St Minver School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

St Minver is a good school with several outstanding features. The whole school is committed to achieving excellence. Middle managers are becoming more strategic in considering whole-school issues, although there is still sometimes a tendency to think in terms of separate key stages.

There is a focus on promoting effective teaching and learning, and arrangements for professional development are based on the wider needs of the school as well as individual needs identified through lesson observation and performance management. Effective management is therefore raising the quality of teaching and learning. Outcomes for pupils are outstanding.

They benefit from excellent provision in the Early Yea...rs Foundation Stage. Overall, pupils make good progress from their starting points and by the time they leave the school attainment in English and mathematics is above the national average. Teaching is at least good, but for the youngest and the oldest in school it is outstanding.

Teachers show a tremendous dedication to the school and to their pupils, who in turn respond by showing a commitment to learning. Teachers and teaching assistants form strong teams, so there is very good support for pupils in class. Learning is supported by the lively, exciting learning environment that exists throughout the school.

Teachers show good subject knowledge and use this to create an effective curriculum that includes good topic work, supported effectively by trips and visits. Tracking and assessment is being further refined, and the successful trialling of a system of enhanced assessment of pupils' progress in Key Stage 1 has brought immediate improvements in mathematics. As a result, this process will be implemented throughout the whole school.

Marking of work is thorough and consistent, but at the moment there is little advice given on how work might be improved. In some lessons opportunities are not promoted for peer or self-assessment of work. Care, guidance and support throughout the school are outstanding because adults know pupils so well.

This is also ensured because individuals and of groups of pupils are tracked very carefully. As a result there is outstanding equality of opportunity and no discrimination. The identification of and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is exceptional.

Assessment of need is thorough and pupils' progress is tracked in detail. The transition arrangements into and out of the school are extremely supportive and arrangements for moving up through the school equally reassuring for pupils. Parents and carers testify to the strength of home–school partnerships.

There is a positive rapport between staff and pupils. Behaviour is exemplary and pupils, and their parents and carers, say that they feel extremely safe in school and there is no evidence of bullying However, attendance remains no better than average, although recent initiatives to promote better attendance have led to improvement. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding and they make an excellent contribution to the school and local communities.

With the headteacher and Chair of the Governing Body both only recently in post it is too early to predict their impact on sustaining improvement into the future. However, the school's self-evaluation is rigorous and accurate, and early evidence shows that steps already implemented are supporting the continued improvement of the school. With the evident commitment of the whole school towards achieving excellence, the capacity for sustained improvement is good.

Information about the school

St Minver is close to the average size for primary schools. The number of pupils from minority ethnic communities is well below average, as is the proportion known to be eligible for free school meals. No pupils are learning English as an additional language.

The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is around the national average. A new headteacher was appointed from Easter 2011 and a new Chair of the Governing Body was appointed in November 2011 just prior to the inspection. There is a privately run pre-school group based on the school site, but this was not part of this inspection.