Minerva Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 June 2024

Minerva Primary Academy is at the heart of the community. Pupil mobility is high. The school manages this well and this helps new pupils to settle quickly. The school ethos, 'learning, believing, growing, achieving', is the focus of everything that happens. 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. Expectations of all pupils are high. Pupils from different backgrounds work together in harmony, celebrating each other's cultures and faiths. The school prepares pupils well to understand themselves as global citizens. Parents and local residents bring traditional dress, artefacts, food dishes and music to the school in order to celebrate international days. In addition, the school invests in pupils' successful understanding of diversity through literature, using a range of resources to further promote understanding of inclusion. Pupils feel safe. Relationships in the school are positive. There is a kind and respectful atmosphere across the school. During lessons, pupils focus well on their learning. They understand the school routines and follow them appropriately. This starts in the early years where children listen carefully and play well together. Consequently, the school is calm and orderly.

What the school should improve

• In some wider curriculum subjects, the school has not identified the important knowledge pupils need to learn. Assessment is not used well enough to check pupils' understanding. As a result, pupils have gaps in what they know and remember. The trust needs to ensure that the key knowledge is set out precisely and assessment is used effectively to check that pupils have learned the intended curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)