Trinity School - GCSE results, ..is this a failing school? Options

[DrPepper]

I said you were a glass half EMPTY doom merchant, not a half full happy chappy,,,,

I meant half empty - corrected that now!

Though I am generally happy, with a half empty glass my expectations are low and therefore I'm rarely disappointed!

[spartacus]

"Well I wish you'd just tell me rather than try to engage my enthusiasm."

[Guest_Newbury Expat_*]

20% isn't far better, just a "bit better" - it means one in five pupils have improved, or four out of five haven't. And the school (along with the John O'Gaunt) is still well below average.

"Well done and keep at it Trinity", yep keep failing more than half your students, keep paying stupid wages for a part time head, keep congratulating yourself and keep on convincing yourself your are doing a good job.

And where is Mr D on this very important day for the school, seems he wasn't available for comment - why?

Saying that, very well done to the students who have done well at Trinity this year, they have done exceptionally well in the given circumstances.

Wait, what? 20% is a large increase year on year surely?

If you were offered a 20% payrise, would you not think that generous?
If a company had a 20% increase in profits, the board would be lauded to the heavens.
If beer prices went up 20%, people would be up in arms.
If Liverpool had 20% more points last season, well they'd still have been rubbish (albeit with a Champions League place)


Sounds like you have an axe to grind here. True, the results by comparison aren't great but progress doesn't happen overnight (Paul D has been there, what, a year?).

Rome wasn't built in a day and pupils taking history at Trinity know that now.

[DrPepper]

Yea but 20% increase on 45% is 9% overall, not so great.

If I earned £4k a year I wouldn't be that pleased with a 20% pay rise.
If a companies profits were £1k above break even 20% wouldn't be cause for celebration.
If beer was 20p a pint then 4p extra wouldn't be an issue.
If Liverpool had 20% more points it would be a miracle

I agree, it's a small improvement and time will tell, but lets not claim Mr D as the savour just yet on these below average results.

Whilst on about football - a new manager is generally expected to turn the club around in just one season.

[Guest_Newbury Expat_*]

Yea but 20% increase on 45% is 9% overall, not so great.

If I earned £4k a year I wouldn't be that pleased with a 20% pay rise.
If a companies profits were £1k above break even 20% wouldn't be cause for celebration.
If beer was 20p a pint then 4p extra wouldn't be an issue.
If Liverpool had 20% more points it would be a miracle

I agree, it's a small improvement and time will tell, but lets not claim Mr D as the savour just yet on these below average results.

Whilst on about football - a new manager is generally expected to turn the club around in just one season.

Best skip the footy or we'll get the evil eye

Sure a 20% rise on something small is still small. But would you expect to make 8k a year after making 4k in the same circumstances? Surely 4.8k is much better than 4k.

I would love to know where this 20p beer is!! I remember Mars bars going up from 20p to 22p and honestly that seemed like a big jump at 10%.

But I'm not saying Mr D is a saviour (just to be clear) but I do think in 1 year it's about as well as you can do (and also lets give teachers their due as they're the ones giving lessons).

It will be interesting to monitor the progress and see if longer term the changes continue. I can't see 20% being a regular thing but 10% a year for the next 3 years (on top of 20% this year) would see results be more than half as good again as they were last year and that will be exceptional.

[DrPepper]

Best skip the footy or we'll get the evil eye

Sure a 20% rise on something small is still small. But would you expect to make 8k a year after making 4k in the same circumstances? Surely 4.8k is much better than 4k.

I would love to know where this 20p beer is!! I remember Mars bars going up from 20p to 22p and honestly that seemed like a big jump at 10%.

But I'm not saying Mr D is a saviour (just to be clear) but I do think in 1 year it's about as well as you can do (and also lets give teachers their due as they're the ones giving lessons).

It will be interesting to monitor the progress and see if longer term the changes continue. I can't see 20% being a regular thing but 10% a year for the next 3 years (on top of 20% this year) would see results be more than half as good again as they were last year and that will be exceptional.

Just trying to make the point that it is 20% but off what. As you say lets see where they are in 2013 - think we probably more or less agree there

Good point about the teachers - why is Mr D getting all the credit when he is only part time - it's surely the teacher and pupils that are putting in the most effort.

[On the edge]

Very well reasoned argument there, a non-existent building should produce results

A "super head", think we can just call him average head now, or with these results below average head as the school is well below average, who has had an entire year to make improvements, has managed a measly 20% improvement.

Oh, just realised my error - it't not an entire year as he is only part time (still really can't believe that).

Ha Ha - but the argument is about instant results.

I mentioned the investment not the building. Anyway whats taking them so long to get it built, they've been at it longer than Mr D has been at Trinity!!!

As for being a 'Super Head' - he seems to be doing very well indeed at his home school. No wonder the LEA want to 'spread his expertise'. The argument is more about the method of doing that and the rate for the job. Not really his fault - more the LEA.

I must admit I felt sorry for the kids at Trinity - its reputation since inception hasn't been brilliant and its taken an age for the LEA to notice and do something. We've let them down rather. At long last something is happening and actually showing signs of working.

Lets not play politics with the kids - but get the LEA who have presided over this for far too long sorted.

[Missus]

Perhaps we should wait until the pupils at Trinity have had the benefit of Mr D as headteacher for their whole GCSE "career", as those at Kennet have had.
And may I ask if those not satisfied with the results have children who attend Trinity? If they did, as I do, then they would be aware of how much work both the pupils and teachers put in.

[DFoth]

Thank goodness to finally read some sensible and positive comments about the work that is being done at Trinity by the teaching staff and those in charge. It has taken two days to get registered and validated on this forum and I have been desperate to 'put in my tuppeneth' as my grandma used to say.

For those who don't know, the Head at Trinity is actually Mrs C Wilson. Mr D, the Executive Head has been gifted to Trinity to drive the school towards better things, supported very ably by Mrs Wilson and a dedicated teaching staff. As someone who has worked for Mr D in the past, I KNOW that he really is a brilliant leader: he is a hard task master, demanding only the best from all that work with him.

Turning around a school which has a long history of being the weakest amongst strong competition is no easy feat, but I am confident that with the continued hard work and dedication of the staff and the energy of the pupils, things will improve. A few posts ago someone suggested that in 5 years time local parents will be fighting to get their children into the school: I wouldn't be at all surprised if this turns out to be the case. There is real determination to offer all of the students (including all the ones Trinity takes that none of the others want) a demanding, stimulating and ultimately rewarding educational experience.

At least one of you will be asking, "But how are these things possible when the Super Head is part-time?" (His hours seem to be a real issue within this discussion!) Let me tell you how... Because a school is not just about one man, even if he does have an incredibly successful track record. Trinity School will continue to improve because it has parents who care (not all of them, but then show me a school where 100% of the parents are really bothered about their kids' education;) staff who are dynamic, clever, resourceful and resilient (enough to cope with the jibes and demands of those who don't understand what goes on within its walls) and finally a really good ethos. Trinity School is about opportunities for all, including the most socially disadvantaged. It is about driving forward progress, but at the same time caring about the individual child.

How do I know these things? Because from September 2nd I will be working alongside Mr D, Mrs Wilson and all of the other staff - teachers and non-teaching staff alike - and I am really excited about the prospect. In July I spent a couple of weeks in school and was really impressed by the atmosphere around the site and the enthusiasm of so many students for the wonderful things that happen in the school. I have ten years' teaching experience and have worked at two amazingly successful schools: I am very much looking forward to being part of the team that helps Trinity move up those National tables.

So, what I say is this. If you really want to see Trinity improve, then help us. Support events, come and see our fantastic Dance department in action, help us at fundraisers, tell everyone you know that you are looking forward to seeing the school's rise. Channel the energy in positive directions. Yes, ask questions about the rate of improvement and how things are done (why not contact Mrs Wilson and find out exactly what the plans are: you might be pleasantly surprised) but please don't **** what is being done at the school and please stop expecting huge changes to happen straight away. By the time students get to take their GCSEs they have been in full-time education for years (assuming they aren't school refusers or regular truants of course;) their ability to perform in exams is not only dependent on how well the secondary school has served them, but is also a reflection of their primary education and very importantly, their home and social environment. If children come from a home environment that is non-aspirational, then it is very difficult for them to develop into active learners - and yes - I am sure that most of us could transform students into performing seals but what benefit would this offer them in the future?

All that remains for me to say, at the moment is - Trinity students: have faith! Your staff are there for you. If you work hard and do what you are meant to do, you will achieve your potential and you will be able to say that you were part of the generation who turned Trinity around!

Best wishes to all and good luck to all students everywhere for the start of the new academic year!

[On the edge]

Well - that's pretty positive! Some of us can see the improvement; just keep rolling and wish you well for the future.

[Simon Kirby]

He is failing in that more than half the pupils at the school have effectively failed at Maths & English. A 20% increase on a previously pitiful figure is nothing to be proud off - it's the overall end result that counts. I'll exaggerate to make a point - if two pupils had passed last year, and four this year that would be 100% increase, would that be cause great celebration

The 20% figure is referring to another 20% of students getting 5 pass grades, not a 20% improvement on the number that got five pass grades last year. A 20% jump on last year's 32% of students getting those five passes could reasonably be described as a 63% improvement.

20% isn't far better, just a "bit better" - it means one in five pupils have improved, or four out of five haven't.

Not really, it's a threashold. A nett 20% of all students moved upward through the threshold, so that's a pretty good indication that on average every pupil did better, and the 8% improvement in the average point score per student tells you that's the case.

I think in all fairness these results represent a significant improvement in the school, and as that means a significant improvement in the chances of its students that that should be applauded.

But there are questions that need answering, like what's the secret of his success? And for all that success, no public servant deserves that kind of money.

[wabbit]

Thank you DFoth for taking the time to post your positive (and more informed) comments - and it is heartening to hear that Trinity isn't quite the 'failure' we could have assumed from the statistics.

I was initially very concerned that some of the reported Trinity results were more reflective of a 'sink' school than that of a relatively affluent part of leafy West Berkshire.

I agree we must all support the efforts being made to turn this school around and of course, Rome wasn't built in a day.

I'm sure we wish you all well!

[DrPepper]

[quote name='Simon Kirby' date='Aug 26 2010, 10:40 PM' post='22995']
The 20% figure is referring to another 20% of students getting 5 pass grades, not a 20% improvement on the number that got five pass grades last year. A 20% jump on last year's 32% of students getting those five passes could reasonably be described as a 63% improvement.

Agree, just one thing though - 20% more didn't pass, it was a 20% improvement on last years figures which equate to about 9% more pupils passing (20% was the increase).

Also agree with Dfoth, I did pose the question why is part time Mr D getting all the credit when surely the staff and pupils have more to do with the this modest improvement (I'm being more generous now with "modest" rather than "small" )

I'll say it again - for the last time I'm off now! It was an improvement but not the massive improvement some would like to think, and remember that more half failed on Maths & English - the core subjects. I have been playing devil advocate just to keep a perspective on the issue, and l wish them well and time will tell. You can't claim the school has succeeded or failed yet, so don't claim a success on just 9% more pupils improving.

[Michael F]

DFoth, I really like what you've said and if I knew who you were I'd love to shake your hand. I wish you could come in and say that to the staff and students. You'd do great for motivation.

I've been at Trinity for almost 7 years and, of course I've seen a lot of changes. Right back since Mrs Forster (who I've noticed has not been mentioned in this topic at all) first started. Without all the words that went round from The Newbury Weekly News and then the readers, I do think from first hand experience, she was a great head teacher and I won't have anyone stop me thinking that. Of course, in that time things obviously went wrong to do with learning and results and being one of the main parts of a school need to be sorted pretty sharpish and that is one thing Mr **** seems to be sorting by adjusting accounts so students can have better resources and making sure jobs get done immediately from staff etc but there has been a huge difference in the ethos of the school.

"Personal excellence and collective responsibility" was the motto that was used for about five years and it was clear that this was the case however much it was mocked when the schools results were published. Teachers and Students really enjoyed the fact they could come to school and achieve their potential and I could never find a fault in the general atmosphere.

Now, the results are improving but just as Mrs F predicted. I admit there has been a huge improvement in equipment and long awaited refurbishment of the Hall and various other buildings but pressure has increased so much it shown that several teachers seem to be reaching breaking point. Last year, 13 teachers left Trinity School and it makes you wonder what it takes to get results up?

The motto of Trinity is now no longer in place, even if it is, it certainly shouldn't be. This is just my opinion of inside the school but having been closely involved with the teaching staff, taking part in nearly every open evening and event, it certainly shows.

But I just hope the reputation of Trinity improves and the ethos of the Trinity I remember comes back one day.

To the students and staff of Trinity, I wish you good luck in the future and just remember all it takes is your best.

[JeffG]

For the record, just what was, or is, the motto of Trinity?

[Michael F]

For the record, just what was, or is, the motto of Trinity?

It was "Personal excellence and collective responsibility" now we don't seem to have one...

[GMR]

My daughter went to Trinity school when Mrs Roscoe was there. She went on to Cardiff Uni and did very well.

[DrPepper]

Michael F - I would hope that with six weeks holiday passed you will be ready for the challenge and the "pressure" is now relieved

[Rachel]

Some super, positive comments on here, great news! I speak from experience of a tiny primary school in our vicinity; 5 years ago it was pulled out of special measures by a fantastic Head who inspired her staff, pupils, famillies & the local community. It was West Berks best kept secret & no-one wanted to shout too much about it because small was perfect; they didn't have to publish SATs results, it was like a family where children of all abilities thrived & for a time, it was the happiest place anyone could imagine & for my money, the Head that lead that revollution couldn't have been paid enough-what price a child's education? I'd have gladly given my right arm for her to stay. However, she needed to move on (lucky other school!) & a new Head was appointed. In 2 years & 1 term since his appointment to this tiny, 4 class school, 23 members of staff have left. 23. Ofsted reported a reduction to "satisfactory" from "good with elements of outstanding". Pupil numbers have dropped, the community have all but abandonned the school functions & very few parents even speak in the playground, let alone attempt to support their children's learning. That's not because they don't care, just that they feel let down & exhausted by the work of 1 person. So how much is a head worth? In my opinion, all the money they can get if they can motivate their school community, or not as much as urinating on 1 if they're on fire if they can't.

[Iommi]

Rachel, are you saying that in your opinion, a certain 'super-head' is collecting 'glory' for something that was already in place, and is also now presiding over said school who's performance might now be dipping?