INSPECTORS say a Hillfields school’s pupils from different backgrounds work together in harmony and flourish in its “nurturing environment”.
Ofsted visited Minerva Primary Academy in The Greenway in June.
In their report, published in July, the team of three inspectors said the school was ‘good’ in all areas – quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.
They said the school manages its high level of new arrivals well, helping them settle quickly, and has high expectations of all children.
The inspectors said: “Minerva Primary Academy is at the heart of the community.
“Pupils, including the high number of pupils who are disadvantaged, have complex needs and speak English as an additional language, are happy and flourish in the nurturing environment.
“Pupils from different backgrounds work together in harmony, celebrating each other’s cultures and faiths.”
Ofsted said the school prepares pupils well to “understand themselves as global citizens”.
Parents and residents help to celebrate “international days” with traditional food and clothes, and the school uses literature and other resources to help pupils understand diversity and inclusion.
The inspectors said the school is “calm and orderly”, with pupils feeling safe and a “kind and respectful atmosphere”.
They said: “During lessons, pupils focus well on their learning. They understand the school routines and follow them appropriately.”
‘Ambitious curriculum’
The school, which has 380 pupils aged from three to 11 on its roll, follows “an ambitious trust-wide curriculum” from the Cabot Learning Federation, with the important knowledge pupils need to learn “clearly set out” in English and maths.
Inspectors said teachers “adapt learning effectively” for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities, to help them progress well, and use assessment to provide “precise information about what pupils need to do to improve”.
They said reading is a priority, with a “sharp focus on making sure that all pupils quickly become fluent readers”, including support to help those who fall behind and “more sophisticated texts” for the most able pupils.
To improve further, the inspectors said the school needed to make the curriculum clearer and improve assessment in some other subjects, such as history and geography, where “the identification of the key knowledge that pupils need to learn is less clear” and some pupils struggle to remember previous learning.
‘Incredibly proud’
Principal Jenny Harvey (pictured above, with pupils and a colleague) said: “I am incredibly proud of our students and how they demonstrated our school values of safe, respectful, learning during the rigorous inspection by Ofsted.
“I was delighted that our ambitions for all children were recognised and that our Minerva Global Citizens curriculum is supporting and developing our children to be active members of our school and wider community.”
Mrs Harvey said the school “values extremely highly” the inspectors’ observation that it is at the heart of the community.
She said: “To be judged ‘Good’ in all areas is a testament to the hard work and dedication that all Minerva Primary Academy staff put in on a daily basis.
“It is a pleasure for me to lead such a wonderful team.”