Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy (Handsworth) Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • leaders’ monitoring focuses more closely on evaluating the impact of actions on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress
  • leaders make careful checks on the progress of groups of pupils so that they can provide pupils with the support they need to catch up quickly.
• Continue to improve the quality of teaching in order to strengthen pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics across key stages 1 and 2 by ensuring that:
  • teachers give specific guidance to pupils so that they understand clearly what they are learning
  • teachers further develop lower-attaining pupils’ fluency in reading, so that pupils can access more challenging vocabulary to support their learning across the curriculum
  • teachers plan work that matches pupils’ needs more closely, particularly for the most able pupils and those who are disadvantaged
  • pupils have opportunities to reason and solve problems in mathematics and further develop their basic arithmetic skills
  • staff have opportunities to share and learn from effective practice within the school
  • pupils have more opportunities to apply their English and mathematics skills across the curriculum to the same standard they demonstrate in literacy and numeracy.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Leaders communicate a clear vision for improvement and are ambitious to improve pupils’ outcomes. However, leaders have not been able to bring about rapid, sustained improvement to ensure that pupils make the progress they are capable of. The recent secondment of a deputy headteacher and the support provided by the Birmingham diocese in the autumn term of 2018 has helped to strengthen the capacity of leaders to secure necessary improvements.
• Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their improvement planning is comprehensive and appropriately targeted on the school’s weaknesses. However, leaders do not evaluate the progress of groups of pupils precisely enough, particularly disadvantaged pupils and the most able. Consequently, leaders are not well placed to support and challenge staff about the progress of these groups of pupils.
• Leaders’ monitoring of school improvement work is extensive. However, it does not focus precisely enough on the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning.
• Since the last inspection, the school has experienced staffing difficulties. Staffing is now more stable. Leaders have dealt effectively with the weakest teaching. However, frequent changes in staffing have meant that staff training has not always had the intended impact on improving the quality of teaching.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils have access to a curriculum that provides them with opportunities to develop skills, knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. The curriculum is enriched by visits to places of interest and visits from specialists to support pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Pupils have access to a range of clubs that enable them to develop their skills and experience beyond the taught curriculum.
• Additional funding provided by the physical education (PE) and sports premium is being used well. More pupils have access to high-quality sports coaching, and staff’s skills in teaching PE lessons are improving.
• Pupils have good opportunities to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding. Almost all pupils have a sound understanding of right and wrong and tolerance, and an understanding of different faiths and cultures. The school successfully uses the range of diverse cultures and beliefs to celebrate the uniqueness of the school community, alongside the school’s Christian ethos and values. Pupils spoke with pride when they discussed their diverse school community and learning about different cultures, religions and countries. One pupil stated, ‘We celebrate our differences because that is what makes each person special and it is how we learn to value and understand each person’s point of view.’
• Parents and carers who spoke to inspectors during the inspection or who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were generally positive about the school. A small number of parents expressed concerns about frequent changes in teaching staff and the resulting disruption to pupils’ learning and the behaviour of a minority of pupils.

Governance of the school

• In response to a review of governance, governors took steps to strengthen the structure and membership of the governing body. Governors now have the necessary skills to carry out their statutory roles and responsibilities. Governance is effective.
• More recently, the governing body took the strategic step of joining the Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust to ensure the viability of a faith-based school in the area. The multi-academy trust secured an experienced deputy headteacher from another school to provide additional leadership capacity. Prior to this, to support the headteacher in the autumn term, the Birmingham diocese provided part-time leadership support from two deputy headteachers. In addition, the school’s allocated adviser provided support for half a day each week.
• Governors ensure that they complete required training and understand the expectations of their roles. As a result, they are now more focused on the quality of teaching and standards of attainment. However, until recently, governors have been too accepting of weaknesses in the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes. In particular, they have not fully recognised the impact that inconsistencies in the quality of teaching have had on pupils’ progress.
• Governors ensure that leaders fulfil all their obligations to keep pupils safe. They check on how well the school protects individual pupils who require additional support and those who may be vulnerable. Governors monitor how effectively leaders implement the school’s agreed policies and procedures.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors have created a safe and nurturing culture in school. Staff and governors have received appropriate training and know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil’s safety or welfare. The designated safeguarding leads have a good understanding of the school’s responsibilities and keep accurate and secure records.
• The culture around keeping pupils safe is strong. Leaders and staff have completed a range of safeguarding training, including how to keep pupils safe from radicalisation and exploitation.
• Checks on the suitability of staff are comprehensive and help to ensure that all who work at the school, or visit regularly, are suitable to work with children.
• Almost all parents who spoke to inspectors or responded to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Parent View, expressed confidence in the school’s work to keep children safe. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school and know that an adult will help them if they have a concern.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching is not consistently good. Consequently, pupils’ progress varies across classes and subjects. Over time, some pupils fail to reach the standards expected for their age, especially those who are disadvantaged and the most able pupils in key stage 2. More recently, leaders and staff have started to improve the quality of teaching, but there is still work to be done.
• There is some strong teaching in the school. Here, teachers use questioning well to check pupils’ understanding and move pupils’ learning on. However, where teaching is less effective, teachers do not ensure that learning is sufficiently challenging and that pupils are making progress. As a result, pupils’ learning needs are not always met.
• Sometimes, teachers do not explain clearly to pupils what they are learning and what they need to do to be successful. This limits pupils’ progress.
• In a few lessons, some pupils achieve little because they either find the work too hard or too easy. As a result, they sometimes become distracted or distract others from their learning.
• In subjects other than English, not all teachers insist that pupils produce work to the same standard they do in their literacy work. Pupils rarely have opportunities to use their mathematical skills across the wider curriculum.
• Staff promote reading well throughout the school, with engaging displays and initiatives to inspire pupils’ interest and enthusiasm. As a result, pupils enjoy reading for pleasure.
• Some staff demonstrate secure subject knowledge when teaching phonics and reading, but some do not. Some staff are not clear about the teaching sequence they should follow in order to develop pupils’ reading fluency. Consequently, lower-attaining pupils do not develop strong early reading skills, and this holds them back from learning in different subjects because they cannot read fluently.
• The teaching of mathematics helps pupils acquire basic arithmetic skills. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to apply and practise their skills using reasoning, logic and problem-solving. Teachers do not always spend sufficient time deepening and securing pupils’ understanding of mathematical concepts, before moving on to another one. As a result, not enough pupils make the progress needed to enable them to work at the expected standard for their age. In addition, pupils do not develop their ability to apply their skills, knowledge and understanding in more complex contexts.
• Support for pupils with SEND is effective across the school, both in classes and in small intervention groups. As a result, these pupils make secure progress from their starting points.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are taught effectively about the dangers in modern society and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils know how to reduce the potential risks to their safety when using the internet and other digital media.
• Pupils feel safe in school. Most parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and those spoken to by inspectors stated their child felt safe in school. Pupils said incidents of bullying are rare but, if they do occur, adults act swiftly to deal with them.
• Pupils enjoy taking responsibilities around school, for example by acting as playground crew, helping other pupils to play together at lunchtime. Pupils act as peer mediators to help pupils to find ways to solve their disagreements, by talking and finding a solution without having to get an adult to sort it out for them. This is helping to improve pupils’ independence and resilience.
• Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to develop a good insight into other cultures, religions and traditions. Pupils have a good knowledge of the importance of understanding and respecting the beliefs, ideas and views of others.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Most pupils behave well around school because they understand the need for rules and respect for one another. Relationships between pupils and adults are positive. Leaders and most parents report that pupils’ behaviour has improved over the last year. This is because of leaders’ high expectations about conduct and behaviour.
• Attendance has improved and is in line with the national average. Incidents of persistent absence are below the national average.
• Exclusions have reduced significantly and are only used as a last resort.
• Generally, pupils’ attitudes to their work are good. In most lessons, pupils concentrate well. However, when work is not properly matched to their abilities, a small number of pupils become disengaged. This sometimes results in off-task behaviour that limits their progress and that of their peers during the lesson.
• Pupils are polite and friendly and are proud of their school. However, on occasion, pupils do not present their work as neatly in subjects across the wider curriculum as they do in English and mathematics.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The school’s assessments and inspection evidence confirm that current pupils are not making consistently strong progress. This is most noticeable in writing at key stage 2 and mathematics across the school, reflecting the inconsistencies in the quality of teaching.
• Pupils’ progress is limited when work is not effectively matched to their needs. Some gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding remain.
• Pupils’ books and the latest school performance information show pupils’ progress is beginning to improve, particularly where the quality of teaching is better. Improved progress is most noticeable in Years 1, 2 and 6. However, pupils are still not making the progress they should in mathematics. Similarly, the most able pupils do not always make the progress they are capable of in most subjects.
• Currently in Year 6, more pupils are working at the standards expected for their age than in the past in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the phonics screening check is in line with that seen nationally. However, because phonics is not taught consistently well, lower-attaining pupils do not make enough progress in developing fluency in reading.
• Pupils with SEND receive effective additional support. As a result, these pupils make secure progress from their starting points.
• Disadvantaged pupils are making progress in line with other pupils in the school. However, they are not making the strong progress needed to catch up with other pupils nationally.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is efficiently led.
• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development is broadly in line with the national average. As a result, most children are well prepared for Year 1.
• Adults know the children well. They adapt teaching effectively to ensure that children receive the right level of challenge. Consequently, children make good progress from typically low starting points. Disadvantaged children make similar progress to other children.
• In Reception, children work purposefully at activities that stimulate their interest and imagination. Teachers pay careful attention to developing children’s skills in early reading, writing, speaking and numeracy. Adults provide plenty of opportunities for children to play, explore, cooperate, discuss, make decisions, discover and imagine, both in the classroom and in the outdoor environment. Snow fell during the inspection. Adults used the snow and ice in the outdoor learning area to good effect, to capture the children’s interest to develop their knowledge and understanding of the changes of state, freezing and melting.
• Children get on well with one another and there is plenty of lively, good-natured and productive talk between children.
• Reception staff are diligent in ensuring that the children are kept safe and welfare requirements are met.
• Parents and carers report they are pleased with arrangements for helping their children start school. Staff welcome parents into the classroom to share learning with their child.

School details

Unique reference number 140463 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 10058489 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 185 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair David Willey Headteacher Paula Burns Telephone number 01214 649 900 Website www.htcepa.bham.sch.uk Email address enquiry@htecpa.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 October 2016

Information about this school

• Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy is a smaller-than-average, one form entry primary school.
• The governing body recently took the decision to become part of a multi-academy trust. From 1 January 2019, Holy Trinity CE Primary Academy became part of the Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• Almost all pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The largest groups of pupils come from Black Caribbean and Pakistani heritage.
• The deputy headteacher is seconded from another school in the multi-academy trust and took up post in January 2019.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons, parts of lessons and interventions with individuals and small groups of pupils. Some of these were conducted jointly with the headteacher or the seconded deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors spoke with senior and middle leaders, school staff and two representatives from the local academy governing body. The lead inspector also spoke with three representatives from the multi-academy trust, including the adviser who has been working closely with the school’s leaders.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in lessons and work produced over time in a range of their books. Inspectors also heard pupils read.
• Inspectors spoke formally with a group of pupils and informally with pupils in lessons, during playtimes and lunchtime.
• An inspector spoke with several parents before the start of the school day.
• Inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at the latest school performance information showing the progress pupils are making.
• Other documentation scrutinised included plans for school improvement, leaders’ monitoring and evaluation files on the quality of teaching and learning, safeguarding information, behaviour logs, attendance records and minutes of the governing body’s meetings.
• Inspectors took account of six responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors considered six free-text responses from parents. Inspectors considered the questionnaires completed by 14 pupils and 15 members of staff.
• Some pupils in Years 5 and 6 were out of school on a residential trip during the inspection.

Inspection team

John Demmerling, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Kirsty Foulkes Ofsted Inspector