Minehead Middle School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff appreciate the stability and rapid improvements the school has put in place.

Changes in staffing have settled. Pupils have nurturing relationships with their teachers. Through the raised expectations, pupils understand the school's ambition for them to achieve well.

Despite this, work to improve some parts of the curriculum are developing. This means some older pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

The school has established sharp routines and expectations for pupils' conduct.

Most pupils respect these. They enjoy the positive recognition and celebration of their achievements. The school is calm.

Suspensions have reduced cons...iderably. Teachers use common language and routines to ensure there are high expectations for learning. Pupils actively engage and interact in class.

Pupils learn about their physical and mental health. The extensive pastoral team help pupils when they need it. Incidents of bullying have decreased considerably.

Pupils have confidence that when reported, the school deal with it.

The school design many extended opportunities for pupils through clubs, trips and the much-anticipated enrichment week. For example, at lunchtimes, many pupils enjoy the opportunities in the library, such as chess club.

Pupils take on different leadership roles to contribute to the school community. They enjoy these roles and carry them out with pride. Pupils describe the pupil leaders who help them and support the school as role models.

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

The school has been through a period of rapid change and recruitment. It has acted to prioritise key improvements. The curriculum is broad and most subjects are appropriately designed.

Following careful evaluation, the school has acted to change the curriculum content in a few subject areas where it lacked ambition. This means, in parts of the curriculum, some older pupils are at lower starting points in their learning. The school is beginning to address the gaps pupils currently have in their knowledge as a result of the changes.

The school has worked with feeder schools to plan the progression of learning pupils will make during their four years at the school. Teachers revisit learning to check what pupils can recall. However, in parts of the key stage 3 curriculum, the school has not explicitly identified the knowledge and skills they want pupils to remember.

When this happens, pupils do not build their learning incrementally. They do not know and remember their learning securely.

The school has established robust practices to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This has led to more educational health and care plans (EHCPs) in place. The school has strengthened its work with parents and external agencies to put effective provision in place. Inclusion staff who support pupils with SEND do this well.

In lessons, teachers use some strategies to adapt the learning for pupils. However, at times, this is not done promptly or effectively. The school is developing the expertise of staff to do this with greater proficiency.

The school identifies pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read. It knows their precise needs. Daily interventions by staff trained to deliver phonic knowledge well help pupils to become fluent and confident readers.

The school promotes an enjoyment for reading in many ways, such as hearing from visiting authors or the annual scrapbook competition about pupils' favourite books.

The trust and school collaborate to identify the next steps for sustained improvement. They work with many external experts to help evaluate this.

Senior leaders check the impact of the actions they take. However, the extended leadership team do not have clear oversight of their areas of accountability. As a result, they do not know with clarity what they need to do next to embed improvement.

In lessons, pupils behave well. They focus on their learning. Teachers are consistent in their expectations.

The school has high expectations for pupils to attend well. Through clear protocols, it helps pupils and their families to do this. As a result, most pupils come to school regularly.

The school has a well-sequenced personal, social, health education (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils learn about respect, relationships and how to keep themselves safe. External speakers support their learning.

Pupils learn about future careers throughout their time at the school. For example, the school hosts a careers fair. Pupils are well prepared to choose their options when they make the transition to their next school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• A few subjects have recently made significant change to their curriculum content. This means some older pupils are learning content not based on their prior learning, or they have lower starting points.

Pupils have gaps in their knowledge as a result. The school needs to ensure where there are significant curriculum changes, it addresses the gaps pupils have in their learning. ? The extended leadership team do not have clear oversight of the areas they have accountability for.

This is because the systems and evaluations to quality assure are not in place. As a result, they do not know with clarity what needs to happen to bring further improvement. The school and the trust need to make sure all leaders have the mechanisms and support to effectively evaluate the impact of their work.