The Minster Junior School

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

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The executive headteacher of this school is Alison Silke. This school is part of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education multi-academy trust (SDBE), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mark Burnett, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ven Jonathan Sedgwick. 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and are proud members of the Minster community. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. The ‘CALM code’ helps to ensure that staff and pupils understand what is expected of them. They live by the school’s values, such as respect and honesty. Pupils are kind and caring to one another. At social times, they play happily together. Pupils know that there are trusted adults to help them with any worries that they may have. This makes them feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s work to promote pupils’ broader development is extensive. Alongside the academic curriculum, pupils have a wealth of opportunities and experiences. For example, pupils take part in many art and sports competitions as well as educational visits, including to other places of worship. Pupils develop their leadership skills through roles of responsibility, such as being part of the eco-council and school council or by becoming a sports leader or an advocate or faith ambassador.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils rise to these expectations. They are diligent and focused learners. They take their learning seriously. Typically, pupils achieve well and are prepared successfully for the next phase of their education.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school, trust and governing body have a shared vision to provide pupils with the best possible education. The school is reflective and has an accurate view about what is working well and what needs to be further improved. This is supported by the trust and governing body who hold the school to account effectively while also being supportive.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and inclusive. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access the same curriculum as their peers, with effective adaptations identified and provided to help all pupils to learn well. Well-considered professional development means that staff quickly identify pupils’ needs and put the right support in place. For example, in physical education, pupils use different-sized equipment so that they can all take part in the learning and be successful.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum has recently undergone changes. Overall, pupils achieve well. In the subjects where these changes are having the greatest impact, the planned learning is closely matched to the precise knowledge and skills that have been identified for pupils to know and remember. In the subjects that are less developed, curriculum thinking is not as refined. In these subjects, learning is not as focused and purposeful. This is because the school has not set out as clearly the crucial knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. As a result, sometimes activities are not closely linked to the intended learning and there are occasions where there is too much information and vocabulary for pupils to learn at a time.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Across the curriculum, teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly. This is more effective in the subjects where the intended learning is clear as teachers know precisely 4 and 5 February 2025

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what to check. This helps teachers to identify any gaps or misconceptions and address them quickly. However, in a few subjects, the school is not as skilled in using strategies to check and improve pupils’ understanding.

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Reading is a priority. The curriculum focuses on developing specific reading skills using high-quality texts, with pupils’ progression as readers well promoted. Pupils who need additional support get the help they need to catch up, including extra phonics teaching where this is necessary. The books that pupils read are well matched to their reading ability. As with some of the less-developed curriculum areas, there are occasional instances when the school’s approach to teaching reading is not as sharply focused on the intended learning as it could be. On these occasions, it is harder for pupils to remember and apply all that they are taught. This reduces their progress towards reading fluency.

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The school has robust oversight of pupils’ attendance. Supported by the trust, the school takes effective action to reduce pupils’ absence. Attendance is improving over time. The school continues to keep close oversight of this and takes action as soon as it is needed.

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The school’s excellent personal development provision helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn to respect and value difference. They know that everyone has the right to be treated equally. The school’s ethos and values support the development of pupils’ character. Pupils demonstrate this in their exemplary behaviour in lessons and around the school. They are taught about their feelings, emotions, relationships and their own well-being. Pupils know how to keep physically and mentally healthy. In addition, pupils are able to attend a wide selection of clubs. These range, for example, from music, cooking and debate to arts and crafts and board games.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the precise knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and remember are not clearly identified. There are times when the activities that pupils complete do not support the intended learning. On occasions, this results in pupils’ working memory being overwhelmed with too much information. The school should ensure that the curriculum clearly identifies the crucial learning and supports pupils in remembering what they have been taught.  In a few subjects, the school’s vision for the curriculum is not fully realised in practice. Some pedagogical approaches are not as effective as they could be in ensuring that pupils’ understanding develops well over time. The school should strengthen its expertise in these subjects so that teaching has the maximum impact on what pupils know and remember. 4 and 5 February 2025

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Headteacher Alison Silke (Executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher was appointed in January 2024 and since 1 January 2025, is also the executive headteacher of The Minster Nursery and Infant School.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Southwark. The last statutory inspection of its denominational education and collective worship, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, was in June 2023. The next section 48 inspection will take place by 2028.  The Minster Junior School converted to become an academy in April 2022. When its predecessor school, The Minster Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness. 4 and 5 February 2025

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the local governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Information about this inspection

 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school and considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey

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Inspection team

Julie Wright, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jacquie Fairhurst Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 2025

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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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