Minerva Virtual Academy

Overview

Minerva’s Virtual Academy meets all minimum standards for online education set by the Department for Education. The inspection found that “well-being is at the heart of everything,” with leaders successfully replicating the best aspects of a traditional school in an online environment. Pupils and parents report high levels of satisfaction, noting that the academy has helped many children re-engage with education and improve their mental health.

Strengths

• “Caring relationships underpin pupils’ academic and pastoral development,” with staff ensuring pupils feel “valued, cared for and supported.”
• The mentoring programme is described as “the backbone on which its success is built,” providing highly skilled, individualised support matched to pupils’ needs.
• Teachers “expertly entwine teaching and mentoring” and adapt planning to provide appropriate challenge and support, particularly for pupils with special educational needs.
• Staff demonstrate a “tenacious approach to safeguarding,” with extensive recruitment checks and effective online safety monitoring systems in place.
• Pupils feel “happy, safe and cared for,” with many stating the academy had “given their child their future back.”

Areas to improve

• Leaders must address “minor differences in teaching and learning practices” across year groups and subjects caused by recent staff appointments to ensure consistency.

Safeguarding

The report states that arrangements for keeping children safe are “appropriate,” noting that staff understand their responsibilities and that leaders have implemented detailed policies and effective monitoring systems to mitigate online risks.