Elsecar Holy Trinity CofE Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 March 2024

Pupils are proud to be a part of this caring school community. They are enthusiastic about their learning. The school has recently welcomed a number of pupils from different parts of the world. Pupils value the increased diversity of different pupils in the school. As one pupil said: 'If we were all the same, then life would be boring.' The school's Christian values shine through in how staff speak to pupils and how pupils treat each other. Pupils maturely show their understanding of equality and fairness. Pupils have a strong belief that staff will treat them fairly. They know that staff will help them if they have any worries. Staff have high expectations about how pupils should behave in and out of lessons. From the start of Reception, children learn to follow routines and build independence. In key stage 1 and 2, pupils move through school calmly. During more unstructured times, such as playtime and lunchtimes, pupils are kind and considerate to each other. Since the last inspection, leaders have undertaken work to improve the curriculum. The increased ambition in the curriculum is having a positive impact on pupils' learning and experiences. These improvements are not reflected in the end-of-key-stage outcomes.

What the school should improve

• The school does not assess pupils who need help with their reading frequently enough. This means that they do not have a clear picture of how quickly these pupils are catching up. The school should ensure that frequent assessment identifies any additional support that pupils may need to catch up with their peers.
• In some subjects, assessment does not identify the parts of the curriculum that pupils find most difficult. As a result, actions to address gaps in pupils' knowledge are not precise enough. The school should ensure that assessment of pupils' knowledge is used to identify and address any gaps in knowledge to enable all pupils to achieve well.
• Governors, including trustees, do not challenge school leaders effectively about the impact of their actions on pupils' achievement in the curriculum. This means that some opportunities to increase pupils' progress and attainment are missed. The school should ensure that those with responsibility for governance refine and enhance approaches to challenging leaders about the impact of the curriculum on offer to pupils.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)