Minerva Independent School

Inspection of Minerva Independent School

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Insufficient evidence Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Minerva Independent School is a safe learning environment for pupils who have had a previously disrupted educational experience. The school helps break this pattern. Transition into the school is well planned and managed. Pupils re-engage successfully with their education. They benefit from supportive relationships with staff. Pupils get calm and consistent help with their mental health and well-being. As a result, they attend well and enjoy school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations are high. Pupils are taught by effectively trained staff. The curriculum fills gaps in pupils’ learning, particularly in English and mathematics. Pupils enjoy learning. They find their lessons interesting and relevant. This helps them to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Classrooms are focused. Pupils behave well and take pride in their learning. They maintain this throughout the day. Pupils learn to tell right from wrong, such as through discussing actions and their consequences. They develop kindness and respect. Pupils are friendly and polite with adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a broad programme for personal development. Pupils go on trips to places of worship and the Houses of Parliament. On a trip to the zoo they meet staff and learn about working with animals. Pupils learn about other cultures. These varied experiences prepare them well for life beyond school.

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better?

The school has put in place an ambitious curriculum. The curriculum enables pupils to work towards appropriate qualifications. Staff and leaders establish what pupils already know. Staff then plan how new content builds closely on prior knowledge. They carefully check and rectify any misunderstandings. This supports pupils to develop what they already know, such as solving increasingly complex multiplication problems. They produce high-quality work. In a few areas, the links between different strands of learning are not precisely planned. As a result, pupils sometimes do not see the connections between current and future learning.

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better?

The school trains staff to teach a range of subjects effectively. On the whole, staff explain new content with precision. They plan learning activities that help pupils understand important knowledge. This helps pupils to achieve well. In some aspects of the curriculum the school does not check as closely as it might how effectively the curriculum is taught. This means leaders do not always have as precise an understanding of where to make learning even better.

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better?

The curriculum is closely planned to support pupils’ needs. Leaders and pupils work collaboratively to set helpful targets for learning. The school regularly reviews how successful this is. Consequently, pupils make strong progress. 6 to 8 February 2024 The school prioritises reading. If pupils are still learning to read, they get the support they need. New vocabulary is taught effectively. Well-designed activities help pupils understand difficult texts. This increases their fluency and confidence as readers. As a result, pupils enjoy reading. They talk with pleasure about the books they read.

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better?

The school regularly reviews its processes for behaviour. It involves staff and pupils in this. This means pupils understand the school’s expectations. Rewards are used skilfully to motivate them. Pupils conduct themselves well.

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better?

Personal development is at the heart of the curriculum. The school plans this around its values, and this helps pupils develop their own. Pupils learn important content, such as about the characteristics protected by law. They debate and reflect on aspects of this in an age-appropriate way. Pupils overcome misconceptions, for instance about stereotypes. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

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better?

The proprietor checks regularly on the quality of provision. There is close oversight of safeguarding. Leaders and staff get the support and training they need to develop their careers.

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better?

The proprietor ensures the school meets all the independent school standards. There is an appropriate safeguarding policy. Correct vetting processes are in place when recruiting new staff. Health and safety checks and risk assessments are thorough and regular. Robust fire and first aid processes help ensure the school is safe for pupils. The site is fit for purpose, with bright and well-resourced classrooms. Leaders make available all the required information for parents and local authorities. This includes being compliant with schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. There are suitable policies in areas such as complaints.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a few areas, the curriculum planning does not precisely connect current with long-term learning. This means pupils sometimes do not make the rich connections they could with prior and future knowledge. Pupils do not build up knowledge quite as well as they otherwise might. The school needs to ensure all parts of the curriculum identify the links between different aspects of learning. This will help pupils develop a richer web of connected knowledge.  Leaders do not have robust processes in place to check on the quality of all areas of the curriculum. This means they do not always address any areas for improvement as effectively as they might. Leaders need to put in place rigorous quality assurance processes for all areas of the curriculum so that they know which areas need to be improved. 6 to 8 February 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 6 to 8 February 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 149506 DfE registration number 881/6092

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School details

Inspection number 10299274 Type of school Other Independent Special School

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School details

Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed

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sixth form

Proprietor Oak House Children's Home Ltd

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected 6 to 8 February 2024

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Information about this school

 This school is a short-term provision for pupils who live in the linked children’s home. It caters for pupils who are unable to access other education provision due to social, emotional and/or behavioural needs.  The school was registered on 13 March 2023. This is its first standard inspection.  All pupils are children looked after. None currently have an education, health and care plan.  The school provides education for pupils with the following needs: specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, severe learning difficulties, behavioural, emotional and social development needs, behavioural emotional and social difficulty, communication and interaction needs, speech, language and communication needs and autism spectrum disorder.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and

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Information about this school

engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The proprietor operates four children’s homes and two other schools. The lead teacher works across the three schools. Care home staff support pupils in the classroom as and when needed.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school's suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, staff, and pupils. As part of evaluating governance, the lead inspector spoke by phone with the proprietor.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English and early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with the headteacher, visited a sample of lessons, met with the teacher, met with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ 6 to 8 February 2024 work. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and learning in some other subjects, in particular personal, social and health education.

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Information about this inspection

 As part of evaluating the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors met with leaders, governors, staff and pupils. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s single central record of recruitment and vetting checks. They considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  As part of checking compliance with the independent school standards, and evaluating other areas of provision, inspectors scrutinised a range of policies and documents. They checked the safety and appropriateness of the school site.  During inspections, Ofsted seeks views through the online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and questionnaires for staff and pupils. In this inspection, there were too few responses to consider.

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Inspection team

Charlie Fordham, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Russell Ayling Ofsted Inspector 6 to 8 February 2024 to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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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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