The Minster Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve teaching and learning by ensuring that:
  • the most effective teaching practice is shared with all staff
  • the most able pupils are challenged consistently so that more reach the higher standard, particularly in mathematics.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by deepening the curriculum to ensure that pupils’ skills are further extended.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Through determined leadership, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have transformed the school. They lead the school with drive and passion. They are well supported by senior and middle leaders, and together they form an effective team.
• Leaders’ priorities for improvement are based on their accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their improvement plans are well focused, and they review the impact for pupils carefully.
• Leaders have high expectations of pupils. They ensure that teachers focus expertly on pupils’ learning. As a result, leaders and teachers are ambitious to secure the best outcomes for pupils. Leaders ensure that everyone at the school is working to achieve the same aim.
• Middle leaders are knowledgeable about their roles. They confidently identify the most important actions needed to improve standards. Leaders monitor pupils’ progress closely through scrutiny of pupils’ books and lesson observations. As a result, leaders understand how well pupils are doing across the school, and they respond appropriately.
• Leaders provide a well-balanced curriculum. Pupils show interest in what they study and can talk about a range of topics. They talk positively about the opportunities provided through art projects and different learning activities. However, some areas of the curriculum need to be deepened further, and this includes computing and modern foreign languages.
• Senior leaders ensure that staff, including leaders, have many opportunities to develop their skills through professional training. Teachers value the extensive training which is provided regularly by leaders and external providers, which supports them with whole school initiatives.
• Leaders promote the school’s values of respect, hope and honesty. This encourages pupils to become good citizens. As a result, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. High-quality displays, such as ‘my faith shapes my thoughts’ and the ‘values tree’, reflect the richness of the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum and improve pupils’ understanding.
• Leaders ensure that pupils have a well-developed understanding of British values and what they mean. For example, pupils receive a ‘citizenship award’ which celebrates individuals’ achievements in ‘living’ the value of the month. Pupils proudly represent their classes through roles such as ‘pupil advocates’ and ‘school councillors’. Governors are active in their support of these initiatives. For example, through meeting the ‘governor of the month’, pupils gain an understanding of the role of governors at the school.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) accurately plans the school’s provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. He has established systems which identify pupils who may have SEN and/or disabilities early. Leaders ensure that appropriate support is put in place promptly. The SENCo tracks these pupils’ progress carefully and checks that this group is making sufficient progress.
• Leaders have used part of the sport premium funding appropriately in order to provide specialist training for teachers. Consequently, the teaching of physical education is improving. Funding has been targeted at disadvantaged and the most able pupils, which has been successful for these pupils. However, targeting sporting opportunities for all pupils will ensure that everyone will benefit from the sports funding.
• Leaders have clear strategies for using the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. Their use of tracking information ensures effective targeted support for this group of pupils. As a result, outcomes have improved for disadvantaged pupils.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a good understanding of the school. They are supportive of the leaders and hold them to account effectively. Governors’ skills, such as in finance, safeguarding and curriculum overview, are well matched to their roles within the governing body. Governors with subject expertise work closely with leaders to monitor the curriculum.
• Through regular visits to the school, governors are well informed about the curriculum and quality of teaching and learning. Using this knowledge, they challenge and support school leaders.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and governors ensure that there is a high level of vigilance. Procedures for recruitment and background checks on all adults working in the school are robust.
• Staff are knowledgeable about the risks that pupils face in the community. Leaders ensure that pupils have suitable opportunities to learn about different aspects of safety through the school’s curriculum, external speakers and assemblies. This includes online safety and cyberbullying.
• The school works effectively with parents to ensure pupils’ safety. For example, parents are invited to attend workshops about online safety. This enables them to support their children to stay safe online and when accessing social media.
• Training for staff and governors is thorough and up to date. Staff understand how to identify and report any concerns they may have about pupils. Records show that, when concerns are raised, leaders take swift action. Children’s safeguarding files are kept up to date and are well organised.
• Leaders ensure that early help procedures are in place and used effectively to identify and support vulnerable pupils and their families. Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders have ensured that improvements have resulted in good teaching across a range of subjects. Teachers and pupils have positive relationships. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic and focused on their learning.
• Where teaching is particularly strong, teachers have deep subject knowledge and use effective questioning to make pupils think and make progress. They assess how well pupils learn and use this information to provide extra support or challenge where needed. Teachers provide pupils with regular opportunities to explain their thinking and ideas. Pupils listen to each other and work together well.
• Teachers ensure that pupils have opportunities to write for a range of purposes. They encourage pupils to develop their writing skills in different subjects. This helps pupils over time to become confident, fluent writers.
• The school’s approach to mathematics provides opportunities for pupils to practise and develop their number skills well. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to apply these skills, solve problems and explain their reasoning.
• The majority of teaching assistants are used effectively. They are knowledgeable about the pupils. These additional adults focus on supporting and challenging individuals and groups of pupils. This helps these pupils to be successful in their learning. Occasionally, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and lower-attaining pupils are over-reliant on adult support. This is something that leaders have recognised and are working on to improve.
• In a few classes, new teachers to the school do not match activities precisely enough to the pupils’ needs. As a result, the most able pupils are not always further challenged, particularly in mathematics. This is an area for improvement.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Leaders and teachers ensure a calm and purposeful learning environment. Pupils display positive attitudes and are confident learners. One pupil stated that the school is ‘a gateway to opportunity’. They say that they enjoy coming to school and are keen to be challenged in their learning. They are very proud of the school and relish opportunities to represent the school, for example by being ‘pupil advocates’ or through the many sporting events.
• Leaders take every opportunity to promote equality. As a result, pupils are very articulate on this issue, providing answers to questions with maturity. One pupil who spoke to an inspector said: ‘We all respect and tolerate each other. We don’t discriminate.’ Through whole-school art projects, such as ‘colour blind’, teachers promote diversity and celebrate differences. The strong values-based curriculum enables pupils to gain an understanding of their role in society. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain, and to be good citizens both within their local community and globally.
• Leaders ensure that online safety is taught regularly through the computing curriculum. Consequently, pupils are very knowledgeable about how to keep safe, including online. Through school workshops, parents also understand the risks that their children face on the internet. During assemblies, leaders teach pupils about safety outside the school, including road safety and stranger danger. Leaders invite experts to support their focus on safety. For example, the school police liaison officer recently spoke to pupils about knife crime and gangs.
• Pupils have a very mature understanding of bullying. Those who spoke to inspectors said that bullying was rare, but when it does happen, it is sorted out quickly by staff. They have a clear understanding of right and wrong and say that most children in the school are kind and friendly.
• Pupils say that they feel safe at school and are confident that if they have any concerns, they have a trusted adult to speak to in school. Parents spoken to during the inspection agreed that their children are safe at school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Leaders and teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils settle promptly to their learning in class and follow adults’ directions well. They are polite and respectful to each other and do not need to be reminded of the rules. As a result, their behaviour around the school and in class is typically excellent.
• Leadership of behaviour is strong, and monitoring shows that incidents are infrequent and consistently managed by staff. Pupils are aware of the incentives to behave well, and of the consequences of any behaviour that is less than good. At playtimes, pupils play happily together and with excitement. They make the most of the different activities and equipment available, such as the football zone and climbing frame. They show respect to each other. Pupil advocates model outstanding behaviour and act as role models for the younger pupils.
• Leaders have taken rigorous and robust action in improving pupils’ attendance. Early identification and strengthened procedures are ensuring that unauthorised and persistent absence is tackled robustly. As a result, whole-school attendance is now broadly in line with, and persistent absence is below, the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Leaders have ensured that through raised expectations, closer monitoring and high-quality professional development, teaching has been improved. As a result, for the past two years, the proportion of pupils who have achieved the expected and higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics has risen steadily. Provisional outcomes in 2018 suggest that this is continuing.
• Leaders have ensured that writing has been a focus for the school. As a result, pupils throughout the school make strong progress in writing. Pupils take care to present their writing to a high standard. A high proportion of pupils achieve at the expected, and higher, standards for their age by the end of key stage 2.
• Teachers ensure that pupils have opportunities to read in school, and that they are encouraged to read at home regularly. Vibrant book areas in classrooms and access to quality reading materials are ensuring that pupils are reading for pleasure. Access to a wide range of reading activities and texts ensures that pupils’ reading skills are developing well. As a result, reading outcomes have improved over time.
• In mathematics, teachers ensure that pupils develop strong problem-solving skills. For example, in Year 6, all pupils were being challenged to use their mathematical reasoning skills to write algebraic expressions. However, this is not always the case in other year groups, particularly for the most able pupils.
• Targeted programmes of support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities enable pupils to make strong progress from their low starting points.
• In 2018, the unvalidated assessment information suggests that the proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving the expected standard in reading and writing matches that of pupils nationally. However, this is not yet the case in mathematics.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 101790 Croydon 10047390 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 438 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mrs Florence Wilson Mrs Wendy Jacobs Telephone number 020 8688 5844 Website Email address www.theminsterjuniorscroydon.co.uk office@theminsterjuniorscroydon.co.uk Date of previous inspection 10 May 2016

Information about this school

• Minster Junior School is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes, including jointly with the headteacher, deputy headteachers and acting deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors listened to some pupils from each year group read. They spoke to pupils while visiting classrooms, in the dining hall and in the playground. In addition, inspectors spoke to a group of pupils formally to find out their views of the school.
• Together with middle and senior leaders, inspectors scrutinised pupils’ books from all year groups.
• The lead inspector held meetings with governors, a representative of the diocesan board and the local authority. A range of meetings were held with the educational welfare officer, headteacher, deputy headteachers, middle leaders and teachers.
• Inspectors reviewed various documents provided by the school. These included: the school’s self-evaluation; improvement plans; documents relating to safeguarding; and records of behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also analysed a range of information about pupils’ progress.
• The views of parents were collected at the beginning of the school day. Inspectors took account of 17 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. They also considered 31 responses from staff.
• Inspectors also spoke to the school nurse.
• The lead inspector met with the headteacher from the infant school.

Inspection team

Andrew Hook, lead inspector Sam Nowak Lando Du Plooy

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector