Holy Trinity Church of England VC Primary School & Community Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and inclusive school. They are enthusiastic about, and proud of, their school.

Pupils feel safe and happy in school.

Staff know pupils and their families well. Parents and pupils value highly the high-quality pastoral support that the school provides.

Pupils are confident that they can speak freely about their worries and staff will listen to them.

The school's values of 'faith, respect, harmony and lifelong learning' underpin pupils' positive behaviour and attitudes. Pupils are respectful and polite to each other, to staff and visitors.

They behave well in lessons and at social times. Pupils say that bu...llying rarely happens. When it does, they are confident that adults will deal with it promptly.

The school's highly aspirational approach to pupils' personal development enriches pupils' learning and life experiences. Pupils readily take on leadership roles, for example as attendance ambassadors or school council members. This helps pupils to grow into confident individuals and prepares them well for life beyond school.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school is determined to enable pupils to be the best they can be in the future. The curriculum draws on the richness of the geography and history of the local area while enabling pupils to experience the wider world. High-quality texts underpin all aspects of the curriculum.

This helps pupils to make links in the content they learn. A range of rich experiences, such as fossil hunting and visits to the museum, help to engage and enthuse pupils in their learning. Pupils, including children in the early years, thrive at this school and achieve well.

The school has carefully identified the essential knowledge that it wants pupils to learn in all curriculum subjects. This starts in the early years, where children are well prepared for learning in Year 1 and beyond. The curriculum is broken down into small steps so that pupils build on what they have learned before.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about their current learning but, in some subjects, they struggle to remember what they have learned before.

Teachers have a good understanding of the subjects they teach. They explain new learning clearly and are skilled in addressing gaps in knowledge.

Occasionally, some teaching does not check well enough what pupils know and can do, or choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils learn the intended curriculum. When this happens, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school works collaboratively with families to meet the needs of individual pupils. Targets for pupils with SEND focus on specific areas of need. Staff ensure that learning is adapted, where necessary, so that all pupils can enjoy their learning and achieve well.

Children in the Nursery and early years classes are nurtured by staff. As a result, they settle quickly. They rapidly learn all the sounds they need to become fluent, confident readers.

Staff ensure that the books pupils read match closely to the sounds they know. Pupils who fall behind in reading get the support they need to catch up quickly. Staff across the school foster a love of reading in pupils by sharing carefully selected, inspiring books.

Older pupils enjoy visiting the school library and choosing from the wide range of books on offer.

Pupils attend school regularly and show a keen interest in their learning. They listen well during lessons.

Pupils strive to do their best at all times and are proud of what they achieve.

The school provides exceptional support for pupils' character, social and emotional development. The curriculum and wider experiences on offer to pupils help them to develop resilience and confidence.

For example, pupils learn about their community through visits to a local care home, where they meet and talk with residents. A range of guest speakers spark pupils' interests and their aspirations as to what they may become in the future.

Pupils' talents and interests are successfully developed by the wide range of clubs and activities on offer to them.

They attend clubs such as netball, art and choir. Pupils learn to appreciate the arts and culture.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, the implementation of the curriculum and its assessment do not support pupils to build on and retain in the long term important knowledge they have learned. As a result, pupils do not always recall prior learning, and so are not able to build on what they know effectively. The school should ensure that the curriculum and assessment enable pupils to draw on what they have learned before so that they can achieve more.