Notice to improve is withdrawn on West Bromwich school
A school, which was branded inadequate by inspectors, is getting better after it had its notice to improve withdrawn. Ofsted said things were looking up for the school.
Holy Trinity C of E Primary in West Bromwich was given the lowest grading by Ofsted inspectors in October last year but, after joining forces with the outstanding rated school Grove Vale Primary in Great Barr, it has managed to move up from an "inadequate" rated school to become one which "requires improvement" with the capacity to be a good school.
Inspector Paul Weston visited the Trinity Road South school last month, and found that achievement among pupils was getting better. He did say, however, that the rate of improvement was still not fast enough.
Mr Weston said: "Pupils are improving more rapidly in reading and mathematics than in writing, although in some mathematics lessons pupils do not use the most efficient methods of mental or written calculation when solving problems."
He found that teaching had improved since the last inspection, although lessons were not always planned well enough to meet the needs of different pupils.
He said: "The teaching of reading and phonics, as well as the support provided for pupils who find reading difficult, is better. Pupils are now catching up with where they should be."
Mr Weston praised the executive head Andy Leivers for his strong leadership, and the way he has managed the federation with the Monksfield Avenue school.
He said: "The federation with Grove Vale Primary is bringing many benefits. Staff are increasingly working together and sharing ideas. They are learning from each other."
Mr Leivers said: " This is an incredible achievement in such a short space of time as it often takes at least two years before a school is removed from a category and can demonstrate it has the capacity to be a "good" school.
