Minterne Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

Pupils' progress and standards have improved over previous years. Most pupils now make rapid progress in all subjects, including those in the speech and language unit. Most teaching is at least good across the school.

Pupils learn well during the very large majority of lessons because their teachers and teaching assistants offer skilled explanations and use questioning well. Pupils are eager to learn and are proud of their learning and work. They are courteous and behave well towards one another.

Pupils feel safe and well looked after in school. Leadership is good because the new senior leadership team, supported by governors, h...as swiftly raised expectations and rapidly improved the school's work to ensure that pupils make fast progress. It is not yet an outstanding school because: Too few pupils achieve good results in English grammar, punctuation and spelling at the end of Key Stage 2.

A few pupils do not make enough progress. Teachers' written feedback to pupils does not consistently advise them how to improve their work and presentation, particularly in mathematics.

Information about this school

The school is a larger-than-average-sized junior school.

It includes specially resourced provision for pupils with speech, language and communication needs in the form of a speech and language unit, which has 28 pupils aged between seven and 11 from the junior school, as well as 13 pupils aged between four and six currently on roll. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is much higher than the national average.

This extra money is provided for children known to be eligible for free school meals, in local authority care, or with a parent or carer in the armed services. There are no pupils with a parent or carer in the armed forces and two pupils in local authority care currently on roll. The proportions of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including pupils supported through school action or school action plus and those with statements of special educational needs, are well above average.

Some pupils have speech, language and communication needs, while others have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties or other needs. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The executive headteacher, head of school and deputy head of school took up their responsibilities in January 2014 after the previous headteacher's retirement.