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Sept 2023

Last Updated: 21/09/2023

Education

Ofsted says Holy Trinity Junior School in Ripon ‘requires improvement’

by Flora Grafton

| 21 Sept, 2023

Ripon’s Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School has received a ‘requires improvement’ rating by Ofsted.

Government inspectors visited the school for two days in June and published their findings in a report today.

It was the school’s first inspection since it converted to an academy is September 2022 – becoming part of the Leeds Diocesan Learning Trust.

The report said both the quality of education and leadership and management “requires improvement” but found behaviour and attitudes and personal development to be “good”.

It said some aspects of the curriculum are not well designed, adding:

“Some foundation curriculum subjects are not as well-structured or sequenced as others. Leaders sometimes identify too much content to cover in a lesson or across a series of lessons.

"Sometimes teachers do not emphasise the crucial knowledge needed, and pupils do not remember the most important facts.

"This means that pupils’ knowledge is not building securely year on year.”

The report also found “assessment does not sufficiently identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge or identify what pupils can already do”, while some students find “work can be too easy” as it “is not building on what they already know".

Inspectors also added:

“There is a small proportion of pupils whose behaviour is sometimes a concern for other pupils, parents and staff.

“Pupils feel safe. However, some parents and staff who responded to Ofsted surveys do not agree."

The 239-pupil school for seven to 11-year-olds is part of The Federation of Holy Trinity Church of England Schools.

Following the academy conversion, the senior leadership team has undergone “extensive change”, the report said, including a new headteacher in January and a deputy headteacher in March this year.

The senior leaders “share an ambitious vision for the school”, according to Ofsted, but the vision “is not fully established".

To improve, inspectors suggested leaders “should ensure that pupils are securing the right essential knowledge to build on and learn over time”, as well as “ensure that teachers check that the work which is set for all pupils in all subjects is matched appropriately with what pupils need to know or be able to do next".

Only one Harrogate district secondary school rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted

Ofsted says Boroughbridge High School ‘requires improvement’

‘Pupils are proud to attend the school’

Despite the overall rating, inspectors praised Holy Trinity Junior School for the “warm and positive relationships between pupils and staff".

Pupils are polite and considerate, and the school’s Christian ethos and values are woven through everything they do, the report adds.

It said:

“Leaders prioritise learning to read and promote a love of reading across the school. Pupils are keen to talk about their favourite books and authors.

“Teachers choose high-quality texts for their class novel.”

‘Early stages of a new era’

In a letter to parents, executive headteacher Sue Anderson and chair of governors, Adam Kitching, responded to the report. They said:

“We are delighted that the report highlights that pupils are proud to attend Holy Trinity Junior School and the opportunities they have to take on responsibilities throughout the school.

"The warm and positive relationships between pupils and staff were also acknowledged.

“You will share our disappointment in the overall grade; however, the inspection team recognised, when they visited the school, that the federation was in the early stages of a new era with a new leadership team and a new curriculum ready to be introduced in the autumn term.”

Thank you for your interest in this story

Ofsted says Holy Trinity Junior School in Ripon ‘requires improvement’

Read more:

‘Pupils are proud to attend the school’

‘Early stages of a new era’