Trinity Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Develop the quality of leadership and management by:
  • continuing to strengthen leadership at all levels, so that the quality of teaching and learning and the progress pupils’ make continue to improve
  • ensuring that greater account is taken of the views of pupils, so that communication between staff and pupils improves and pupils take a full part in improving the school.
• Improve the quality of pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • ensuring that all pupils and students in the sixth form have access to appropriate risk education, particularly including education about extremism and radicalisation
  • taking effective action to improve attendance and reduce persistent absenteeism, particularly for pupils who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • ensuring that teachers build on what pupils know and can do to plan work that is sufficiently challenging for pupils of all abilities
  • improving and developing the questioning skills of teachers and teaching assistants, so that all pupils are challenged to think hard and make good progress.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• The executive principal, appointed in September 2016, has taken decisive action to bring about improvement. Since his appointment, senior and middle leaders are beginning to monitor the quality of teaching and learning more closely, which is bringing about improvements in the quality of teaching. Some middle leaders are new to their role this year, for example in science and mathematics, so it is too soon to see the impact of these changes.
• Until the last academic year, leaders and managers did not ensure that all pupils achieved well and made good progress from their various starting points. However, there are encouraging signs of improvements in the performance of the most able pupils in mathematics and science. In addition, there are improvements in pupils’ progress in English.
• Over time, leaders have not been consistent in their decisions about which subjects are taught and about which pupils are entered for examinations. More recently, a review has taken place, and pupils now have the opportunity to take the subjects that are most appropriate for their needs and abilities. It is too soon to see the impact of these changes on pupils’ progress.
• Leaders correctly identified improving the attendance of disadvantaged pupils as a priority in using the pupil premium funding. However, the attendance of this group of pupils did not improve last year and persistent absence remained high. Leaders have recently put a plan in place to improve attendance and there are early signs that this is bearing fruit.
• Provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is beginning to improve and leaders are spending additional funding more effectively. However, leaders need to focus more sharply on improving attendance for this group of pupils.
• Leaders have a school improvement plan which accurately identifies priorities for the school. However, the plan lacks focus and does not effectively identify how progress will be evaluated. For example, the first goal of ‘Visionary Leadership’ outlines actions to achieve good communication, with dates by which actions are to be completed, but no criteria by which leaders can measure success.
• Middle leaders are positive about the programme of staff development that senior leaders have provided. This is beginning to have an impact on improving the quality of teaching, learning and outcomes, for example the achievement of the most able pupils in mathematics and science has improved.
• While leaders have a programme in place to ensure that pupils are prepared to face risks such as child sexual exploitation, online safety and risks associated with drugs and alcohol, pupils have received little education about extremist ideology and radicalisation. This does not prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders are developing a new system for tracking pupils’ progress, based on regular assessments, which is now in place across the school. This is designed to enable teachers to plan more successfully to meet the needs of their pupils so that they make acceptable levels of progress. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this on pupils’ progress and outcomes.
• The executive principal and senior leaders rightly identified behaviour as a priority and produced a new policy, reinforcing the Christian values of the school. This has had a positive impact. Incidents of poor behaviour have reduced significantly since its implementation.
• As a result of recent changes, leaders are now using performance management to set focused and challenging targets for staff at all levels in order to raise standards. This has resulted in leaders holding teachers more robustly to account and providing them with the support and training that they need to become more effective.
• There is some evidence that the use of Year 7 catch-up funding is improving the spelling ages for targeted pupils. However, leaders recognise that there is more work to do to secure more rapid improvement.

Governance of the school

• Governors are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and hold leaders to account. However, greater rigour in scrutinising progress during the school year and the success of interventions would ensure that teachers are more effective in securing better progress for all from their starting points.
• Governors now ensure that the performance management of staff at all levels of the school is rigorous, robust and results in clear targets being set that will move the school forward.
• Governors rightly identified weaknesses in leadership at all levels and sought the support of the trust, which is now beginning to bring about the necessary improvements.
• The trust has made significant changes to staffing at all levels and recently appointed a number of senior and middle leaders. The executive principal and his team of senior leaders from the trust, including the newly appointed chief executive officer, are working with leaders to hold them rigorously to account and improve their effectiveness.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Safeguarding is effective because staff understand how to identify pupils who may need additional support. They know what to do to ensure that leaders take rapid action to support pupils who are in difficulty. Leaders regularly reinforce the importance of diligence through ongoing training and the consistency of their response to any referral or cause for concern that is raised. This is building a culture of safeguarding throughout the school.
• Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate, regular training to be able to support vulnerable pupils. Staff have a strong knowledge of the latest government advice and guidance. Inspectors saw evidence of effective practice in working together with other agencies to secure the support needed for the pupils who are at risk.
• Further diligence is required to ensure that all pupils remain safe whether they are being educated on the school site or elsewhere, including arrangements for travel between sites and the recording of attendance.
• Leaders ensure that they keep all records relating to safeguarding appropriately. Records are well organised and thorough, and provide clear evidence that vulnerable pupils are kept safe.
• There is a swift and effective response to any incidents involving safeguarding. Pupils feel safe in school and have a member of staff to whom they can talk if they need help.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching and learning is variable across the curriculum. Some teachers do not have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They sometimes miss opportunities to ask questions that make pupils think hard to develop their knowledge and understanding.
• Through the school’s new system to check on pupils’ progress, teachers have accurate information about pupils. Sometimes teachers do not use this information effectively to plan pupils’ work. Consequently, pupils are not consistently challenged appropriately to make strong progress from their starting points. For more-able pupils, work is too easy and teachers do not move them on quickly enough.
• Pupils are generally compliant. They are willing to do as they are asked, but some lack the motivation to further their own learning. Consequently, pupils do not always achieve all of which they are capable and drift off task if they are not closely supervised or challenged appropriately.
• In modern foreign languages, some teachers provide frequent opportunities to hear and use the target language and this is used effectively to widen pupils’ vocabulary and speaking and listening skills, although this is not consistently the case for all teachers. However, this is a strength in the sixth form, where teachers make use of, and encourage learners to use, the target language throughout the lesson.
• Pupils who attend the school’s alternative provision at Emmanuel House are making better progress than when they attended school. Teachers plan carefully to meet pupils’ needs and use stronger questioning skills than those apparent in the main school. Consequently, pupils understand their work and succeed.
• Pupils are beginning to learn from their mistakes and are more willing to redraft and correct their work. Leaders acknowledge that there is still work to do to ensure that all pupils make progress in this way.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• ‘Character education’, based on Christian values, has been strengthened but it is too early to observe an impact. When questioned, pupils could recite the values but were unable to explain them.
• Teachers do not prepare pupils adequately for life in modern Britain because they do not teach them enough about risks and vulnerabilities regarding sexual health, extremism and radicalisation, and fundamental British values. Pupils and students were unable to talk about these risks.
• Governors have approved a new ‘Relationship Policy’, but this has yet to be implemented. This is designed to reinforce Christian values in relationships in keeping with the ethos of the school and the trust.
• Pupils feel uninvolved in the life of the school and some were not aware of the existence of the school council. Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that they felt that leaders did not seek their views and that pupils did not have the channels through which to express their opinions or offer their views.
• There are no ‘Equalities Objectives’ contained on the website and these are not explicitly covered in the school policies and practices. This contributes to pupils not being prepared well for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils take pride in their appearance and in their school; they are well equipped for lessons.
• Teachers’ better planning of tutorial sessions means that pupils have a strong awareness of the areas covered, such as child sexual exploitation, online safety and some aspects of fundamental British values such as an appreciation of parliament and the rule of law.
• Careers education, advice and guidance are strong throughout the school. Advice is given especially from Year 8 onwards. This is further supported by the provision of a wide range of extra-curricular activities and work experience as pupils progress through the school. As a result, an increasing number of pupils progress to further study, training or employment.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Pupils indulge in low-level disruption when they are not being closely supervised in the classroom; this was particularly the case in Year 9 classes.
• Attendance has declined for all pupils, and particularly disadvantaged pupils, boys and those educated in alternative provision. The school has employed four student welfare officers to address this issue, but it is too early to evaluate their impact.
• Pupils’ behaviour when moving about the school is inconsistent. Inspectors saw some pushing and shoving in the mathematics corridor and a small cohort of pupils were unable to regulate their behaviour unless closely supervised by a member of staff. Overall, behaviour around the site is variable.
• A new behaviour management policy is in place and has resulted in the closer tracking of pupils’ behaviour. This has led to a marked reduction in incidents and the number of fixed-term exclusions.
• Staff deal with the small number of bullying incidents effectively and swiftly.
• The school provides a wide variety of extra-curricular enrichment activities, including work experience, which is highly regarded by pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils have not made good progress across the school because, until recently, teachers did not plan lessons and set work that effectively challenged pupils to achieve more highly. There have been some improvements in outcomes this year, for example in drama, product design and media studies.
• Overall, in 2016/17 pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds did not make the same progress as their peers, particularly the most able pupils. However, gaps in attainment between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils in English are diminishing for pupils of higher ability.
• Attainment in science is poor for the majority of pupils. Attainment declined for those pupils entered for core and additional science. However, attainment in the separate sciences has improved because leaders have chosen carefully which examination is most suitable for pupils. Leaders now have a clear picture of areas for improvement and plans to address them.
• Middle-ability pupils in mathematics achieved poor levels of attainment this year. However, there was some improvement in the attainment of less-able pupils and more-able pupils. Current school progress information shows that middle-ability pupils are making better progress than previously.
• Based on the latest attainment data from the results this summer, the attainment gap between boys and girls widened this year.
• While attainment and progress of pupils have been variable over time, current progress information, since the involvement of the trust, indicates that pupils are making better progress across the curriculum.
• The new executive principal has introduced a pupil tracking system which is enabling teachers to analyse pupils’ progress throughout the academic year. As a result, leaders have a clearer and more reliable picture of progress in all year groups.
• In-year progress information shows a variable picture of progress, and although some gaps remain for disadvantaged pupils and those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, these are reducing. Rates of progress are improving in a number of year groups, but leaders acknowledge that there is further work to do.

16 to 19 study programmes Good

• Sixth-form leaders effectively monitor the progress that students make. Through this monitoring, they swiftly identify students who are at risk of falling behind. Intervention is put in place quickly, which ensures that students continue to make good progress in their learning.
• Behaviour in the sixth form is excellent. Students take the opportunity to take on a variety of leadership roles and make excellent role models for younger pupils.
• Sixth-form students all take part in work experience which is appropriate to the subjects they are studying and to their future aspirations. Students say that they value the careers advice and guidance that they receive both on entry to the sixth form and during their time attending sixth form.
• Due to the extensive programme of careers advice and guidance that is in place, students are very well informed about university, apprenticeships and the world of work, and almost all progress into these options. An increasing number of students choose to study at university.
• Teachers and students in the sixth form have excellent relationships. Teaching is very strong. Teachers have very good subject knowledge, which enables them to ask probing questions that make students think and work hard. Students have chosen their subjects carefully and have a clear understanding of the value and purpose of their studies. Students develop a good understanding of the topics they study and they enjoy learning.
• Attendance in the sixth form is excellent. Students are committed to their studies and are making strong progress.
• Students who enter the sixth form without an appropriate pass in GCSE English and mathematics receive additional tuition to support them in improving. Due to this support, the number of students securing a pass in both English and mathematics is above the national average.
• Students’ outcomes over time, for academic and vocational qualifications, are strong. Where some subjects have not performed as strongly, leaders take appropriate action to ensure that they improve.
• Leaders ensure that students in the sixth form are taught most aspects of personal, social, health and economic education. They do, however, accept that certain aspects of safeguarding education, such as preventing extremism and radicalisation, require further work so that students have a full awareness of how to stay safe.
• Retention rates in the sixth form are improving, but remain below the national average. Students who have left at the end of Year 12 have done so to take up apprenticeships, employment or alternative courses.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 135007 Doncaster 10036564 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary comprehensive School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Gender of pupils in 16 to 19 study programmes Academy converter 11 to 18 Mixed Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 1,262 Of which, number on roll in 16 to 19 study programmes 165 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Principal Telephone number Website Email address Martin Oldknow David Page 01405 813000 www.trinity-academy.org.uk/ TAenquires@trinityacademy.org.uk Date of previous inspection 22–23 September 2015

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. At the time of the inspection, the website did not include information about the school’s most recent key stage 4 results or results in the sixth form. Information about the school curriculum lacked detail for each year group. Evaluation of the impact of the use of pupil premium funding and Year 7 literacy and numeracy catch-up funding was limited.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• When the academy was inspected in September 2015, it was judged to require improvement. Inspectors conducted one monitoring inspection in which the academy was judged to be taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement.
• The academy is much larger than the average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children that are looked after by the local authority.
• The proportion of disabled pupils and those supported by education, health and care plans is below average.
• A small number of pupils follow individual education programmes for varying periods of time and are educated for part of the week at Emmanuel House. This is a self-contained unit within the academy grounds.
• The academy makes use of Goole College, St Wilfred’s, Central Learning Centre, Maple Medical Service and North Learning Centre as placements for some pupils.
• The academy receives support from an executive principal from the Emmanuel Schools Foundation.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited parts of 37 lessons across most subject areas. Many of these took place with senior leaders. During visits to lessons, inspectors looked in pupils’ workbooks and questioned pupils about their learning.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide selection of pupils’ work.
• Inspectors discussed with pupils what it is like to be a young person at the school, in groups formally and individually during the course of the inspection. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, including between lessons, at breaktime, lunchtime and upon entry to, and when leaving, the site.
• Discussions took place with the principal, the executive principal, the chief executive officer of the trust, other senior leaders, most subject leaders and newly and recently qualified teachers. Discussions also took place with the chair of governors.
• Inspectors took into account 98 responses to the parent online survey (Parent View) and 62 responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.
• Inspectors examined documents, including school development plans, governing body minutes and information about pupils’ achievement.
• Records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were scrutinised.

Inspection team

Mike Tull, lead inspector Debbie Redshaw Janet Gabanski Sara Roe Andrew Cummings Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector