Elsecar Holy Trinity CofE Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that staff provide appropriate challenge to all pupils, including the most able and disadvantaged pupils, consistently.
• Continue to improve pupils’ outcomes by:
  • increasing the proportion of pupils, including the most able pupils, who achieve the higher standards in writing at the end of Year 6
  • ensuring that a greater proportion of pupils, including the most able pupils, achieve the standards in greater depth in mathematics at the end of Year 2.
• Continue to improve the quality of early years provision by ensuring that staff challenge most-able children as early as possible, so that a greater proportion exceed the early learning goals.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and executive headteacher have a clear and ambitious vision which they have communicated well to an increasingly motivated and close-knit group of staff. They have provided stability following some turbulence in staffing. As a result, staff morale and expectations are high.
• Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses is accurate. They methodically examine information about the effectiveness of the school to find ways in which it could be improved. Leaders quickly put in place well-considered and appropriate actions that soon remedy any issues. Consequently, the quality of teaching and outcomes has improved.
• Leaders ensure that good-quality teaching, learning and assessment lead to strong outcomes for pupils. They have successfully tackled underperformance as they aim to provide every pupil with consistently strong teaching. Leaders acknowledge that there is still more to do if the school is to continue to improve to even higher standards.
• Governors, and the senior leader responsible for disadvantaged pupils, ensure that additional funding is used effectively. For example, the use of the pupil premium has resulted in the rapid improvement of outcomes for disadvantaged pupils at the end of key stage 2. Similarly, the physical education and sport premium funding is used well to improve the quality and frequency of physical activity for all pupils.
• The leader responsible for SEN ensures that the funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used effectively to provide the strong support they need. She has clear procedures in place to identify their individual needs, and plans for appropriate intervention. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced, with an appropriate emphasis on reading, writing and mathematics. This contributes to pupils’ good development and progress. Pupils are taught about significant world religions. Topics are used to teach a range of subjects, such as religious education, history, geography, music, Spanish and information and communication technology. A range of after-school clubs and educational visits enhances pupils’ learning.
• Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is stimulating, engaging and relevant to the pupils. They work closely with the local community and local organisations, including the Elsecar Heritage Centre (supporting the school with the topic of the First World War), the Forge Community Partnership, Barnsley Food Bank and Barnsley Council.
• Leaders support staff, at all levels, well. Leaders have skilfully managed the school through a period of some staff turbulence. Leaders provide effective professional development for all staff to support them in their roles through a carefully planned coaching strategy. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good.
• Leaders provide valuable support for newly qualified and recently qualified teachers. These teachers meet regularly with mentors from the extended leadership team to evaluate their progress. Teachers also benefit from attending half-termly meetings with other newly qualified teachers from other schools. Consequently, their confidence and practice are continuously improving.
• British values and the school’s own strong Christian values are embedded within the curriculum. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. This is evidenced by work displayed around the school and in books, and through discussions with pupils.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a wide range of skills and expertise and are committed to continuous school improvement. They are effective at holding the headteacher and executive headteacher to account for school improvement. They provide appropriate challenge and question the information that school leaders provide.
• Governors are proud of the inclusive ethos that school leaders have developed over time. They share the leaders’ high expectations and are highly ambitious for pupils.
• Support through the multi-academy trust has ensured that leadership has strengthened and is sustainable. The board of trustees, led by an experienced chair, has not only held school leaders to account for improvements, but has also made sure that leaders, at all levels, are well supported through mentoring and coaching.
• Governors have completed appropriate safeguarding training to ensure that safeguarding pupils is always a high priority.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders make timely referrals to the local authority social care services where necessary and keep an accurate record of conversations and actions. They persevere when they feel that more action is required.
• Senior leaders, including governors, check safeguarding records regularly and the school has comprehensive policies for safeguarding. As a result, the school takes timely, supportive and appropriate actions to keep all pupils, including those who are most vulnerable, safe.
• Recruitment procedures are thorough. Leaders complete all the necessary checks to ensure that they only employ adults and use volunteers who are suitable to work with children.
• School leaders ensure that all staff have appropriate and up-to-date safeguarding training. As a result, staff are knowledgeable about child protection procedures, the signs to look for and how to report concerns.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school and pupils say that they feel safe. This was confirmed by inspection evidence.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers know their pupils well and help them to achieve well. Relationships between pupils and staff are strong and contribute to pupils’ positive attitudes and behaviour. This helps teachers and other adults to get to know the learning needs of each pupil.
• Leaders have ensured that all staff regularly receive personalised coaching with a relentless focus on ‘agile teaching’ and ‘reducing lost learning time’. As a result, most teachers support pupils well in lessons and they ensure that pupils move on to more difficult tasks as soon as they are ready.
• Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning well to deepen pupils’ thinking. During lessons, teachers offer individualised feedback in line with the school’s assessment policy. As a result, pupils improve their work instantly, for example by editing their work in literacy or by correcting their calculations in mathematics. In lessons, pupils work with positive attitudes and take an interest in their own progress.
• Leaders monitor the quality of teaching and learning frequently, through a carefully planned cycle of activities. This includes leaders observing lessons, scrutinising books and having conversations with pupils. Leaders have also linked the quality of teaching to pupils’ outcomes. As a result, leaders and staff can identify early any pupils who may need any additional support in order to reach their potential.
• Teachers regularly review and evaluate the individual needs of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Consequently, these groups of pupils receive effective support to ensure that they make good progress.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Staff ensure that pupils have effective skills in phonics to improve their reading. Pupils, including the lower attaining pupils, use their phonics skills well to read unfamiliar or difficult words. This contributes well to pupils’ confidence and enjoyment of reading. Inspectors were able to confirm this when they listened to pupils read.
• Most teachers plan activities well that meet the needs of most pupils. However, there is some variation in the work set. As a result, not all pupils, including the most able and disadvantaged pupils, are sufficiently stretched and challenged to enable them to deepen their knowledge and understanding.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The work of the school to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong and well embedded across the curriculum. Pupils are knowledgeable about a wide range of world religions. Teachers actively promote British values, Christian values and inclusivity, through assemblies, festivals, the wider curriculum and regular acts of collective worship.
• Pupils are respected as individuals within the school’s nurturing ethos. Pupils listen carefully to each other and to their teachers, which supports them to achieve well.
• The pupils are very welcoming and make new pupils quickly feel part of the school community. Older pupils act as playground leaders and reading buddies for younger pupils and take pride in their responsibilities as role models.
• The buildings and grounds are well kept, and pupils value the interesting activities they are able to do at break- and lunchtimes. Leaders continue to develop the different areas of the school, for example, the ‘reflection garden’ and the outdoor display of pupils’ work on the First World War.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ good behaviour in lessons and their positive attitudes to learning contribute to their good learning and strong progress.
• Pupils and children behave very well, both in lessons and around the school site. They are polite, friendly and always smiling. They are respectful to each other and to adults.
• Leaders promote pupils’ regular attendance, which is currently in line with the national average. The breakfast club helps pupils start their school day well and supports the work staff do to maintain and further improve punctuality and attendance. For the few pupils who are persistently absent, the attendance officer is proactive in taking suitable actions to work with parents and carers to secure improvements.
• Pupils report that there are very few incidents of poor behaviour. All incidents are recorded promptly and leaders make use of the information to improve the school’s management of behaviour. The learning mentor overseeing behaviour provides effective support, including mental health support, to all pupils and works closely with families.
• Playtimes are purposeful and cooperative. Pupils say that they are fun and they enjoy playing in the school’s grounds and engaging in the many activities available.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The substantial focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning has led to much better outcomes for pupils currently in the school.
• The school’s assessment monitoring system and the work in pupils’ books show that most pupils across the year groups make good progress from their starting points.
• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of Reception has consistently been above the national average and significantly improved in 2018 compared with the previous year.
• Phonics outcomes in key stage 1 are strong because phonics is taught well. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is consistently above the national average.
• In 2018, at the end of key stage 1, the proportions of pupils who achieved the expected standards in reading and writing were above the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards and standards at greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics combined increased in 2018 and remain above the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving standards at greater depth in reading and writing increased in 2018 and are above the national average. Leaders were disappointed with the decline in the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standards in mathematics at the end of Year 2. The proportion of pupils who achieved the standards at greater depth in mathematics declined more sharply in 2018 and is now below the national average.
• At the end of Year 6, in 2018, the proportions of pupils achieving the expected and higher standards in reading and mathematics improved and are above the national average. Also, there was a significant improvement in the proportion of pupils achieving the expected and higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics combined and this is now above the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards in writing improved in 2018 and is above the national average. However, the proportion achieving the higher standards declined and is now below the national average.
• Unvalidated assessment information for 2018 indicates that the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils were the same as that of their peers in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6. Scrutiny of pupils’ books and visits to lessons confirmed this.
• Pupils across the school who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their individual starting points. This is because they are supported well through a range of specific interventions that are precisely planned to meet their needs.
• Leaders and teachers use data about pupils’ prior attainment to identify whether they are currently achieving well enough. Almost all groups of pupils do achieve well. However, some of the most able pupils do not make as much progress as they could, especially in mathematics at the end of Year 2 and in writing at the end of Year 6. Inspection evidence, visits to lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ books confirm this.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is effective because leaders ensure that the provision meets the needs of most children well. Typically, children enter early years with skills and knowledge appropriate for their age. From this starting point, most make good progress across most areas of learning and the majority leave with a good level of development. Children are therefore prepared well for Year 1.
• The local authority and the multi-academy trust have worked with leaders to ensure that assessment is accurate. In 2017, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development was above the national average. Unvalidated assessment information for 2018 indicates that outcomes have been maintained and further improved.
• The quality of teaching is good. The staff work well together to assess children’s learning and plan lessons that meet the needs of most children. Teachers are working more closely with parents to identify what children can do when they start school. Parents provide the teacher with information on their child’s learning at home. Teachers review this continuously to build a picture of children’s growing skills and interests. Consequently, most children make strong progress from their different starting points.
• However, the most able children are not consistently challenged. Across early years, there are several children who are demonstrably working at the higher standard. Activities do not always move these children on quickly enough. Leaders are aware that the proportion of current children who exceed the early learning goals needs to improve.
• Leaders have created an engaging and stimulating environment for children to learn in. The early years environment offers a wide range of carefully planned activities to ensure that children have many opportunities to engage in learning of their own choice. The classroom and the outdoor area encourage children to be curious and take an interest in their learning. Consequently, children usually focus well on the tasks they have been asked to do and are keen to explore their environment. Inspectors observed children taking responsibility for their own learning in purposeful play, building on the skills and knowledge taught to them by their teacher.
• Relationships between adults and children are good and, as a result, children are happy and behave well. They work and play happily together. Children are safe and cared for well. Adults supervise children well. Adults assess risk well and maintain a safe, child-friendly environment. Children are taught how to take risks safely in their learning, for example on the climbing wall.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141972 Barnsley 10053415 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 154 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Raj Unsworth Steve Silverwood 01226 743008 www.elsecarprimary.org info@elsecar.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Elsecar Holy Trinity Church of England (CofE) Primary Academy is part of the Pride Multi-Academy Trust.
• The school joined the trust and became an academy on 1 October 2015. When its predecessor school, Elsecar Holy Trinity CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require special measures.
• The work of the trust is overseen by a board of trustees. Some responsibilities are delegated to the local academy board. The trust is responsible for two primary schools.
• Since the school became an academy, there have been changes to staffing and leadership. The headteacher joined the school in September 2016 on secondment and was appointed permanently in post in January 2017. The school is also supported by an interim executive headteacher from the multi-academy trust, on a part-time basis.
• The multi-academy trust provides a range of support to continuously develop school leadership and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. For example, the part-time executive headteacher and specialist leaders of education provide targeted support.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. Currently, there are no pupils in school who have an education, health and care plan.
• As a Church of England school, Elsecar Holy Trinity CofE Primary Academy was inspected in October 2017 under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 and received an overall grade of good.
• The school operates a breakfast club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited lessons across a range of subjects in key stages 1 and 2 and early years and covering all teaching staff. Some of these visits took place with senior leaders accompanying inspectors. During visits to classrooms, inspectors looked in pupils’ books and questioned pupils about their learning.
• Discussions took place with the headteacher and executive headteacher, members of the leadership team and members of the wider body of staff, including newly qualified and recently qualified teachers.
• Discussions also took place with a representative of the Diocese of Sheffield, the chair of the board of trustees, governors, including the chair of the local academy board, and parents.
• Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils from Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 about what it is like to be a young person at the school. Inspectors also listened to some of these pupils read.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, including between lessons, at breaktimes and at lunchtime.
• Inspectors considered the 20 free-text responses from parents to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.
• Inspectors examined records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding, and jointly with senior leaders conducted a scrutiny of pupils’ work in a range of subjects.
• Inspectors also scrutinised documents, including school development plans, governing body meeting minutes, external reviews, leaders’ monitoring notes and information about pupils’ achievement.

Inspection team

Dimitris Spiliotis, lead inspector Christine Turner

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector