NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN INSPECTION REPORT ON DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION AUTUMN 2008 THE TRINITY CATHOLIC SCHOOL NOTTINGHAM NG8 3EZ

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1 NOTTINGHAM DIOCESAN INSPECTION REPORT ON DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION AUTUMN 2008 THE TRINITY CATHOLIC SCHOOL NOTTINGHAM NG8 3EZ 23 RD October 2008 (Section 48, 2005 Education Act) THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page of 2

2 SECTION 48 DENOMINATIONAL INSPECTION REPORT Name and address of School: The Trinity Catholic School Beechdale Road Aspley NOTTINGHAM NG8 3EZ Headteacher: Mr Michael McKeever Chair of Governors: Mrs Sylvia Tye Date of Inspection: 23 rd October 2008 Inspection Team: Mr Bernard Monaghan : Mr Allan Swaby URN & DCSF Numbers URN: DCSF: Overall Grade Awarded: OUTSTANDING A. DESCRIPTION OF THE SCHOOL The Trinity Catholic School is an -8 mixed comprehensive school situated in the north-west area of the City of Nottingham. There are 098 pupils on roll including 226 in the sixth form. The planned admission number (PAN) is 65 and all year groups are over-subscribed. Almost 80% of the pupils are baptised Catholic with the remaining 20% Christians of other denominations. There are four associated primary schools and additionally the school draws pupils from up to thirty-five schools each year. Strong links exist with the school s feeder parishes. THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 2 of 2

3 B. OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS How effective and efficient is the provision of Catholic education in meeting the needs of learners and why? The Trinity School is an outstanding Catholic School. Almost all aspects of the school s Catholic life are very good. The leadership of the school builds a very strong sense of mission throughout the school community. The Catholic ethos pervades the school, beginning with senior leaders who clearly lead by example. Teaching in Religious Education is good and pupils make very good progress throughout the school. Pupils attitudes to learning and school life are on the whole outstanding, they feel valued and respected and in turn respond positively to the high expectations set. The Headteacher is an inspirational leader who has a clear understanding of the school s strengths and the actions necessary to sustain its growth and development. C. The capacity of the school to make further improvements and why. The school has an accurate view of its own strengths and has a very good capacity to improve. This would be most effectively achieved in the Religious Education department by creating opportunities to embrace a wide range of teaching strategies in order to cater for the needs of all types of learner. D. What steps need to be taken to improve the provision further? In order to sustain an outstanding Catholic school, Governors and Headteacher should: encourage more opportunities for independent learning in R.E. with a focus on the learning and achievement of boys at Key Stage 4; systematically monitor and evaluate the provision of tutor group collective worship to ensure quality and consistency throughout the school. THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 3 of 2

4 THE CATHOLIC LIFE OF THE SCHOOL Leadership and Management. How effective are leadership and management in developing the Catholic life of the school? The Headteacher and Governing Body are fully committed to the development of the Catholic life of the school. The Headteacher provides a clear vision for the school in the 2 st century and is fully supported by the governors in their roles as active agents of challenge, support and direction. The senior leadership team is vibrant and well qualified and fully committed to the development of skills and resources for the benefit of all students and the community which is The Trinity School. The mission of the school is clear, fully embraced by the school governors and senior leadership team and is shared regularly with all staff and pupils. Each school year begins with a day devoted to the mission of the school as a Catholic school. This generates an ethos which is supported by clarity and consistency and which permeates policy and practice throughout the school. Leaders at all levels are encouraged to develop a strong sense of the educational mission of the Church, the role of the school in expressing it and to provide very clear direction for the Catholic life of the school. This generates a strong sense of spiritual purpose, with a focus on promoting high standards and the fullest personal development of the learners. The awareness of forgiveness as a vehicle for personal and spiritual development is promoted through all disciplinary procedures and brings justification in the minds of pupils and parents for the sensible sanctions used to support self discipline in a well run school. Very good links exist with parents, parishes and external agencies to re-inforce the high standard of care, guidance and support provided by the school to ensure its learners' safety and general well-being. The result is that the learners flourish and commit themselves to the school s mission. Parents and pupils acknowledge and value the high standards of attainment, discipline, anti-bullying response, communications, teacher commitment, enrichment opportunities and good quality food. Prayer, self discipline, healthy eating, a safe, vibrant environment, peer counselling, anti-racism, anti-bullying, the pupil voice, physical development and practical assistance for those less fortunate are just some of the vehicles through which the Every Child Matters agenda is supported and demonstrates Christian values and Catholic principles which are the foundation of this Catholic school. The school is managed very effectively and in a way that ensures the very best use of resources, thorough and incisive quality assurance of its work, and prompt and decisive action to remedy any problems. Development needs are accurately identified and tackled energetically. The inclusion of all learners has become a central goal and this is effectively promoted. Discrimination of any kind is tackled with vigour. Morale is very high. THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 4 of 2

5 Collective Worship 2. How good is the quality of Collective Worship? Spiritual development, an understanding of faith and a commitment to prayer are central to the life of the school and the whole school community. Liturgical formation is well planned, monitored and evaluated by senior staff and supported and appreciated by the pupils. Collective worship makes an excellent contribution to the spiritual and moral development of the learners. Each week there are upper school and lower school assemblies, sixth form assemblies and year assemblies. Each tutor group is required to pray together at the beginning and end of every session if they are not involved in a larger forum. The celebration of Holy Mass is as frequent as the availability of members of the clergy permits. A monthly voluntary Mass is proposed for the coming year. A school chaplain was appointed following the last inspection but the incumbent has since moved on to a senior position in the Diocesan Youth Service. This places greater responsibility on the staff of the school to ensure that the school pupils make an active contribution to prayer and liturgy through ownership of the agenda, participation in preparation and organisation, quality control and evaluation. There is a sixth form team which has the opportunity to contribute in this way. All tutor groups prepare year assemblies in turn. Where appropriate, participation in the prayer and Eucharistic life of the parish community is assisted and encouraged although an even greater sense of belonging to parishes among the pupils is to be a focus for development. The local parish priest makes a powerful contribution to the community in celebrating Holy Mass, joining in assemblies and even as a teacher in the Religious Education department. The inspection findings support the evidence that where larger groups gather together, vibrant acts of worship engage learners and staff interest and inspire deep thought and heartfelt response. However, on the day of the inspection, tutor group prayer experiences were observed to be of varying quality. Where tutorial prayer was of good quality formal prayers were followed by a period of guided reflection which related to the everyday experiences in the life of the pupils. Pupils appreciate the role of collective worship in their own personal and spiritual development. They identify with the events and the messages they transmit and understand how these activities are distinctive in nature but universal in their application. THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 5 of 2

6 Community Cohesion 3. How effectively the school promotes community cohesion: inwardly (within the school); within the local faith community (parish and education communities); and the wider social, cultural and educational communities. The strength of the community cohesion within the school lies principally within the ability of the Headteacher to communicate his vision for the school to governors, staff and pupils and with the support of all individuals to put into place the scaffolding required to allow the vision to become reality. Aspirations for high academic and professional achievement, clear expectations for self-discipline among pupils and staff, belief in a strong pastoral support mechanism, the promotion of a spirit of reconciliation and providing a model of dedication and commitment allow the community to face challenges and to move forward together with a sense of security and mutual support. The respect that pupils and staff have for each other creates opportunities for each pupil to develop their own spiritual identity, their modes of expression and their values. The degree to which staff are visible and available at break times and lunchtime allows pupils to circulate and communicate freely and to develop relationships. This in turn allows greater mutual understanding and support. Movement around the school is orderly given the physical restrictions of narrow corridors. Students are respectful of each other, staff, and their environment. The wide range of enrichment activities in the school allows student and staff to make the most of their time together and to develop skills and interests beyond the classroom. The self confidence, team skills and personal development they generate is visible across the current cohort of students. Pupils friendships are clearly seen to cross cultural, social, and economic boundaries. Religious Education nurtures attitudes of respect for all faiths, mutual understanding and integrity, enabling pupils to challenge each others belief and values. Pupils are quick to show concern for the well being of each other and to generate support for the weak and vulnerable. Since the last inspection, the identification of the school as being an inclusive school has become increasingly a central goal and a shared vision and the Governors are keen to exercise their duty to serve the common good. The promotion of community cohesion is now witnessed by the open and transparent way in which the governors of the school seek to improve the quality of education for all pupils in the locality. Parents from all backgrounds, and especially parents who feel insecure in an academic environment, will have a more discrete and confidential area in which to raise any issues. The desire to be an increasingly inclusive school is reflected in the new admissions policy and an active role in the Fair Access Protocol. Pupils within the school feel safe, secure, challenged and valued and feel that they have an opportunity to influence school policy and practice. Relationships between staff and pupils are based on the clarity of their roles, responsibilities and standards of behaviour for all parties. Links with the feeder parishes, feeder Catholic schools, other Catholic schools and the diocese now reflect the Headteacher s desire for the school to be a school in the community and to share good practice and provide mutual support. The relationships with the wider community are enriched through a range of initiatives and practices. These include pupil involvement in activities in a neighbourhood special school, invitations to neighbours and nursing homes for school productions, providing role modelling for counsellors in local ethnic minority support initiatives, links with a local Christian further education centre, relationships with agencies such as the social services and the relationship with the local community police service. THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 6 of 2

7 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION Achievement and Standards 4. How well do learners achieve? The standards which learners attain in Religious Education are high in all Key Stages and compare favourably with those attained in other subjects within the school, other diocesan schools and schools nationally. Almost all learners make very good progress through all three key stages. The AS and A2 results are very high. At GCSE the results are also high, with 36.8% of pupils achieving A*/A in Girls, however, out performed boys in the same year by approximately 0% at A*- C grades. Although boys performance is lower in some other subjects, the Religious Education department feel that it has the capacity to reduce the deficit. Performance at key stage 3 is high and the reported levels of attainment have become more reliable in recent years as a result of greater rigour in the strategies used for assessment, in the levelling of work and in the recording and reporting of data. Overall the behaviour of pupils in lessons is exemplary. They demonstrate a level of self-discipline which contributes to the speedy and effective start to lessons, the facility for teachers to guide the lessons and the opportunity for all pupils to engage in their learning. The Religious Education department supports the pastoral curriculum across the school through the teaching of sex and relationships education and social awareness. The curriculum also encourages empathy and support for each other and also for those less fortunate. Religious Education lessons and the contribution the department makes to the prayer and liturgical life of the school elicits responses from the pupils which demonstrate the considerable contribution made to the spiritual, moral, personal, social and cultural development of all pupils. The SEF reports that the achievement of boys is to be encouraged through end of unit testing, increasing the use of ICT and having extra revision lessons. The Inspection suggests that a more diagnostic approach is needed which revisits effective co-operative group work, the effective use of assessment for learning opportunities and the development of skills in pupils which allow greater levels of independent learning to take place in the classroom which means that it would be facilitated by but is independent of the teacher. Another immediate challenge facing the school is to provide for the significant number of students with English as an additional language. Staffing and resources have been allocated at whole school level to ensure that these pupils make progress quickly to minimise the gap between their potential and their attainment. THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 7 of 2

8 Quality of Provision for Religious Education 5. How effective are teaching and learning? 2 Most learners thrive as a result of the teaching of Religious Education. They enjoy Religious Education and make very good progress. The experienced Head of Department for Religious Education leads a well qualified, specialist team of staff who themselves have a range of experience. They have high levels of knowledge of the subject and expertise in teaching it and together with careful planning ensure that schemes of work in Religious Education are comprehensive, relevant, well pitched and suitably challenging for all learners. These schemes of work incorporate strategies which challenge learners to think spiritually, ethically and theologically, and to become aware of the demands of a religious commitment in everyday life. The planning of lessons is good and there is greater rigour in the assessment and marking of progress since the last inspection. The challenge to incorporate accurate levelling and target setting at Key Stage 3 has been met through the establishment of the NBRIA procedures and through consultation with other diocesan heads of department. This has brought a greater understanding and security to the use of levels on the part of both staff and students. The teaching observed on inspection was deemed to be good with some evidence of outstanding practice. There is scope for further development in providing a greater range of teaching strategies in order to engage with the learning styles of more boys at both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. This may well support the assessment for learning opportunities in the classroom. Parents are informed regularly of their child s progress. Communication with school has been improved with the introduction of as well as the telephone and personal visits. Extension tasks can be accessed from home via the school s web site. The school and the department emphasise consistently the academic and personal value in performing well in Religious Education. THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 8 of 2

9 6. How well does the Religious Education curriculum meet the needs and interests of learners? The curriculum in Religious Education fulfils the requirements of the Curriculum Directory for Catholic Schools in providing a systematic study of God, the life and teaching of Jesus and of the Church, the central beliefs that Catholics hold and the relationship between faith and life. Through all key stages the pupils gain a good understanding of the teaching of the Holy Bible and they are encouraged to relate this teaching to their own lives. Care for each other, for those less fortunate and for the environment promotes not only positive relationships but also positive contributions such as charitable activities and recycling initiatives. The curriculum they experience through ICONS, the GCSE syllabus, post 6 courses and the enrichment opportunities allows for a personal development programme which supports their sacramental experiences and their sex and relationships education. It also gives students the means to think spiritually, ethically and theologically, and to become aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life. This curriculum makes a very significant contribution to the spiritual and moral development of the learners and to respect other faiths and cultures. Advantage is taken in Religious Education of opportunities to develop learners skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and to develop skills in using ICT. The department supports the school s literacy policy and work sampling on inspection demonstrated a good quality of extended writing as well as a range of styles used to record and report information and ideas. The effective teacher use of ICT in the classroom needs to be reviewed together with that of the sharing of good practice regarding the use of ICT. Opportunities for questioning skills, co-operative group work and independent learning can also be reinforced. All learners have access to a Religious Education curriculum which is adapted to their needs and to the needs of the school. Work sampling demonstrated that progression within and between years and key stages is clearly thought out, and that this is monitored and evaluated by all staff. THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 9 of 2

10 Leadership and Management 7. How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners in Religious Education? The school governors, the governor responsible for Religious Education, the Headteacher, the senior line manager and the head of department form a strong team. Together they guarantee that an appropriate curriculum, high standards of teaching and learning, high standards of behaviour and high levels of attainment are maintained. In the main these are achieved through the provision of quality teachers, appropriate resources and the necessary support mechanisms. In turn these ensure that Religious Education is a high achieving academic subject within the school. The quality assurance mechanisms throughout the school ensure that the R.E. department has a regular self-review and action plan update. The inspection confirmed that the department and its leadership network provided a very accurate self-evaluation document. Good links exist with parents, parishes and diocesan agencies to support work in Religious Education. The impact of this is seen in the very good progress made by most learners. The subject leader has a strong sense of the educational mission of the Church and the role of the subject in contributing to the school s part in this. She communicates a strong sense of spiritual purpose to the Religious Education teachers and learners. She is clearly focused on promoting high standards in Religious Education as well as supporting the faith development of the students. The department takes a lead in the promotion of liturgical and prayer opportunities. In this way it makes a significant contribution to the prayer and liturgical life of the school. This should not be at the cost of time and resources within the academic subject. There is a shared sense of mission amongst those teaching Religious Education. The subject is managed very well and, through its quality assurance procedures, has a well-grounded understanding of the quality of its provision. The only issues to be addressed as a result of this inspection are the more effective use of ICT and a review of the range of teaching strategies in order to enhance the engagement of all learners and especially boys at Key Stage 4. Common grading scale for all inspection judgements Grade Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 0 of 2

11 INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS How effective and efficient is the provision of Catholic education in meeting the needs of learners and why? the overall effectiveness of the Catholic life of the school/college and its provision for community cohesion; the overall effectiveness of the provision for the Catholic Religious Education curriculum, its main strengths and areas for development the effectiveness of steps taken to promote improvement since the last inspection the capacity to make further improvements THE CATHOLIC LIFE OF THE SCHOOL How effective are leadership and management in developing the Catholic life of the school? how well the governing body fulfils its role in relation to the school s Catholic foundation how effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction which promotes high quality care and education and leads to improvement the quality of the leadership of the Headteacher and senior staff in leading and developing the Catholic life of the school how effectively leadership at all levels in the school promotes learners spiritual and moral Development the impact of the involvement of the Chaplaincy team on the work of the school 2 how effectively the leadership promotes relationships and communication with key partners in education how effectively the Catholic life of the school is monitored and evaluated How good is the quality of Collective Worship? the quality of the provision for prayer, Collective Worship and liturgical life of the school and its frequency learners response to the school s provision how effectively the provision is planned, monitored and evaluated how well the liturgical life, prayer and Collective Worship contributes to the spiritual and moral development of the learners How effectively the school promotes Community Cohesion? how effectively leadership at all levels promotes community cohesion within the school the efforts of the school to promote community cohesion with the wider Catholic faith and education communities how well does the school work in partnership with the wider education, cultural and social communities the inclusive nature of the provision for prayer, Collective Worship and the liturgical life of the school how far the Religious Education curriculum promotes community cohesion THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page of 2

12 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION How well do learners achieve in Religious Education? learners success in achieving challenging targets including qualifications and learning goals, with trends over time and any significant variations between groups of learners the standards of learners work learners progress relative to their prior attainment and potential, with any significant variations between groups of learners the extent to which learners enjoy their work the behaviour of learners learners spiritual, moral, social and cultural development the extent to which learners contribute positively to the school/college and broader community in the school/college How effective are teaching and learning in Religious Education? 2 how well teaching is used to meet learners needs and curriculum requirements 2 the suitability and rigour of assessment in planning, monitoring and informing learners progress the diagnosis of, and provision for, additional learning needs 2 the involvement of parents and carers in their children s learning and development How well does the Religious Education curriculum meet the needs and interests of learners? the extent to which the Religious Education curriculum matches learners aspirations and potential, building on prior attainment and experience how far the Religious Education curriculum meets external requirements and is responsive to local circumstances the extent to which the curriculum in Religious Education contributes to the spiritual and moral development of the learners the extent to which the Religious Education curriculum contributes to learners enjoyment and achievement How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners in Religious Education? how effectively whole school and subject leadership in Religious Education lead and support their staff how effectively performance in Religious Education is monitored and improved through quality assurance and self-assessment how well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve their potential the adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are well taught the adequacy and suitability of specialist equipment, learning resources and accommodation 2 how effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve high standards 2 The extent to which governors discharge their responsibilities THE TRINITY NOTTINGHAM URN DCSF doc Page 2 of 2