Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School

Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School Willington Avenue, Eastham, Wirral, CH62 9EB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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This is a good school

 The headteacher and her team provide good leadership and management and a clear direction for the school.  Effective leadership of teaching and learning has resulted in improving standards in all areas and more rapid progress in pupils’ learning.  Leadership and management of the early years are good, enabling children to get off to a good start. This is then built on as they move up the school.  Pupils make good progress. Standards of attainment are improving at both key stages and writing is improving rapidly.  Pupils behave well. They support and look out for each other and are polite and considerate. Their good attitudes to learning contribute to the good progress they make during their time at school. Pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to school as reflected in the improved rates of attendance.  The governing body is well led by the Chair of Governors and provides good support and challenge to leaders and managers.

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This is a good school

 The curriculum is well planned and successfully promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It provides good opportunities for pupils to develop a secure understanding of British values and the benefits of living in a country which has many different cultures.  The school supports its disadvantaged pupils well; it ensures that they succeed as well as others in school and take part in all that the school has to offer.  The school provides a warm, welcoming and safe environment in which pupils can thrive.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some pupils have untidy handwriting and do not present their work to a good standard. Writing is not always promoted well enough in different subjects throughout the school.  Occasionally, work set for more able pupils is not sufficiently challenging and, as a consequence, does not enable these pupils to excel. Inspection report: Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 18–19 March 2015 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups and gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching over time. They listened to pupils read, analysed their work and checked the school's data about their attainment and progress.  Inspectors had two formal discussions with pupils and spoke to others informally during lessons, breaks and lunch time. Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders and a telephone discussion was held with the Chair of the Governing Body. A meeting was had with the local authority representative.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the end of the school day and took account of the 13 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also took account of the questionnaire returns from staff completed during the inspection.  A range of documentation was analysed, including the school's own evaluation of its work, safeguarding documents, records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance and information about teachers’ performance.

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Inspection team

Peter Cox, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Prydwen Elfed-Owens Additional Inspector Inspection report: Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 18–19 March 2015 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average primary school.  Children start school in the Nursery part time in the mornings. They attend the Reception class full time.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is above average (pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and who are in the care of the local authority).  The school meets the government floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase pupils’ rate of progress in writing by ensuring that:  pupils are given more opportunities to develop their writing skills in all subjects and are able to write at length  teachers promote high quality presentation more consistently in all that the pupils do.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to raise achievement for all pupils, including the more able by setting appropriately challenging work based on the needs of all pupils in all lessons. Inspection report: Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 18–19 March 2015 4 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is an inspirational leader. Ably supported by her deputy, she has successfully maintained a strong focus on improving the quality of teaching and raising pupils’ overall achievement. Consequently, standards are improving.  Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully. Leaders and managers use this information to intervene when pupils are at risk of falling behind. Pupil premium funding is used very well to provide additional teaching support in classrooms; this is proving to be effective because gaps between disadvantaged pupils in the school and others are closing.  Teachers and governors understand the need to further improve pupils’ achievement in writing. The school’s plans identify the correct priorities and give details of the actions needed to bring about these further improvements. Inspection evidence confirms that pupils' creative writing skills and literacy abilities are gaining ground rapidly but are still patchy across year groups.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders make good use of the primary school sport funding. Pupils talk excitedly about the increased opportunities for sport and the improved playground facilities. They were seen to be enjoying these immensely during break and lunchtimes where they queued up sensibly with others to access the apparatus.  The school’s ‘playground friends’ proudly wear their caps and high visibility jackets and take their duties seriously when providing, or brokering, involvement in play activities for those who might find it hard, for whatever reason, to integrate.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. Pupils gain a good understanding of different cultures and develop very positive attitudes towards others. These attitudes are strongly rooted in the Christian traditions of the school which help pupils develop a clear understanding of, for example, British values of tolerance and respect and the difference between right

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The leadership and management are good

and wrong. Discrimination is not tolerated by the pupils or the staff.  The school’s mascot, called MILLIE is well known to the pupils and she is used as an effective vehicle to help secure the vision and ethos of the school, namely Faith, Respect, Courtesy and Endeavour. MILLIE does this well, and pupils can confidently talk of how she achieves this through Motivation, Independence, Love of learning, Loyalty, Individuality and Empathy. These characteristics are seen in the staff and pupils. They help equip the pupils to become well grounded citizens for later life in modern Britain.  The local authority provides reduced support for the school because it is seen by them as being self- sufficient, although some consultancy support is planned to help secure further improvements in literacy.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good. Governors bring an appropriate range of expertise and use this well to evaluate

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The leadership and management are good

the schools effectiveness. They have a good understanding of pupils’ achievement data and evidence from minutes of meetings shows them asking searching questions of senior leaders. The Chair of the Governing Body has clear aims in mind and is determined, with other governors, to provide the highest quality education for the pupils.  The governing body oversees the school's finances well, including the pupil premium and primary school sports funding, to ensure that pupils benefit directly from the spending. They are familiar with the principles of the current pay policy; governors review recommendations carefully to reward successful teaching and challenge that which does not meet expectations.  Governors ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. All adults have high expectations and pupils rise to the challenge. Low- level disruption in classes is uncommon and pupils concentrate well on their learning because of the appropriate range of learning activities provided, although sometimes there is insufficient challenge provided for the more able pupils.  Pupils are polite and considerate towards each other; they respond well to the care that all adults show them. Pupils are proud of their school and play and work together well. They are rarely poorly behaved and incidence of exclusions has reduced considerably. Attendance is close to average.  Classrooms are calm, orderly and attractive. Good relationships are established in the early years where children share and work together well. Pupils’ attentiveness and good behaviour in lessons contributes well to the good progress they make.  Pupils behave well around the school and know how to behave in different situations, such as in the dining

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Behaviour

room and particularly when attending a recent church service for Mothering Sunday, for which they were praised in an assembly.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say they feel safe and those parents spoken to during the inspection agree. Pupils are punctual to school and are well prepared to learn. They understand the various ways that bullying can occur, including cyber bullying. They also understand how to keep safe outside school, including through the safe use of the internet.  Those who are new to the school are made welcome and friendship is promoted as an important quality. Several pupils spoken to said that in order to make friends you have to ‘be friendly’ yourself.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Consistently good quality teaching is helping pupils to learn and make good progress, particularly in reading and mathematics. Latterly progress has become more rapid in writing. The drive to ensure that all pupils make at least good progress is shared by teaching assistants who are a crucial part of the teaching team. They work very well alongside teachers, are skilled and knowledgeable about what they do and make a good contribution to the learning of individuals and groups of pupils.  Resources to help pupils learn are carefully prepared and pupils’ needs are generally met, although the school does recognise there is more to do to challenge further the more able pupils. Work is underway to secure this.  Strong relationships exist between adults and pupils who are all known as individuals. Pupils relate well to each other and are encouraged to develop the skills to become confident independent learners.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The enjoyment of reading is evident and pupils read widely and often. The school library is a well-stocked resource. Those pupils who read to the inspectors were confident readers who understood the benefits that reading brings later in life such as the possibility of attending university and better employment opportunities.  Teachers plan lessons well and get the best out of all their pupils. They take on board the feedback they receive from school leaders to improve their work and ensure they are doing their part in improving pupils’ learning.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and explain things clearly; they target questions well, ensuring pupils of all abilities can answer. They expect pupils to complete a good amount of work in lessons and to present their work to a high quality, although this is sometimes variable in a few classes.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are fully included in their lessons and receive

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The quality of teaching is good

good support from other adults and often from their peers too.  The teaching of mathematics is particularly strong with some high-quality teaching that moves learning on at a good rate as seen in the progress pupils make over the time they are at the school. Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to develop mathematical vocabulary and to use this effectively to solve mathematical word problems.  The teaching of writing is not up to the standard of that in mathematics and reading. Pupils have too few opportunities to write at length in other subjects.  Science was taught well during the inspection. Year groups came together successfully to work on the ‘Big Science Event’ where they designed experiments to test their predictions. A competitive spirit ensued because pupils had a chance of winning an amount of money for the school.  Computer technology is used regularly in classes and pupils consider themselves to be suitably skilled in

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The quality of teaching is good

new technologies that help them learn in the classroom and at home.  Older pupils understand their targets and what they must do to achieve them. Marking of their work and teachers’ comments, both in writing and verbally help them improve, builds their self esteem and their independence.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils now make good progress through the school. Teaching is now consistently good in Years 3 to 6 and builds well on the good learning secured in early years and throughout Key Stage 1. The rate of learning for all groups of pupils is gathering momentum. This is evident in the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress and pupils’ work overtime.  The results of National Curriculum tests for Year 6 in 2014 were overall broadly average across reading and mathematics. However, standards in writing were lower than those seen in mathematics and reading and this continues rightly to be a major focus for the school. The school has taken effective action to ensure that pupils now reach higher standards in all subjects and particularly writing. Inspection evidence demonstrates that a good proportion of the current Year 6 are working at or above average standards.  Attainment in Year 2 in 2014 was below average and particularly at the higher levels but reflected some

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The achievement of pupils is good

sustained good progress over time given the starting points of the pupils. The current Year 2 pupils are working at levels equivalent to or above those normally expected for their age in reading and mathematics. Writing is rapidly improving.  Inspection evidence and the school’s data show that pupils of all abilities are making good progress in all subjects throughout the school, including in the early years.  Pupils with special educational needs and those who are disabled are accurately identified and supported effectively by committed and skilled staff who know pupils’ individual needs. As a result good progress is secured by these pupils who are often from significantly below average start points.  The school’s most able pupils are making good progress although there is a need to provide more challenge and higher expectations for them in order that higher proportions exceed national expectations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Examples of quality written work were seen in most year groups and particularly Year 6 and in Year 3 where pupils write at length and demonstrate good standards of literacy including spelling, punctuation and grammar. However, this remains an area of focus for the school. Writing is not yet of a consistently high quality across all classes.  Disadvantaged pupils were ahead of others in the school in the national tests for 2014 by as much as one term for mathematics and writing and considerably ahead in reading by almost four terms. In relation to other pupils nationally they are behind by one term in mathematics, in line with reading and two terms behind in writing. They made similar progress to others.

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The early years provision is good

 Children's abilities on entry to Nursery vary from year to year but are generally below those typical for their age, especially in the important social skills of listening to others and making relationships.  By the end of Reception, children have made good progress. An above average proportion reached a good level of development in 2014 and a similar proportion is expected in the current year. Children are very well prepared for entry into Year 1.  As a result of good teaching, interesting and engaging indoor and outdoor activities and the support from committed and caring staff, the children quickly grow to love attending school. They gain confidence and learn how to share and consider the needs of others. Throughout each day, staff continually promote and extend children's use of vocabulary and understanding of English.  Good development and fun activities take place, as was seen when a young boy was interested in being a

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The early years provision is good

doctor and insisted on listening to the heartbeat of adults. Additionally he asked to look into the ear of the teacher who said that he would be lucky to find anything in there. ‘She was right!’ he exclaimed.  Children are safe and well cared for. Adults are very watchful over children's well-being without stifling their excitement and enthusiasm. Children with special educational needs are identified quickly and their individual needs are well met.  The early years curriculum meets children's needs well, it provides a range of interesting and exciting activities which are regularly adapted to respond to the interests of the children.  Leadership of the early years provision is good. A calm, well ordered environment exists in the Nursery and Reception classrooms. Currently, senior leaders are overseeing the leadership and management of this phase until the return of the substantive leader. Inspection report: Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 18–19 March 2015 7 of 9

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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. Inspection report: Millfields Church of England (Controlled) Primary School, 18–19 March 2015 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 136056 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 456187

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 157 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jackie Grannell Headteacher Michelle Holford Date of previous school inspection 25 January 2012 Telephone number 0151 327 1722 Fax number 0151 327 6547 Email address schooloffice@millfields.wirral.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 and 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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