Millfield Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Make teaching, learning and assessment outstanding by ensuring that:
  • the leadership of all subjects is as consistently strong as the leadership of English and mathematics
  • pupils receive consistently effective guidance in every area of the curriculum, to support accelerated progress.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher provides strong leadership. Through determined hard work and high expectations of staff and pupils, she has led a wide range of effective school improvements. The deputy headteacher, other leaders and governors share her ambition and vision for the school.
• Leaders use information about pupils’ progress effectively to identify pupils who require additional support. Leaders and staff have embedded a range of effective interventions to support pupils’ skills, knowledge and understanding in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, most pupils make good progress in these areas at both key stages.
• Leaders’ regular and robust checks on the quality of teaching and learning help to identify strengths and areas for improvement. As a result, staff receive regular, tailored training. All members of staff who replied to the Ofsted questionnaire stated that they were proud to work at the school. Staff also noted how well leaders support them in their roles.
• The curriculum provides pupils with ample opportunities to develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills. Pupils explore topics in depth, enabling them to write and read about a range of important information. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 wrote newspaper articles about the Black Death in Ely, enabling them to contextualise major historical events.
• Pupils develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding well through the curriculum. Pupils study the ways in which global issues have an impact on the world they live in. For example, pupils studied the Syrian refugee crisis and the ways in which organisations in Ely were providing support. As a consequence, pupils wrote empathic responses to the refugee crisis. Through the curriculum, pupils have opportunities to develop into informed and caring citizens of 21st-century Britain.
• The school has a very inclusive approach, resulting in pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities making strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Additional funding is used very effectively. Teaching assistants provide tailored support that helps these pupils to thrive.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding well, ensuring that disadvantaged pupils make good progress in line with other pupils nationally.
• The use of primary physical education (PE) and sports funding is effective. Pupils enjoy a breadth of sports and participate in tournaments with the Witchford Sports Partnership. Staff use sport to counter gender-based stereotypes. For example, boys and girls engage equally in dance and football.
• The school offers a strong extra-curricular programme to enrich pupils’ experiences and understanding of specific topics. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 visited Sutton Hoo as part of their study of the Anglo Saxons and the story of Beowulf.
• Middle leadership is not as well established in all subjects as the leadership of mathematics and English. As a consequence, pupils do not always study some subjects in as much depth.

Governance of the school

• Governance at Millfield Primary is effective. Governors are regular visitors to the school. They gather vital information to support the ways in which they pose challenging questions. As a consequence, governors hold the school leadership to account and commend them on their successes.
• Governors work closely with the Elliot Foundation multi-academy trust to strengthen their role.
• Governors keep a close check on school expenditure, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, and ensure that all statutory responsibilities, including those relating to safeguarding, are met.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Safeguarding leaders are vigilant in ensuring the physical safety and emotional well-being of pupils. Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils receive the highest level of protection.
• Leaders’ appointments of the family liaison officer and family inclusion officer demonstrate the school’s commitment to pupils’ emotional and physical well-being. With a background in social work, the family liaison officer provides vital and highly effective support to vulnerable families and pupils.
• Leaders ensure that safeguarding training for all staff, including governors, is up to date. As a result, all staff and governors have a strong understanding of what to look for to keep pupils safe.
• The school’s single central register of checks on adults working with children is thorough and reviewed by governors regularly.
• The majority of parents and carers who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, stated that they felt that their children are safe and well looked after at the school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils and staff have strong, supportive relationships. Pupils work well, drawing on the strong subject knowledge of their teachers and their enthusiasm for learning.
• Pupils use talk very well to support each other’s learning. They ask questions confidently and work well together. As a result, many pupils told inspectors how much they enjoyed learning.
• Teachers and teaching assistants are strong advocates for learning. Their enthusiasm for class activities engenders enthusiasm in their pupils. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together, ensuring that the focus of lessons is presented in a range of ways to meet the needs of all pupils. As a result, most pupils are currently making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The teaching of writing is a particular strength. Pupils develop an understanding of how to edit their work to improve the effect of the language they have used for specific purposes and audiences. Pupils have opportunities to write for a range of purposes, such as information texts. As a result, most pupils make good progress in their writing skills.
• Phonics is taught effectively, ensuring that pupils develop strong decoding skills. Pupils develop a love of reading across the school through exposure to high-quality texts such as ‘Beowulf’ in Year 6 and access to a range of engaging books in the library. Powerfully emotive texts, such as ‘The Other Side of Truth’ by Beverley Naidoo, underpin the development of pupils’ ability to understand the meaning conveyed by authors. For example, pupils developed a strong understanding of the plight of refugees through their study of ‘The Other Side of Truth’.
• Pupils’ reasoning skills in mathematics develop well through regular, well-structured practice. Teachers and staff have a clear understanding of the importance of strengthening pupils’ multiplication skills, and this is embedded throughout lessons. As a result, most pupils make good progress and are able to transfer their mathematical skills and understanding to less familiar problems.
• Staff who are new to teaching are well supported. They receive good-quality mentoring and guidance that enable them to improve quickly.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They receive tailored support, enabling them to successfully access the curriculum. As a result, these pupils enjoy school and make good progress.
• Pupils do not receive consistently effective guidance in every area of the curriculum to support them in making rapid progress. Consequently, pupils in some subjects do not understand how to make rapid improvements to their work.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Most parents who responded to the online questionnaire agreed that their child is happy at the school.
• Through the curriculum, pupils develop both an emotional and academic understanding of the experiences of more vulnerable members of society such as refugees fleeing persecution. For example, pupils study texts and listen to first-hand accounts and the narrative of professionals who work with refugees locally. As a consequence, pupils develop an understanding of the importance of caring for their fellow human beings.
• Pupils welcome the opportunities to hold positions of responsibility such as helping younger pupils with their milk, and friendship. Pupils engage in democracy and free speech through the election process for school council.
• Leaders promote pupils’ emotional well-being through providing key members of trained staff such as the family liaison officer. Pupils spoke appreciatively of the opportunities to discuss their concerns and to find resolution through talking to key members of staff.
• Pupils learn about how to keep safe when on the internet. As a result, pupils can clearly articulate strategies to keep safe and the reasons for doing so. Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well in class and around the school grounds during break and lunchtime.
• Pupils take pride in their work and themselves. They enjoy talking about their achievements and the careful presentation in their books.
• Pupils are kind and supportive of each other. They support each other with their learning.
• Pupils can accurately define bullying and say that staff deal with occurrences swiftly and effectively.
• Leaders and staff have worked hard to reduce the rate of absence at the school. A stringent focus on the links between achievement and attendance means that the rate of attendance is now above the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• From starting points which are often below those typical for their age, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They also make good progress in some other subjects, such as science.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard at key stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average in 2017. Additionally, the proportion of pupils who attained ‘greater depth’ was above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.
• In the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2017, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard was similar to the national average. Pupils develop effective decoding skills which enable them to access the world of books. Pupils spoke frequently to inspectors about their love of reading and this has supported accelerated progress in their ability to understand and articulate what they are reading.
• Attainment at the end of Year 6 has improved sharply. In 2016, the proportion of pupils who achieved the expected level in reading was well above the national average. Current school information about pupils, alongside work in their books, demonstrates that pupils make good progress in reading at both key stages. Pupils also make good progress in writing and mathematics at key stage 2. In 2017, pupils’ progress was in line with the national average.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress. Through carefully targeted support, they make progress in reading, writing and mathematics in line with other pupils nationally.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their different starting points. Accurate assessment information is used to identify where pupils require additional support. As a consequence, pupils receive tailored intervention support, enabling them to access the curriculum successfully.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Visionary, highly ambitious leadership has ensured that the early years setting both engages and inspires children to make accelerated progress. From starting points that are well below those typical for their age, children make swift progress, preparing them exceptionally well for study at key stage 1.
• The curriculum has been skilfully constructed to facilitate children’s intellectual curiosity and thirst for finding out about the world around them. In collaboration with teachers, staff and their peers, children determine what they are going to learn, how they are going to learn, the rationale for learning and how they will evidence their success in learning. Staff skilfully record learning conversations to ensure that they can successfully enrich children’s learning choices.
• Children’s language skills develop very quickly through skilfully structured activities that develop children’s subject-specific language skills. For example, inspectors observed children engaged in identifying the birds that visited the outdoor learning area. They spoke enthusiastically to inspectors about their bird hide and binoculars.
• Children develop highly effective mathematical skills through well-structured and supported activities. For example, inspectors observed children sequencing weights and recording numbers accurately alongside developing addition and subtraction skills.
• The indoor and outdoor areas immerse children in highly effective imaginary worlds so children engage in multi-layered storytelling. For example, children regularly tell each other stories using the resources provided.
• Training is highly effective. The early years leader ensures that all staff members receive high-quality training and ongoing support to ensure that children receive the best possible provision.
• The relationship with parents is very positive. Parents’ engagement with and response to the online learning journals have increased sharply. As a result, parents are more involved in their children’s learning.
• The newly structured Nursery provision is a successful addition. Children develop the learning behaviours and language skills to enable them to access Reception successfully.

School details

Unique reference number 142498 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10045140 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 291 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Emma Gunbie Headteacher Deborah Hannaford Telephone number 01353 861612 Website www.millfieldprimaryschool.co.uk/ Email address head@millfieldprimary.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected as an academy

Information about this school

• The school is slightly larger than an average-sized primary school.
• Millfield Primary School converted to become an academy on 1 December 2015. It is part of the Elliot Foundation multi-academy trust. When its predecessor school, of the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be overall ‘requires improvement’.
• The school operates a Nursery class for five full days per week.
• The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and supported by the pupil premium funding is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage with small numbers of pupils from a range of different ethnic backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils in receipt of education, health and care plans is above the national average.
• In 2017, the school met the government’s published floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of lessons, many jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also made short visits to lessons and looked at pupils’ books.
• Inspectors spoke with a range of pupils from various year groups. Discussions were held with school staff, including senior leaders, middle leaders and four governors.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of school documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, information on pupils’ outcomes and records relating to monitoring of teaching, learning and assessment, and behaviour and safeguarding of pupils.
• Inspectors took account of 85 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, alongside 62 text responses and 15 staff responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Susan Aykin, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Christina Kenna Ofsted Inspector Robert Greatrex Ofsted Inspector