Millfield Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • teachers provide sufficient challenge for the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, so that they extend their learning further
  • teachers use assessment information during lessons to identify when to support pupils with their learning or when to move them on at a faster pace
  • pupils apply their spelling knowledge in all areas of their written work
  • teachers have higher expectations of pupils’ handwriting.
• Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that subject leaders have a greater effect on raising standards, in their areas of responsibility, for the most able pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since his appointment, the headteacher has brought about rapid improvement and, as a result, Millfield Primary School is now a good school. Through his commitment and ambition for the school he has developed a highly committed and motivated leadership team where all leaders work well together and morale is high. Parents spoken to during the inspection, and those who completed Ofsted’s online Parent View, also felt strongly that the headteacher had made significant improvements in the school. One parent stated, ‘Millfield School is extremely well-led by a dedicated headteacher, governing body and staff who ensure that all children receive the very best educational opportunities.’
• Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and where further improvements need to be secured. School improvement plans are detailed and securely based on systematic self-evaluation.
• Leaders hold teachers to account through performance management objectives. They carry out regular checks on the quality of teaching and learning and provide helpful feedback to teachers. Where the quality of performance falls below expectations, support and guidance are put in place. As a result, the quality of teaching is good and is having a positive effect on pupils’ learning.
• Subject leaders have received good training and support since the previous inspection. Their leadership skills have been enhanced and they now play an active role in checking the quality of teaching, looking at pupils’ work in books and visiting classes to see for themselves the progress that pupils make. As a result, the quality of teaching in their subject areas has improved. However, subject leaders do not routinely identify the progress particular groups of pupils are making. This results in some teaching that does not challenge the most able pupils effectively.
• The school has developed a topic-led approach to the curriculum. At the end of each topic the pupils are given the opportunity to evaluate what they have learned and what they would like to know next. This information is used well by the teachers to review the curriculum and monitor the progress the children are making. This approach ensures that the curriculum is rich, engaging and enhances the pupils’ confidence.
• Art across the curriculum is a strength of the school. Displays of pupils’ artwork are of a high quality and demonstrate the good progress pupils make in this subject.
• The curriculum enables pupils to consolidate and extend their basic skills in reading and mathematics and in writing. For example, pupils in Year 5 wrote a biography about Sir Isaac Newton in a history lesson. This allowed them to use and apply research and note taking skills.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is developed well through a relevant and diverse curriculum. They are effectively promoted through assemblies and class worship. For example, during the inspection, pupils reflected upon the importance of taking care of the world around us. They showed a good understanding of the need to reduce, recycle and reuse the world’s waste products.
• The physical education and sport premium is used effectively to promote pupils’ engagement in a range of clubs and sporting activities throughout the school year. Pupils enjoy the wide range of opportunities available to them, such as the Tamworth Area District Sports cross-country event. During the inspection, many pupils talked confidently about how the school encouraged them to keep fit. They know that eating less sugar and keeping themselves active helps them to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively and pupils who are disadvantaged receive effective support, which is tailored well to meet their individual needs. This ensures that the vast majority of disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their individual starting points.
• The provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well-led. Leaders use additional funding effectively to carefully plan for the individual needs of these pupils. As a result, they are making good progress.
• British values are promoted well through the school’s behaviour policy and as a result pupils have a good understanding of values, such as tolerance and respect.

Governance of the school

• Governors show high levels of commitment and drive and have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This is because they have a high presence in the school. Governors hold discussions with subject leaders, visit classrooms and look at school assessment information with senior leaders. Governors use the information gathered to effectively support and challenge the school. This is particularly the case with improvements to the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes since the last inspection.
• Governors are knowledgeable about the performance of staff and ensure that the school’s performance management systems are robust and that pay awards are appropriately reviewed.
• The governing body knows its responsibilities in relation to safeguarding and effectively monitor how the pupil premium and the school sport premium funding are spent.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Procedures are clear and robust systems are in place to ensure that pupils are well cared for and safe.
• Relationships with outside agencies are very strong. Action is taken swiftly to address any concerns and seek help for vulnerable pupils and their families.
• Staff and governors receive relevant training and updates on all aspects of safeguarding including radicalisation and extremism. This training equips them with the knowledge they need to detect pupils who are potentially vulnerable, so that action to intervene can be taken. This is reflected in the caring and nurturing culture within the school.
• Parents who responded to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, agreed that their children were safe and well looked after by the school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have responded well to the good training and development opportunities provided by senior leaders. As a result, teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now good.
• Teaching assistants provide effective support, both academically and emotionally, for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They have a good understanding of these pupils’ needs and this helps build their confidence and self-esteem, enabling them to participate fully in their lessons and make good progress.
• The teaching of mathematics is effective. This is because teachers have received effective training from the mathematics subject leaders. This has given them secure subject knowledge in areas such as reasoning and problem solving. This was seen during the inspection, when inspectors visited many lessons where pupils were provided with opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to help them solve a problem. In a Year 4 lesson, pupils were encouraged to think about the many different ways they could spend a given amount of money. In solving the problem pupils also had to use rounding, multiplication and addition skills.
• Reading is taught effectively and has a high profile across the school. Year 6 pupils heard read during the inspection were fluent and confident readers who talked with excitement about the books they were reading. The pupils enjoy the many reading challenges set by the school. The one example given to inspectors included the 10-day Easter challenge, where pupils were challenged to read for 10 days in a row. As a result of this, pupils are reading regularly in school and at home.
• Phonics is taught well and pupils apply the skills they are learning when reading new words and sentences.
• Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to assess their own learning in lessons. Pupils say that they like doing this and it helps them understand what they need to do next to improve their work. However, in some lessons, teachers do not routinely spot where pupils are being less successful or finding work too easy. This means, at times, pupils do not make the progress they are capable of.
• In lessons teachers provide most pupils with a range of differentiated tasks, which help them to practice, develop and deepen their learning. However, in lessons work is not consistently challenging enough for the most able, including the most able disadvantaged pupils. This is because the work given to these pupils does not routinely challenge them to do their best.
• The teaching of writing has improved. Pupils write at length and learn how to use the correct grammar and develop other skills through appropriate activities completed during English lessons. However, scrutiny of pupils’ work shows that not all pupils are applying their spelling skills consistently in their writing.
• Handwriting is not consistently as neat as it could be in all classes. This is because not all teachers have high enough expectations of how pupils present their writing. However, the leadership team is aware of the need to raise teachers’ expectations. Some books looked at during the inspection demonstrate that this is now starting to improve.
• Teachers set homework in line with the school’s policy to help pupils build on and prepare for future learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The majority of parents responding to Parent View agreed their children are happy and well cared for at school.
• Pupils’ welfare is at the heart of the school and the pastoral care given to the pupils is a strength of the school. Staff have an in-depth understanding of individual pupils’ needs. The support they provide ensures that these pupils are ready to learn and make good progress.
• Pupils are polite, friendly and enthusiastic learners. Their positive attitudes to learning make a strong contribution to the good progress they make.
• Pupils know about the different types of bullying and say that they know whom to talk to if they are concerned about bullying. Pupils feel safe and well cared for and have a good knowledge about how to stay safe on the internet.
• Pupils understand the importance of eating healthily and keeping active. Many participate in the school sports activities provided by school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Nearly all parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey agree that pupils are well behaved.
• The school is a calm and orderly environment. Pupils play happily together during break and lunchtimes. They form strong friendships and there is a high level of trust between adults and pupils.
• Pupils enjoy their learning, and most work conscientiously. However, on occasions, a few pupils lose concentration and do not ensure they are using their best handwriting.
• Pupils clearly enjoy school as shown by their regular attendance. Few pupils are persistently absent from school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The progress made by pupils has risen since the last inspection. This is because leaders have a clear focus on tracking the progress pupils are making.
• Attainment at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in 2016 was below that expected nationally. However, improved teaching and assessment have been effective in raising pupils’ attainment across the school. The school’s information about how well pupils are achieving, work in pupils’ books and visits to classes show that pupils make good progress in a range of subjects. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is improving at a fast rate.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are making steady progress overall. However, these pupils do not consistently make the strong progress they are capable of. As a result, not enough of these pupils are attaining greater depth in their learning by the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• As a result of the effective allocation of the pupil premium funding, the school’s information shows that the differences between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils are diminishing. As a result, most disadvantaged pupils are making good progress from their varying starting points. Such good practice demonstrates the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity.
• Current pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their individual starting points. This is because of well-focused support they receive by teachers and other adults, which promotes their academic and personal progress well.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was the same as the national average in 2016. Pupils are confident readers because of the promotion of reading throughout the school.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter Reception at levels that are typically below those expected for their age. They make good progress from their starting points, and a majority of the children reach a good level of development. This means that children are prepared well for Year 1.
• The early years are well-led. Staff form an effective team and know the children well as a result of careful and ongoing assessment. They use this knowledge to give extra support to pupils who need more practice with basic skills. For example, they are aware that some of the children need to be provided with more opportunities to practice and develop their letter formation and this is a key focus across the setting.
• The children experience all areas of learning in exciting indoor and outdoor environments. These are well resourced and inspire pupils to apply the skills they have been taught by the teachers.
• Phonics is taught effectively and children quickly develop a secure understanding of their sounds. Teachers provide opportunities for them to apply their understanding in a range of contexts. This helps them to learn to read quickly.
• Leaders make effective use of additional funding. This ensures that disadvantaged children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points.
• Children are enthusiastic, motivated and keen to learn. Staff foster positive relationships with children. They behave well when they play and learn together, children are able to listen to each other and take turns.
• Staff know and understand the systems and procedures they are to use for safeguarding and ensure that children are kept safe. Statutory welfare requirements for the early years are met.
• The relationship with parents is good and parents hold very positive views about the quality of care that their children receive. One parent who completed the Ofsted online survey, Parent View, stated, ‘The early years staff have provided a lovely family approach to my child starting school, which has helped her settle into school life positively and progress well.’

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 124081 Staffordshire 10032586 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 413 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Martin Hall Simon Kelly Telephone number 01827 475010 Website Email address www.millfield.staffs.sch.uk office@millfield.staffs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 7–8 May 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is much larger than an average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors visited all classrooms. Several of these observations were carried out with the headteacher or other members of the leadership team.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of work in pupils’ books.
• The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders, other staff and governors. Inspectors also spoke with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils informally, in class and around the school, at break and lunchtimes to seek their views about the school. Inspectors also met with groups of pupils more formally to discuss many aspects of school life.
• An inspector heard a range of pupils from Years 2 and 6 read.
• Inspectors scrutinised the school website and a range of school documents including assessment information, minutes from governors’ meetings, the school’s own evaluation and safeguarding records.
• Inspectors considered the 66 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire, including free-text comments. They also spoke to a range of parents before school at the beginning of the inspection.

Inspection team

Kerry Rochester, lead inspector Lindsay Nash Michael Onyon Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector