Millbrook Primary School

Millbrook Primary School Elmfield, Shevington, Wigan, Lancashire

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  This is a happy school and staff morale is very high. The pupils achieve consistently well and enjoy a calm and purposeful learning environment.  From their starting points pupils make good progress and some make outstanding progress during their time here.  Nearly all pupils make the progress expected of them by the end of Key Stage 2. The proportion of pupils making better progress than this is growing and compares favourably with other pupils across the country.  The pupils who have special educational needs make good progress as provision is very well matched to their requirements. This provision is a very strong characteristic of the school.  Music, sport, reading, drama and nurture provision are all huge strengths of the school, as is the before- and after-school provision.  Teaching is always good and some is outstanding. Teaching assistants are a great support and their training has made an

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

impact on pupils’ learning.  Behaviour is outstanding. The school cares very well for all its pupils and makes sure that every individual is fully included and has equality of opportunity regardless of background or ability.  Pupils feel very safe in school and they behave exceptionally well, as they are respectful to each other and to all the adults.  Leadership and management are outstanding. The executive headteacher and associate headteacher are the driving force behind the school improvement. They aim to include everybody across the partnership in their drive to raise standards even further.  The senior leaders and governors have stepped up the rigour with which they check on the quality of the teaching. They make good use of information about pupils’ progress to hold staff much more closely to account for pupils’ achievement.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of pupils’ learning are impressive in a fully

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

inclusive environment.  Attendance is well above the national average.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ progress in mathematics is not as rapid as that in reading and writing.  Some aspects of the way mathematics is taught are not as good as they could be.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 12 lessons. They carried out two joint observations with the executive headteacher and the associate headteacher. They observed the teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and listened to readers in Years 1, 2, 4 and 6. Inspectors also observed support provided for pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs. Inspectors looked carefully at the work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders, teaching and support staff, two groups of pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation including: the school’s self evaluation summary and development plan; policies and procedures for safeguarding; information about attendance and behaviour; records of monitoring teaching and learning; information about pupils’ achievement; minutes of meetings of the governing body; and the headteacher’s reports

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Information about this inspection

to the governing body.  Inspectors looked at summaries of school questionnaires sent out to parents. There were 51 responses on Parent View, the online site for parents, and this generated a summary of parents’ views. Inspectors also spoke to some parents at the end of the school day. Inspectors took account of nine questionnaires from school staff.

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Inspection team

Jean Tarry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Prydwen Elfed-Owens Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Millbrook Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well below average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is in line with the national average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards that set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is in a partnership with Shevington Vale Primary School. There is also a pre-school nursery on site. The governance is run as a hard federation across the partnership.  There is an executive headteacher who oversees the partnership. The associate headteacher

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Information about this school

leads and manages Millbrook Primary School on a day-to-day basis.  The school has nurture provision for pupils from across the school.  The school provides and manages a before- and after-school club for which there is a small charge.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and accelerate the rate of progress in mathematics by:  ensuring all tasks are specifically well matched to pupils’ needs  ensuring marking is consistent so that pupils know exactly how to improve their work, what the next steps are, and are given the time to do this  ensuring that middle leaders monitor pupils’ work more precisely.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most of the pupils, when they start school, have skills which are typically expected for their age, but some are below the expected level with literacy and number skills. They make good progress overall in Reception and achieve well.  By the end of Year 2 pupils continue to make good progress and their attainment is just above the national average. The school’s information about pupils’ progress, supported by inspection evidence, shows that the trend of good improvement is set to continue. The pupils progress equally well in Years 3 to 6, reaching above-average standards by the end of Year 6. Standards in English are stronger than the mathematics over time.  The proportion of pupils attaining the expected levels in English and mathematics in national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 is better than the national level. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels is growing and compares favourably with the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have a special educational need make good progress because of the highly effective support and good provision that they receive from teachers, teaching assistants and specialist support teachers. There are effective links between home and school and this is a very important factor in their success.  The achievement of pupils in receipt of the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, has improved because their progress is tracked rigorously and support is well matched to their specific needs. This group make good progress and there are no gaps between the level of their attainment and that of their peers in the school.  Pupils who access the nurture provision often make rapid progress. They achieve very well because teaching is sensitive to their needs and they receive well-targeted support.  The leaders have successfully focused on the basic skills for reading and writing. It is now in

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics that progress is not as strong due to the pupils’ relative lack of assuredness in their calculation skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching across the school is good and some is outstanding. Lessons are well planned and this motivates and engages pupils with relevant tasks that they find really enjoyable. In an outstanding lesson in Year 1 pupils were encouraged to develop their mathematical skills by halving numbers. They were supported and challenged with tasks that matched their specific needs very well indeed. This allowed them to make outstanding progress with their mathematical skills and language development.  In Year 6, in an outstanding lesson, pupils were encouraged to assess their own success criteria. The pupils were well challenged and made outstanding progress in real-life situations as they had to identify skills required to be successful in business. Detailed explanations were given by pupils and they were given time to explore any misconceptions, which supported all learners really well.  The marking is often positive and regular, especially in writing where pupils edit and draft their

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The quality of teaching is good

own work and then produce a top copy. However, marking in mathematics is not always consistent. Pupils are sometimes not sure how to improve their work or do not know what the next step is, and then are not given the time to do this.  Sometimes teachers do not accurately identify what individual pupils need to improve in mathematics. Consequently, the tasks pupils are given are not consistently well matched to the pupils’ needs in order to improve their mathematical skills further.  Teaching assistants are well deployed and support pupils very well, particularly those who have a special educational need. Misconceptions with spelling, punctuation and grammar are addressed by staff and this supports progress in writing and reading.  In lessons, and around school, excellent relationships exist between pupils and teachers which contribute to pupils’ enjoyment and achievement.  The quality of teaching has been raised since the last inspection, especially in reading and

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The quality of teaching is good

writing, because leaders and managers check its quality regularly and use outcomes to tailor any staff training, with a focus on tackling weaker areas. The quality of monitoring by middle leaders is in the early stages of being directed with a similar robustness and impact to provision in mathematics.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The pupils behave exceptionally well both inside and outside the classrooms. All classes draw up their own classroom rules and this proves to be very effective. Pupils are extremely proud of their school and really enjoy all it has to offer. There are warm and trusting relationships that create a highly positive atmosphere within the school.  Pupils have exemplary attitudes to their learning. Many are very able and can accurately assess their own efforts. They are regularly involved in planning their own curriculum. In a Year 5 lesson pupils accurately identified the features needed to organise the content of a radio advertisement. Their behaviour was outstanding, as they successfully organised themselves into a human advertisement to demonstrate how to make the advertisement more effective.  The inclusion manager provides extremely effective support for all pupils. The systems and work with outside agencies provide outstanding support for some pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The views of parents, staff and pupils are extremely positive. Parents have great confidence in the care that the school provides and pupils agree that they feel very happy and content in school.  Pupils say that bullying of any kind is rare and when it does happen it is dealt with very quickly by adults in the school. Pupils believe lunchtime is a very positive experience as they have so much to do. One boy said, ’We have to sort out any problems by talking to each other.’  Pupils know what situations might cause them harm and know how to handle or avoid them. They are very aware of potential dangers when using the internet.  Pupils’ excellent behaviour, their respect for other cultures and religions, and their equal care for those who may be different clearly show how well the school caters for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. One pupil said, ‘We learn and try to understand that different

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

religions and cultures have different ideas.’  The attendance is well above the national level and has been for a long time. The systems and procedures in place to sustain this level of attendance are very effective.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The leadership of the executive headteacher and the associate headteacher is a real strength of the school, as they continually encourage the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects of learning and include everyone. They have successfully maintained and accelerated pupils’ progress since the last inspection. The quality of teaching has been strengthened by a very able senior leadership team. The leadership of the teaching of reading has been very successful with highly focused guided reading and access to software that really motivates young readers. Pupils are proud of their reading skills. Achieving a similar impact of improvement in mathematics has been identified as the school’s focus.  The leaders and managers at all levels share a common vision for striving for the very best for all the pupils across the school. One member of staff said, ‘We are proud of the way we know our children in this school. They are driven to respect and develop their individuality.’ There is

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The leadership and management are outstanding

now a record of improvement, which is provided by the acceleration of pupils’ progress and the strengthening of the teaching. This clearly shows that the school has excellent capacity to improve even further.  Performance management systems are well established; targets are now very demanding and expectations have been raised. Links between the performance management and salary increases have been firmed up. The leaders and managers are very aware when teaching does require improvement and they are quick at identifying ways to make improvements. The staff are aware of the link between improving outcomes for pupils and the progression of salary increase.  The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and the correct priorities for further improvement are identified, such as in mathematics. English is well led and managed. There has been a real focus on reading and writing. The impact is evident in lessons and in the increased rate of progress

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The leadership and management are outstanding

across the school.  The curriculum enables pupils to progress well with their basic skills and provides creative and stimulating activities. This enables pupils to enjoy their time at the school and to achieve well. There is a range of after-school activities that are very popular. The school strives to work very closely with parents, who are very pleased with the education it provides for their children.  Leaders and managers provide equality of opportunity and tackle discrimination of any kind. The school community works hard to ensure it is harmonious and that the good achievement of the pupils is proof of its continued success.  The policies and procedures for safeguarding are all in place; all the staff understand what they entail and carry them out fully.  The local authority has provided light-touch support for the school. It holds the school in very high regard and often uses it as a model to share good practice with others.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has provided support and challenge in the quest for improvement since the last inspection. Governors use information to compare the school’s effectiveness with that of other similar schools locally and nationally.  Governors know how good the teaching is and what needs to be done to improve further, including the importance of the performance management. The governors regularly take part in training to keep their skills up to date. They have an understanding of the school’s finances and not only ensure pupil premium funding is used appropriately but also check on its impact on the achievement of those for whom it is intended.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 106436 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 408933

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 204 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gerard Hurst Headteacher Gabrielle Gray Date of previous school inspection 10 February 2009 Telephone number 01257 404552 Fax number 01257 404698 Email address enquiries@admin.millbrook.wigan.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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