Setting

PROTECT-INSPECTION

Mrs D Elsom Headteacher Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School Trinity Road South West Bromwich B70 6NF

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 27 November and the 30 November 2009 and for the information which you provided before and during my visit. Would you please also pass on my thanks to the pupils, the chair of governors and the school improvement adviser.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

As a result of the inspection on 26-27 November 2008, the school was asked to:

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning to ensure that all pupils make consistently good progress across the school.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

 Strengthen monitoring skills in order that all leaders are well equipped to evaluate the impact of teaching on learning in lessons and in pupils’ written work.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

 Adapt the curriculum more closely to meet individual needs of all pupils through improved links between subjects and more practical activities.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

 Improve academic guidance to prepare pupils better for assessing their own work.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Since the last inspection, three teachers have left the school and have been replaced by three others, including an Advanced Skills Teacher.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made:

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

inadequate progress in making improvements and

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

inadequate progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement. Serco Boundary House Wythall Green Birmingham B47 6LW T 08456 40 40 40 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 0121 683 2033 Ann.Morris@Serco.com Page 2 The 2009 end of Key Stage 2 test results show a considerable decline in pupils’ attainment, especially in mathematics and science. Attainment was exceptionally low in all subjects. More than half the number of pupils failed to attain the expected Level 4 in mathematics. The 2009 end of Key Stage 1 teacher assessments show that pupils’ attainment continued to be below average. Progress made by pupils from the end of Key Stage 1 to the end of Key Stage 2 remained inadequate. The school’s tracking data for the school year 2008-2009 show that the progress of all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, varied across the school. In some classes, pupils made good progress and in others

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

progress was inadequate. Overall, actions taken by the school to raise pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science have not yet been successful.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

The school’s monitoring shows that the quality of teaching has improved and all inadequate teaching has been eradicated. Inspection evidence indicates that, although there is a small amount of good teaching, the majority of teaching is still no better than satisfactory. Work undertaken by the school to ensure a greater degree of consistency in teachers’ planning has been successful. All teachers now use the same planning format. In the best lessons, the small steps which help ensure effective learning are carefully matched to pupils’ attainment, understood by the pupils and used by teachers and pupils to evaluate the degree of learning in the lesson. However, in most lessons, work is not matched well enough to pupils’ capabilities and the learning steps are not clear enough. Consequently, most pupils do not receive sufficient challenge and are not guided well enough in their learning.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Following the last inspection, the headteacher reorganised the leadership team and appointed teachers from within the school to lead the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1, lower Key Stage 2 and upper Key Stage 2. All leaders are enthusiastic to improve their skills and some are undertaking leadership development programmes. However, the skills of evaluating the quality of pupils’ learning through lesson observations, data analysis and looking at pupils’ work are not yet sufficiently developed. Much of the information on pupils’ progress is inaccurate and does not give a true picture of the school. Consequently, some of the judgements made by leaders about pupils’ progress are over generous and teachers are not held to account well enough for the quality of learning in lessons.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Since the last inspection, the school has started to implement a number of initiatives to improve the curriculum. An outline curriculum structure has been introduced which is based a range of themes, all of which show links with pupils’ literacy work. Greater emphasis is beginning to be placed on pupils learning through practical activities, especially in mathematics and science. Teachers have also begun to receive training on improving pupils’ general learning skills. However, all these initiatives are at the early stages of development and have had very limited impact on pupils’ learning. In many lessons, pupils’ learning experiences do not provide sufficient challenge and fail to inspire. In writing lessons, especially with the younger Page 3 pupils, pupils spend too much time completing exercises and not enough time using their imagination and writing independently.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

In some classes, pupils are beginning to develop their skills of assessing their own work. This is because they understand how to measure their learning through clear success criteria. However, in many lessons, the success criteria are too general and are not focused enough on pupils’ learning. Where this occurs, the effectiveness of pupils’ assessments is limited. In a minority of classes, marking is detailed, identifies pupils’ next steps in learning and the teacher ensures that pupils respond to the comments made. However, in too many classes, marking does not inform pupils how to improve their work and has very limited impact on raising achievement. Targets for improvement have also been introduced, but in most classes they do not relate to pupils’ learning in lessons, and do not help pupils assess their own work.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

Although the local authority has provided helpful support for all senior and middle leaders, the impact of this on raising pupils’ achievement has been ineffective. The headteacher values the guidance she has received from the local authority and wishes to have even greater support over the next year.

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Ofsted monitoring of Grade 3 schools

I hope that you have found the visit helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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