Three Trees CofE Junior Academy

Three Trees CofE Junior Academy, part of the Rise Multi Academy Trust, was inspected on 28 April 2026. Leadership and governance are rated at the expected standard, with leaders and trustees committed to sustained improvement following recent staffing changes and additional trust support. Staff report positive views about leadership, professional development and wellbeing, but parent views are mixed, with some concerns about communication, behaviour management and SEND support. Safeguarding standards are met. Personal development and wellbeing also meet the expected standard, with a well-sequenced programme, strong pastoral support and a clear Christian ethos contributing to pupils' confidence, resilience and sense of community. However, several areas require attention. Pupils' achievement is not secure: outcomes in the Year 4 multiplication check and key stage 2 national curriculum tests are below national averages, with basic knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics lacking. Attendance is lower than national and persistent absence remains a concern, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those previously known to social care do not achieve well enough; some disadvantaged pupils leave Year 6 without reaching the expected standard. Behaviour has improved significantly, and pupils benefit from a calm and orderly environment, but the quality of curriculum teaching is variable, with inconsistent checking of understanding and unresolved misconceptions. The school's inclusion systems are improving, but new approaches need time to embed and be monitored for further impact. Leaders have accurately identified barriers and are acting appropriately to address development areas through training and curriculum changes, though the full impact is not yet evident. Overall, the school is at the expected standard for leadership and personal development but requires attention in achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and inclusion.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture.
• Leaders and governors are committed to further improvement and have carefully prioritised areas for development.
• Trustees provide effective support and challenge and understand their duties well.
• Staff hold positive views about the school's development and appreciate leaders' attention to wellbeing and professional learning.
• A well-sequenced personal development programme has a positive impact on pupils.
• Pastoral support is a strength of the school.
• Pupils behave well and benefit from a calm and orderly learning environment.
• Pupils demonstrate confidence, resilience and pride in their leadership responsibilities.
• Staff make careful adaptations to the environment and resources to ensure pupils feel included.
• Curriculum plans have improved with trust support, and important knowledge is well sequenced.
• Leaders have accurately identified barriers to learning and use additional funding effectively in specific areas.
• The school's Christian ethos and community spirit are evident and valued by pupils.
• Systems for identifying pupils' needs and supporting transitions are clearer.
• Pupil profiles are used to set targets and are carefully checked.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' basic knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics is not fully secure.
• Outcomes in the Year 4 multiplication check and end of key stage 2 national curriculum tests are below national averages.
• There is variation in the quality of pupils' handwriting, and basic errors are not routinely addressed.
• Approaches to support pupils with SEND need further embedding to ensure secure progress.
• Pupils' attendance rates are lower than those nationally, and persistent absence is a concern.
• Some disadvantaged pupils do not reach the expected standard by the end of Year 6.
• Pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and pupils previously known to social care do not achieve well enough.
• Teachers do not check pupils' understanding as regularly as they should, and misconceptions are not addressed quickly enough.
• Some parents do not feel that communication is effective.
• A number of parents have concerns about the management of behaviour and the effectiveness of SEND support.
• Some pupils leave Year 6 without achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Gaps in basic knowledge and skills are not closing quickly enough, so some pupils are not prepared for their next steps.
• Systems and approaches for inclusion are new and require further embedding and monitoring.
• Enrichment opportunities are being extended but need further development.
• Approaches to improving attendance need to be sustained and go further, especially for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

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 Three Trees CofE Junior Academy attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 6.3% of pupils at Three Trees CofE Junior Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Three Trees CofE Junior Academy had 23.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 26.5% of pupils at Three Trees CofE Junior Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Three Trees CofE Junior Academy received £6,837 and spent £6,355 for each of its 320 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £127,000 (£398 per pupil).

Across all 26 schools of Rise Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,294 and spending £7,149 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Swadlincote · Derbyshire local authority: places and applications

Three Trees CofE Junior Academy is part of Rise Multi Academy Trust, which runs 26 schools. The nearest others:

• Three Trees Infant Academy Swadlincote
• Albert Village Primary School Swadlincote
• Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School Swadlincote
• Oakthorpe Primary School Swadlincote
• Measham Church of England Primary School Swadlincote
• Viscount Beaumont's Church of England Primary School Coalville
• Snarestone Church of England School Swadlincote
• Swannington Church of England Primary School Coalville
• Barlestone Church of England Primary School Nuneaton
• Loughborough Church of England Primary School Loughborough

What is Three Trees CofE Junior Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Three Trees CofE Junior Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Three Trees CofE Junior Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Three Trees CofE Junior Academy was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Three Trees CofE Junior Academy have?

Three Trees CofE Junior Academy has 306 pupils on roll.

What age range does Three Trees CofE Junior Academy cover?

Three Trees CofE Junior Academy for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Three Trees CofE Junior Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Three Trees CofE Junior Academy?

Three Trees CofE Junior Academy is at High Street, Woodville, Swadlincote, Derbyshire, DE11 7EA.