Minster in Sheppey Primary School

Minster in Sheppey Primary School is a highly effective, larger-than-average primary school within The Island Learning Trust. Inspected in April 2026, it meets safeguarding requirements and performs strongly across all evaluated areas. Pupils consistently achieve above national expectations by the end of key stage 2, including disadvantaged pupils, and are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Strengths

• Pupils consistently achieve above national expectations by the end of key stage 2, including disadvantaged pupils.
• Most pupils meet phonics screening check standards by the end of Year 1 and quickly become fluent readers.
• Pupils develop deep subject knowledge and produce consistently high-quality work across the wider curriculum.
• Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• Attendance is above national figures, including for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Persistent absence is reducing through highly effective strategic leadership and personalised support.
• Pupils’ behaviour is calm, respectful and highly positive, with exemplary attitudes to learning.
• Bullying and discriminatory behaviour are extremely rare and staff act quickly when concerns arise.
• The curriculum is ambitious, coherently sequenced and consistently high in quality from early years to key stage 2.
• Teaching is purposeful, underpinned by secure subject knowledge and astute use of assessment.
• The curriculum and teaching are highly inclusive, with timely and personalised SEND adaptations.
• Early years leadership is highly effective, with strong teaching of language, phonics and early writing.
• Children with SEND make significant progress from their starting points in the early years.
• Inclusion sits firmly at the heart of the school, with swift identification of needs and robust support systems.
• Positive relationships with parents and effective collaboration with external agencies support vulnerable pupils well.
• The pupil premium strategy is rigorously evaluated and helps disadvantaged pupils achieve high standards.
• Leadership is strategic, ambitious and uses robust monitoring to drive continuous improvement.
• Governance is highly effective, providing rigorous challenge and support.
• Staff wellbeing is prioritised, and professional learning is coherent, evidence-informed and tailored.
• The personal development programme promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development exceptionally well.
• A rich range of clubs, trips, leadership roles and cultural experiences broadens pupils’ horizons.
• Pupils feel safe, valued and well cared for, and they thrive socially, emotionally and academically.

Areas for Improvement

• Very minor refinements in some curriculum areas still need to be embedded further.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Minster in Sheppey Primary School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.8% of pupils at Minster in Sheppey Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Minster in Sheppey Primary School had 24.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 18.0% of pupils at Minster in Sheppey Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Minster in Sheppey Primary School received £6,323 and spent £6,325 for each of its 594 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £955,000 (£1,607 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of The Island Learning Trust, income was £6,862 and spending £6,574 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Sheerness · Kent local authority: places and applications

Minster in Sheppey Primary School is part of The Island Learning Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• Halfway Houses Primary School Sheerness
• Sunny Bank Primary School Sittingbourne

What is Minster in Sheppey Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Minster in Sheppey Primary School is Strong standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Minster in Sheppey Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Minster in Sheppey Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Minster in Sheppey Primary School have?

Minster in Sheppey Primary School has 572 pupils on roll.

What age range does Minster in Sheppey Primary School cover?

Minster in Sheppey Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Minster in Sheppey Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Minster in Sheppey Primary School?

Minster in Sheppey Primary School is at Brecon Chase, Minster, Sheerness, Kent, ME12 2HX.