Mount Pleasant Church of England Voluntary Controlled Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 March 2025

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school. They form strong, positive relationships with one another and staff. School is a place where they are happy and safe. Aspects of the school's curriculum require further development. It is not clear in all subjects what the important things are that the school wants pupils to learn. As a result, the school does not prioritise the most important knowledge or check that it has been understood by pupils. Despite the school's high ambitions, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Pupils' behaviour throughout the school is calm and sensible. In lessons, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes. At playtimes, they play together cheerfully and cooperatively. Pupils welcome visitors politely, holding doors open for others. They are kind and considerate. Pupils embody the school values, such as respect and friendliness. They have an understanding of protected characteristics and say that any form of discrimination is unacceptable. They benefit from a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, such as choir, football and golf. Pupils proudly step up to their different roles of responsibility, such as school and eco councillors. In these roles, they learn to have a positive influence on the world.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the school has not identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. Where this is the case, pupils are not learning key knowledge well enough. The school should ensure that teaching maps out and prioritises the important knowledge that pupils should learn and better checks how well this has been understood.
• The school's approach for the teaching of early writing, reading and phonics does not meet the needs of the pupils well enough. Books are not consistently matched to pupils' phonics knowledge. The teaching of phonics and writing does not enable pupils to catch up quickly. As a result, too many pupils have gaps in their phonics and writing knowledge. The school should improve the teaching of these aspects of the curriculum so that pupils become fluent readers and writers.
• Governance does not consistently provide the balance of support and challenge to the school to influence improvement, particularly in relation to pupil outcomes. Governance should check the impact of the curriculum with greater rigour, so that accountability processes can support more rapid improvement.

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