The Minster Junior School

The Minster Junior School Warrington Road, Croydon, Surrey CR0 4BH

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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This is a school that requires improvement

 In 2015, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly below average. Disadvantaged pupils’ performance was approximately one year behind that of others nationally.  The quality of teaching throughout the school is inconsistent. There is too much variation in the quality of teachers’ questioning, their subject knowledge and the level of challenge they provide for pupils.  Rates of pupils’ progress are improving. However, there are significant differences between the performance of boys and girls in some year groups. The school’s assessment information indicates that a significant proportion of pupils in Year 6 will finish key stage 2 with skills and abilities below those expected in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher has worked tirelessly since the previous inspection to bring about significant improvement. Her determination and rigour in tackling underperformance has improved the quality of teaching and that of leadership significantly. The increased capacity of leadership indicates that the school is well placed to sustain its rate of progress.  Arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff being knowledgeable and confident in their approach to ensuring that pupils are kept safe.  The school is a well-ordered community. Pupils are proud of their school and are keen to learn. They cooperate well with one another and are polite, friendly and respectful. Pupils behave well in lessons and around school.  Pupils have a well-developed appreciation of the school’s values. They are respectful of those who hold different beliefs from their own and who have a different background.  The school environment is well cared for and tidy,

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The school has the following strengths

with corridors and classrooms reflecting leaders’ high expectations.

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Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently good or better throughout the school, resulting in consistently high outcomes for all pupils, in particular boys and disadvantaged pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the school’s website meets the requirements for the publication of information.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has provided calm and determined leadership through a time of significant change. Her unerring focus on pupils’ well-being and academic success has brought about significant improvement across the school. She, along with governors, has tackled the challenge of teacher recruitment effectively, maintaining an emphasis on recruiting only the right candidates. The headteacher has not been afraid to make difficult decisions to improve the quality of teaching and of leadership. There have been significant changes to the school’s staff since the previous inspection. Notably, the recent appointment of the deputy headteacher has increased the capacity of leadership significantly.  Senior leaders have a clear understanding of what constitutes effective teaching. The support that they, along with year group leaders, provide is valued by staff. Their regular checks on the work in pupils’ books keep them well informed about teachers’ practice and its impact on pupils’ learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 In the light of the removal of national curriculum levels, leaders have introduced a computerised system to collect and analyse pupils’ assessment information. Rightly, they have focused on ensuring that the information it contains is accurate. Numerous moderation activities involving staff within and beyond the school give leaders reassurance that the information is increasingly reliable.  The majority of pupil premium funding is spent on providing small group catch-up programmes led by higher-level teaching assistants. Leaders select pupils carefully for these groups according to their needs. As a result of a well-targeted approach to spending pupil premium funding, the gaps between the performance of disadvantaged pupils and others is narrowing.  A new curriculum was introduced at the beginning of the academic year. It is broad and balanced, providing a thematic basis for teaching the different subjects. Pupils choose from a wide range of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

enrichment activities. These provide stimulating and worthwhile study of topics including gardening, philosophy and Latin.  Physical education and sport premium is spent wisely. It funds training for staff, specialist teaching and membership of the Croydon Sports Partnership. Pupils achieve considerable success as a result of the school’s commitment to sport and through the enthusiastic and committed leadership of the subject. In 2015, pupils represented the London Borough of Croydon in the London Youth Games and the girls’ and boys’ football teams won their respective leagues.  External support from both the local authority and the Diocese of Southwark has been effective in supporting the school’s journey of improvement. Local authority staff have continued to monitor the school’s progress towards the removal of special measures through the Croydon Improvement Challenge programme. Recent training for staff in Years 3 and 4, and for teaching assistants, has improved their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

mathematical subject knowledge so that they have a sound appreciation of the basic skills relating to place value and different methods of carrying out calculations. The diocese showed great insight in appointing the current headteacher shortly after the previous inspection.  The school’s website contains a wealth of information, including helpful documents for parents about the school’s curriculum. However, some of the required information, including specific information about governors, is not available.  Termly reports to parents about pupils’ progress provide regular, clear and insightful information about their children’s strengths and weaknesses.  The governance of the school Governors show determination and commitment in their approach to school improvement. They have challenged and supported school leaders effectively since the previous inspection and continually refined their practice. Governors are well informed about the school’s work. They carry out a range of activities to ensure

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

that they have all of the information they need to make strategic decisions. Their follow-up visits are well organised to check the impact of their work. Pupil ambassadors attend part of governing body meetings so that governors are able to hear pupils’ views of the school, first hand. Governors are well aware of their responsibilities regarding safeguarding. They are fully aware of the ‘Prevent’ duty, the government’s strategy to tackle extremism.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Checks carried out as part of the recruitment process are thorough and recorded as required. Staff are clear about the procedures to follow should they have concerns about a child’s well-being. They have been well trained to look out for the signs of potential abuse and for indications that a child may be vulnerable to radicalisation or female genital mutilation. Leaders responsible for safeguarding act quickly when concerns are reported to them. They liaise

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

effectively with agencies beyond the school and with parents and carers.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment require improvement

 The quality of teaching throughout the school is inconsistent. Numerous changes of staff have presented leaders with the challenge of ensuring that all teaching meets their high standards.  The extent to which teachers ask pupils questions which deepen their understanding, or which provide the teacher with a clear picture of how well pupils understand concepts, varies. In the best cases, teachers follow up pupils’ responses with further questions that enable the teacher to clarify misconceptions and enable them to adjust their teaching accordingly. On other occasions, questioning is superficial with insufficient use made of pupils’ responses.  Where teachers have a thorough understanding of the subject they are teaching, they inspire pupils and maintain their interest and attention. Where subject knowledge is less strong, pupils’ progress is limited because of a lack of clarity in teaching.  Teaching which is well planned supports pupils’ progress well by ensuring that the best use is made of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment require improvement

lesson time. However, on other occasions, there is a less urgent approach to promoting pupils’ progress, with pupils waiting too long before moving on to the next challenge, or doing work which is not matched closely enough to their ability.  The school’s policy on providing pupils with feedback about their work is generally applied consistently. However, basic errors in sentence construction or in mathematical calculations are not pursued with sufficient consistency to maximise pupils’ progress.  The school’s approach to teaching mathematics has been refined so that greater emphasis is given to pupils explaining their thinking and justifying their solutions to problems. At its best, teachers use this strategy effectively to find out how well pupils understand concepts.  Parents spoken to during the inspection spoke highly of the school’s prompt action to assess their children’s special educational needs and of the quality of the support provided subsequently.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils have a clear understanding of the values which underpin the school’s work and ethos. They are able to reflect on the differences between individuals and to explain the tolerant approach they take towards those with different beliefs or backgrounds from their own. Pupils describe the school community as being like a family in which people treat others as they would like to be treated themselves.  Pupil advocates apply for their roles and are interviewed before being appointed. They wear blazers during their ‘shift’ and are easily identifiable on the playground and in corridors. Advocates approach their jobs with enthusiasm and with a sense of responsibility, helping in the school office, lunch hall and attending school council meetings.  Older pupils speak knowledgeably about strategies to keep themselves safe online. They know that they

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Personal development and welfare

should not post anything on social media that they would not say face to face to a respected adult. Pupils know not to share personal information online and understand the potential consequences of doing so.  Parents spoken to agreed that their children felt safe in school. Their view is shared by staff, inspectors and pupils themselves.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  On the rare occasions that pupils’ attention wanders during lessons, it is due to teaching not retaining their attention fully. Pupils explain that their lessons are rarely disrupted by misbehaviour. They have trust in their teachers to prevent poor behaviour from deteriorating. Pupils get along well in the playground. They appreciate the rota for playing ball games at break and lunchtimes as they understand that they have more space to play when it is their turn.  Pupils are well supervised during break and lunchtimes. Adults are attentive, ensuring that pupils are engaged and that they abide by the rules, for example, reminding pupils that the wooden climbing equipment is not to be used when wet to prevent accidents through slipping.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average and the proportion of pupils persistently absent is below average. This is due to leaders’ robust approach to monitoring pupils’ attendance and acting

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Leaders are successfully addressing the need to improve pupils’ outcomes.  In 2015, Year 6 pupils’ attainment was significantly below average in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The proportions of pupils making expected progress were above average in reading, broadly average in writing and well below it in maths.  The school’s assessment information indicates that slightly fewer than three quarters of pupils currently in Year 6 will attain age-related expectations in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of the academic year.  In 2015, disadvantaged pupils’ attainment was approximately one year behind that of other pupils nationally and other pupils in school, in reading, writing and mathematics. For pupils currently on roll, the gap between the proportion of disadvantaged pupils and others in school attaining at age-related levels in reading, writing and mathematics has narrowed. However, notable gaps remain, particularly in Years 5

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

and 6.  For pupils currently at the school, there is a significant difference between the performance of girls and boys in some year groups, particularly in Years 4 and 6. In Year 6, the proportion of girls attaining at age- related expectations in writing is approximately a third higher than that of boys.  The school’s assessment information indicates that pupils who have special educational needs or disability make similar progress to their peers. This is because of the effective support they receive.  In 2015, pupils who attained above the level expected at the end of key stage 1 continued to attain well during key stage 2. A higher proportion than seen nationally achieved Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Review of the work in pupils’ books demonstrates that their rate of progress is increasing as the quality of teaching improves.

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School details

Unique reference number 101790 Local authority Croydon Inspection number 10005969

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Junior School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 433 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Canon Colin Boswell Interim Headteacher Wendy Jacobs Telephone number 020 8688 5844 Website www.theminsterjuniorscroydon.co.uk Email address office@theminsterjuniorscroydon.co.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 June 2014

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed shortly after the last inspection, following the retirement of the previous postholder.  This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils entitled to support from the pupil premium is above average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is average.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which outline the minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school does not meet requirements for the publication of information on its website about governors.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection took place during the week of the key stage 2 national tests.  Inspectors made short visits to each class, many with senior leaders, to observe teaching and learning.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, a group comprising teachers and teaching assistants, and three governors, including the chair of the governing body. An inspector also met with a representative of the local authority and had a telephone conversation with a representative of the Diocese of Southwark.  Pupils’ work was scrutinised during visits to lessons and through a review of a sample of books from each year group.  Inspectors spoke with pupils during breaktimes and lunchtimes and, more formally, to two groups of pupils.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the beginning of the school day on the playground.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation about the school’s work, including that relating to

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Information about this inspection

pupils’ performance, leaders’ evaluation of the quality of teaching and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Jeremy Loukes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Mehar Brar Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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