Monksmead School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is a good school. The quality of education provided for all pupils is good and they respond well. The school is not outstanding because teachers do not always plan challenging enough work for more-able pupils.

Pupils enjoy their lessons because of the high quality of the curriculum, but they are not always as enthusiastic about mathematics and English as they are about other subjects. All groups of pupils are making good progress and achieve well. Leaders have reviewed and improved their provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

Action taken by leaders has begun to increase the proportion of pupils who attain the higher Level 5 at the end of Year 6, but n...ot all of these pupils are sufficiently challenged. Leaders have consolidated good teaching, despite the significant amount of staff absence over recent years. There has been a successful drive to improve all aspects of teaching in all subjects.

Pupils enjoy their lessons and are rightly complimentary about their teachers. However, they sometimes find English and mathematics lessons less engaging than other subjects, as the content is not always sufficiently relevant to their lives. Staff have worked effectively to make sure that pupils feel secure.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school and this is reflected in their strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils from all backgrounds get on harmoniously. The headteacher has an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and therefore leads the improvement of teaching successfully and manages performance well.

Staff operate as an effective team and so have consolidated the good progress made by all groups of pupils. Aspects of the curriculum, such as the provision of clubs, are outstanding.

Information about the school

This is a smaller than average school.

The governing body also manages the Squirrels Class, which caters for 3-4 year olds on a full and part time basis and is run as an integrated part of the school's Nursery class. This setting was inspected during this school inspection and findings are included in this report. The majority of the pupils are White British.

The proportion of pupils who represent minority ethnic backgrounds has increased gradually and is now almost a third, with the largest proportions being Black African. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. The proportion who are known to be eligible for free school meals is also lower than the national average.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties or speech and language difficulties. The school meets the current government floor standards for minimum expectations of attainment and progress.

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