasm for lessons and other activities • the very good relationships you have with one another and with the staff • you are well looked after and given good support by the adults in school • you are aware of the importance of eating healthily and taking part in more exercise • your parents are involved in the work of the school. These are the things I have suggested those in charge of the school do to make it better: • find ways for you to be involved in decisions that affect you; and you can help by thinking about how the school could be even better and telling your teachers • ask teachers to check that you read and act upon all the comments they make in your books; you can help by reading these and telling your teachers if there is anything you do not

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

understand. In addition, you can do your part to help by making sure you all attend regularly and on time. I am pleased that you enjoy school and wish you all the best for the future. Thank you again for helping me with my work. 9 Inspection Report: Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, 27 November 2006

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