Trinity School

Trinity School is a large mixed secondary and sixth-form school in Carlisle, part of a Church of England academy trust. The inspection found it performing well across all judged areas, with considerable improvement since its previous inspection, when it required improvement. Pupils feel safe and happy, behaviour has improved under a new policy, and most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well. The school has strengthened its curriculum, including a growing English Baccalaureate offer in key stage 4 and a particularly broad sixth-form curriculum. Teaching is generally clear, learning is checked regularly, SEND needs are identified quickly, and reading support is effective. Personal development is a strong thread, with a wide range of clubs, trips and careers guidance, and staff feel well supported. Safeguarding is effective and trustees provide effective support and challenge. There are still areas to improve. In a small number of subjects, the key stage 3 curriculum is not coherently sequenced, so some pupils do not build as deep a body of knowledge as they could. Some parts of PSHE, including fundamental British values, are not taught coherently. A small number of pupils also miss too much school and therefore miss valuable learning.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, happy and part of a strong school community.
• Behaviour has improved markedly under the new policy, with calm and purposeful lessons and social times.
• Most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well across a range of subjects.
• The curriculum is ambitious and has improved considerably since the previous inspection.
• The sixth-form curriculum is broad, with a suitable range of academic and vocational subjects.
• Teachers present information clearly and check learning regularly to address gaps quickly.
• SEND needs are identified quickly and pupil passports help teachers adapt learning effectively.
• Reading is promoted well, with extra support for pupils who struggle and a welcoming library.
• Personal development is rich, including trips, clubs, careers guidance and responsible citizenship activities.
• Staff value training, workload consideration and well-being support.
• Trustees are knowledgeable and provide effective support and challenge.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In a small number of subjects, key stage 3 curriculum content and sequencing are not coherent enough, limiting pupils’ deeper knowledge.
• Some aspects of PSHE, including fundamental British values, are not designed or taught coherently, leaving pupils less prepared for life in modern Britain.
• A small number of pupils miss too much school and therefore miss valuable learning.
• A few pupils still find meeting the school’s high expectations for behaviour and attendance challenging.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Trinity School attended 89.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 6.0% of pupils at Trinity School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Trinity School had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 21.4% of pupils at Trinity School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Trinity School received £7,268 and spent £7,344 for each of its 1,678 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £968,000 (£577 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

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All schools in Carlisle · Cumberland local authority: places and applications

What is Trinity School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Trinity School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Trinity School last inspected by Ofsted?

Trinity School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Trinity School have?

Trinity School has 1,711 pupils on roll.

What age range does Trinity School cover?

Trinity School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Trinity School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 39.4, and 29% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Trinity School?

Trinity School is at Strand Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA1 1JB.