Inspector praises school for upholding Christian principles

A SCHOOL in Henley has been praised following an inspection.

Trinity Primary School in Vicarage Road was told by the inspectors that it is living up to its foundation as a Church school and is enabling children and adults to flourish.

The school, which has 299 pupils, has core Christian values of “respect, care and courage” and bases its work on Luke 10:29 asking: “Who is my neighbour?”

The inspection was conducted by the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools.

The inspector praised the school for being “highly inclusive”, allowing pupils to flourish in learning.

A vision to inspire a love of learning shaped a well-structured, holistic curriculum that met pupils’ needs.

The report said: “The school has an outward-looking culture. Pupils are given regular opportunities to consider significant issues of justice and their responsibility towards others.

“This means that pupils understand how to make a positive difference within the world.

“Collective worship is a daily highlight, creating a strong sense of community. It is a clear expression of the school’s vision and values. The positive relationship with the local church further enriches pupils’ and adults’ experience of worship and deepens their spirituality.”

The report said the school could strengthen how leaders and governors evaluate the impact of the school’s vision and the quality of religious education.

This would ensure that future improvements were planned and delivered effectively.

The inspector said the school should embed the new religious education curriculum so that it is challenging, accurate and well-sequenced.

This would ensure that pupils developed a comprehensive and balanced knowledge and understanding of Christianity as well as other religions and world views.

Headteacher Charlotte Whittle said: “The inspection report highlights a range of positive aspects about school life at Trinity.

“I am most proud of how the inspectors noted our outward-looking culture and high levels of inclusivity for the whole school community. I would like to say a particular thank-you to those parents who spoke to the inspector as part of the process and shared the positive experiences their children have had at our school.

“The inspector notes two main development points about the new religious education curriculum, which we launched in September.

“We believe this to be a fair assessment of where we are at with embedding the new scheme and we will continue to develop this over the academic year.

“The inspector looked at all elements of our school life — academic and wider provision — and we were delighted to be awarded a judgement that we are living up to our foundation as a church school.”

The Statutory Inspection for Anglican and Methodist schools takes place every five years.

Mrs Whittle said: “The church has a legal obligation to inspect and report on religious education, collective worship and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.”

The inspection had been delayed due to covid.

• In an Ofsted inspection in December the school was awarded “good” in all categories. This was 12 weeks after Mrs Whittle had joined from Stoke Row Primary School.