Trinity All Saints CofE VA Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and improve pupils’ achievement even further by making sure that:
  • mathematics tasks for the least able pupils build on pupils’ understanding through step-by-step approaches with the application of suitable methods and resources
  • there is consistent support for those pupils who struggle with handwriting and the spelling of common words
  • observations of learning in the early years routinely identify children’s next steps.
• Extend the skills and impact of subject leaders further to deepen learning across a range of subjects beyond English and mathematics, ensuring that the quality of pupils’ written work in these subjects is of a consistently high standard.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, with strong support from senior and middle leaders and good support from the local authority and diocese, has worked tirelessly to improve the school, following concerns raised at the previous inspection. She has established new systems for checking on the quality of teaching and the progress of pupils. These provide clear structures for staff and emergent leaders to follow.
• Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school and know where additional efforts are needed to support individual pupils or groups. By analysing assessment information in detail, they have been able to direct additional support at an early stage if pupils start to slip behind in their learning. Pupils’ progress is kept under constant review.
• Leaders make use of a variety of approaches to check on the quality of teaching and learning. They frequently carry out visits to lessons, interviews with pupils, scrutiny of books and progress review meetings to ensure that teaching is effective.
• The experienced special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has established strong procedures for identifying pupils who may have additional learning needs. Support for these pupils is orchestrated carefully and weekly reviews take place to assess progress. Teaching assistants are very effective in supporting these pupils within lessons and through intervention groups. The SENCo analyses pupil gains from these to check on effectiveness and value.
• English and mathematics leaders are established and confident in their roles and have provided valuable support and training to staff. New initiatives have been introduced, such as the ‘cold to hot’ writing approach and the increased focus on problem solving and reasoning.
• There is a strong sense of teamwork and cooperation between all groups of staff, who feel valued by leaders. This shared respect percolates down to pupils who in turn treat each other kindly.
• Following the previous inspection, improvement plans have successfully focused on improving teaching and increasing the proportion of pupils meeting and exceeding expected standards. The leadership team has the capacity now to set even more ambitious targets for the school.
• While there has been an understandable emphasis on raising standards in reading, writing and mathematics, other subjects have also come under the spotlight. The headteacher has provided clear structure and guidance for subject leadership, aimed at ensuring continuity and common approaches for the future. This work is well under way and, while there is more to do, these leaders are starting to exert their influence.
• Leaders use additional funding wisely. The pupil premium grant is spread across a number of strategies to provide academic support, pastoral care and access to wider learning activities for disadvantaged pupils. The increasing progress of these pupils is testament to the success of this approach.
• Sports funding has been used to provide better outdoor activity facilities and increase the availability of sports activities. Parents commented on the wide variety of clubs on offer, such as orienteering, tag rugby and boccia. One parent said: ‘I have been particularly impressed with the extra-curricular activities offered in recent years – after-school sports clubs are on almost every day for no extra charge, making them inclusive of all families.’
• Leaders have designed the curriculum astutely. They have built in experiences to widen pupils’ horizons and engage them in outdoor activities, knowing that many pupils’ living arrangements restrict access to the outdoors. A range of theatre visits, visitors and activities linked to sustainable living provide enrichment and new cultural experiences.
• Leaders and governors have engaged closely with parents and the community. They have provided workshops on a range of subjects, from online safety to cooking for vulnerable families. The current project to extend facilities to promote healthy eating is an exciting development for the school.
• Parents have an overwhelmingly positive view of the school. They appreciate the care that staff show for the pupils and the efforts they go to in order to make learning exciting. One parent commented: ‘The school has a wonderful, inclusive atmosphere. The school looks at each child as an individual and works with their strengths and weaknesses.’

Governance of the school

• Governors have established cohesive practices to check thoroughly on the work of the school and verify the information they receive from school leaders. Every governor makes a point of visiting the school, in some cases two to three times a week, to talk to staff and pupils, meet with leaders or examine pupils’ work in books.
• Governors each have a clear remit to follow, either an aspect of the curriculum or an element of school life, such as safety or safeguarding. They keep minutes of discussions with leaders and report back to the main governing body.
• Governors make every effort to keep themselves informed by taking advantage of local authority expertise and training opportunities, by attending school in-service training events and by engaging with the National Governors Association. By keeping abreast of progress and developments, they are able to act strategically and provide the right balance of support and challenge to leaders.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and fit for purpose. All recruitment procedures are carefully followed and induction arrangements are comprehensive. Training for staff is organised very systematically and frequently updated so that all staff are well prepared in the event any concerns about a pupil’s well-being.
• Staff with a specific responsibility for safeguarding are very alert to the needs of vulnerable families. On occasion, they have been tenacious in securing interventions and support when they considered pupils were at risk of harm. They have close and effective engagement with a wide number of external agencies. Record-keeping is detailed and cross-referenced so that information is quickly accessible.
• Leaders have ensured that attendance has received a high priority and the work of the attendance officer and parent support worker is effective. Individual pupils whose attendance has been poor are missing less school days and parents praise the support and advice they receive from staff.
• The overview of safeguarding practice by governors is exemplary. Two governors check recruitment records at least termly, following a detailed audit format. They also meet together and with designated staff to review procedures, check on emerging issues and consider any new requirements that may require action. All meetings are recorded and fed back to the governing body.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Since the last inspection, teaching has improved considerably and is now good overall. This is because teachers plan together closely to ensure that pupils across year groups receive a broadly similar diet of learning and because they use assessment information well to check on pupils’ progress and plan next learning steps.
• Lessons are engaging and teachers use a variety of ploys to hook in pupils’ interest and curiosity. Teachers make good use of questioning to probe understanding and clarify the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary. They place an emphasis on developing pupils’ ability to explain their thinking, be it around reasoning in mathematics, justifying answers about a text they are reading or putting forward a logical point of view.
• The school has adopted a light touch to homework to encourage pupils to complete challenges or activities on an optional basis from a menu over time. These activities are often drawn from current thematic work, such as history or science. All pupils are also expected to regularly complete reading, times table learning and memorisation of spellings.
• Teaching assistants contribute well to learning. They work unobtrusively but effectively with individual pupils and groups who need additional assistance, offering skilled but sensitive support. Good training helps them to work in consistent ways.
• The teaching of reading skills across the school is effective. Teachers have focused activities on helping pupils to think about the deeper meaning behind a plot or the characters in a story. The use of quality novels linked to themes across the curriculum provides fertile examples for pupils to develop such inferential skills. This was seen to good effect in upper key stage 2 when pupils were enthusiastically discussing aspects of the book ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’.
• The development of writing skills is closely linked to class texts and work across different subjects, as in lower key stage 2 work on volcanoes. Pupils have plenty of opportunities in their independent writing to apply punctuation and grammar skills. They enjoy putting pen to paper. In Year 1, for example, pupils were bursting to write about penguins, following discussion about animals in cold lands.
• In mathematics, teaching provides frequent revision of calculation skills through activities such as ‘mini-maths’, and this helps to build a more secure grasp of number. It also means that pupils are better equipped to get to grips with problem-solving and reasoning tasks.
• Most of the time in mathematics, learning tasks offer good challenge so that the most able pupils really have to think hard. In a minority of cases, however, work is too hard for the least able pupils because the sequence of learning is too rapid or because the method and resources do not suit the task.
• Teachers provide useful feedback to help pupils improve their work and allow time for correction activities to take place. However, sometimes, corrections are not completed as neatly as original work. Although handwriting is taught weekly, a few pupils still struggle to write legibly and poor letter formation in their independent writing persists. Sometimes, common word spelling errors are not routinely identified.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Leaders and staff have worked extremely hard to establish an ethos of mutual respect and care. The Christian values that are constantly revisited underpin the happy, calm and caring atmosphere.
• Pupils assured inspectors that they feel safe in school and trust the adults to look after them well. They say that any incidents of bullying or unfair abuse are almost unheard of but if anyone behaved in that way, the staff would take strong action quickly to sort things out. Worry boxes are available to pupils if they have concerns about home or school. Pupils know that staff will respond to any anxieties promptly.
• Pupils know how to stay safe online and when out of school. They remember the lessons from their teachers and the police about security around personal details and risks associated with strangers. The school’s managed network provides additional filters and barriers and the school also provides e-safety workshops for parents. Visitors from fire and road safety services augment the school’s environmental safety programme and pupils are aware of railway dangers.
• There is a wealth of extra-curricular activities on offer to pupils and records demonstrate that proportions of pupils taking part in sports clubs have risen sharply over the past year. Pupils who show promise in sport are signposted to local organisations, such as Bradford City FC or Keighley Albion ARLFC, to develop their skills further.
• To get the day off to a good start, the school operates a well-attended breakfast club. This offers healthy food and opportunities to play games with friends or enjoy creative activities. There is similar provision after school and both morning and afternoon sessions are calm and exceptionally well run.
• Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities, such as the play leader or corridor monitor roles. Periodically, class councils present assemblies to the school about an aspect of school life. Pupils are keen to promote sustainable living ideas and help other people in third- world countries. Working with the Woodland Trust to reduce plastic waste and fund-raising for the toilet-twinning project overseas are two such examples.
• Pupils mix well together and treat each other fairly, whatever their background or family dynamics. A group of pupils helped to design a bookmark about the true meaning of friendship and this is now being shared with other schools nationally and internationally.
• Pupils enjoy events, festivals and parties linked to their own and different faiths and have also had opportunities to visit places of worship, such as the Sikh temple. They are thus well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, around school, in the dining hall and on the playground, pupils demonstrate orderly and responsible behaviour. They know that the school code of conduct is used fairly and consistently. They also enjoy receiving recognition through the relatively new house point system.
• Pupils demonstrate very positive learning attitudes and respond promptly to all adults, whatever the situation. They settle down quickly in lessons, listen intently in assemblies, interact calmly and take a pride in their work. As a result of pupils’ good manners, responsible attitudes and secure work ethic, no learning time is lost. This makes for a happy, caring and productive school.
• Pupils speak warmly about their school and attendance rates are above national averages. This has not always been the case but the hard work of leaders and pastoral staff is paying off. There are only a few pupils who are absent too often, but focused support is having a positive effect on this group and, consequently, persistent absence is less than that seen nationally.
• Parents feel that pupils behave well and inspectors agree. Inspectors saw only a little off-task behaviour of just a few pupils in a very small minority of classes, but this was linked to teaching that was not fully engaging.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Over time, the attainment of pupils at all key stages has been at least in line with that seen nationally. In 2018, the proportion of pupils at the end of key stage 2 reaching both expected and higher standards across combined subjects of reading, writing and mathematics was above average. Pupils’ good learning attitudes and command of literacy and numeracy skills mean they are well placed for the next stage of their education. Outcomes for pupils are, therefore, good.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has matched the national picture over the past three years. By the end of Year 2, a high proportion of pupils have been successful.
• At key stage 1 over time, the standards reached by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics have been broadly above averages. In 2018, the proportion of pupils reaching expected standards at the end of Year 2 was slightly lower than previously but was in line with the national average and included a number of pupils with more complex SEND.
• There has been an improving trend in outcomes at the end of key stage 2 and in 2018, standards of attainment rose again. Above average proportions reached expected standards in reading and mathematics, while in writing, a greater proportion of pupils reached higher standards than seen nationally. Standards achieved in science were also above average and in the English grammar, punctuation and spelling assessments, results were well above average.
• The work of current pupils and latest school assessments indicate that these good outcomes are likely to be at least replicated in 2019. Leaders have a detailed overview of progress and attainment for every pupil and this is frequently analysed with governors.
• Additional support for disadvantaged pupils is helping this group to make better progress. Differences compared with outcomes for other pupils are starting to diminish. More disadvantaged pupils than ever reached the higher standard in reading and writing at the end of both key stages 1 and 2 in 2018, although the proportion doing so remained below those of other pupils nationally.
• Pupils with SEND are also making good progress, albeit at a slower pace, as a result of the well-constructed learning programmes that are constantly reviewed to meet emerging needs.
• There are good examples of high-quality work in subjects beyond English and mathematics, for example in science, where pupils frequently apply mathematical skills to present information. Written work produced in religious education (RE) shows depth and perception. While the coverage of other subjects is broad and balanced, the quality of written work shows some variation across classes.

Early years provision Good

• Children make good progress across the early years from starting points a little below those seen typically. Over time, the proportion of children moving into Year 1 with a good level of development has been above average and this was the case in 2018. This stems from good teaching and organisation, accurate assessment and stimulating indoor and outdoor learning environments.
• The early years leader provides good direction to other adults, ensuring that any training needs are met in a timely way. Induction arrangements, including open days and home visits, help children to make a good start in Nursery and there are close and positive links with parents.
• Children in the Nursery are able to access a range of exciting learning opportunities and can select resources independently. Adults encourage children to be confident in their use of language. One girl displayed impeccable manners when politely asking the inspector, ‘Would you like a slice of the pizza we have made?’
• Children are busy and absorbed in their play. A boy calmly explained to an inspector when using the home corner telephone that he needed to call the fire brigade as his house was on fire. Two other boys invited the inspector to join them in rolling cars down a tube and counting how long it would take for the car to emerge.
• Adults are skilful in maximising opportunities to extend children’s thinking. In Reception, the teacher asked about the patterns the children had made with small objects then modelled counting in multiples of 10.
• Teachers organise work and play carefully so that children receive a balanced set of learning experiences. They are motivated to learn and explore. Children take responsibility for completing a variety of activities in their ‘passports’ each week. They also dutifully tidy up their areas when asked to do so.
• Teachers design activities that are of particular interest to boys, as this group has underachieved historically. New teaching approaches include more mark-making, such as ‘squiggle while you wiggle’, topics to engage boys and added outdoor number activities.
• Relationships between adults and children are good. Children play alongside each other in kind ways and squabbles are few. The calm and purposeful atmosphere in both Nursery and Reception mirrors that in the main school. All welfare requirements are securely met.
• The teaching of phonics is lively and engaging. In a Reception class, the teacher skilfully helped children to identify and say the individual sound ‘sh’ and locate it in different words. Children were able to use these words in sentences and the most able children moved on to writing them.
• Children with SEND receive good support. A number of strategies have been introduced to aid speech and language, such as the monster group therapy.
• Consistent approaches to recording observations of children at work and play are in place and these records are kept meticulously. Parents also contribute to the electronic achievement profiles. However, learning journey profiles do not routinely indicate children’s next steps in learning required, and so their value is limited.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107338 Bradford 10059036 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 Voluntary aided 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 336 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Reverend Martyn Weaver Jane Glendinning 01274 564977 www.trinityallsaintsbingley.org.uk office@trinity.bradford.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 October 2016

Information about this school

• This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. There are 13 classes, including a Nursery unit which provides part-time places for three-year-old children in the morning. Eight of these classes are arranged on a mixed-age basis. The school has undergone some restructuring of classes as a result of budgetary pressures stemming from reducing pupil numbers.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage. Just over 10% of pupils are of Pakistani origins and there are several other ethnicities represented. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support funded by the pupil premium is just lower than average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan, is just above average.
• The headteacher was in post at the time of the previous inspection, as was the deputy headteacher. Since the previous inspection in 2016, staffing has been relatively stable.
• The school operates a breakfast club and an after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 22 lessons or part-lessons across classes to assess teaching and learning. The headteacher and deputy headteacher viewed several lessons jointly with inspectors.
• Inspectors listened to a selection of pupils reading from all year groups in key stages 1 and 2.
• Inspectors and senior leaders sampled work from all year groups in English, mathematics and a range of other subjects.
• Inspectors conducted meetings with the local authority school improvement adviser, a representative of the diocese, middle leaders, subject leaders and members of the governing body.
• Inspectors analysed information from a range of school documentation. This included published data about pupils’ progress and attainment, the school’s report on its own effectiveness, school improvement plans, the school’s website, the school’s previous inspection and monitoring reports, the school’s latest assessment information and a range of safeguarding documents.
• Inspectors took the views of parents into account through informal discussions with parents and by analysing text responses from the 43 parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Inspectors took account of the views of staff through Ofsted’s online staff survey, to which 21 staff provided responses.
• Inspectors took the views of pupils into account through three meetings with groups of pupils from key stages 1 and 2. They also met groups of pupils informally at playtime and lunchtime. Inspectors also considered 21 pupil responses to the Ofsted pupil survey.

Inspection team

James Reid, lead inspector Alison Ashworth Judy Shaw

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector