Milton Park Primary School

Milton Park Primary School Milton Park Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS22 8DY

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher’s driving ambition and high expectations of staff have led to sustained improvement in pupils’ achievement across the school.  Governors hold leaders to account rigorously, ensuring that school improvement is tightly focused on improving pupils’ attainment and progress.  Leaders make effective use of the additional government funding to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve well.  A rich and varied curriculum provides pupils with an extensive range of opportunities to fully prepare them for life in modern Britain.  Children in the Reception classes immerse themselves fully in the learning opportunities on offer. Strong links between school and home are used well to support learning.  Teachers plan learning carefully to meet pupils’ needs. They check pupils’ understanding and adapt their teaching to ensure that pupils progress well.  Pupils behave exceptionally well in and out of lessons. They are polite and courteous,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

showing care, consideration and respect for one another.  Pupils make good progress in lessons because of their highly positive attitudes to learning.  Parental views of the school are overwhelmingly positive. Parents feel that their children are happy, safe and make good progress with their learning.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in their learning. However, leaders recognise that more still needs to be done to improve their attendance.  The most able pupils are challenged effectively in mathematics, enabling them to work at greater depth. However, this is not a consistent feature found in other subjects across the wider curriculum, including reading.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teachers provide the most able pupils with a suitable level of challenge in all subjects, by: – increasing the range of opportunities for more pupils to work at greater depth – providing opportunities for pupils to access more challenging texts in their reading.  Improve the attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They use this information effectively to bring about sustained improvement and ensure that pupils achieve well.  The headteacher is supported well by a strong leadership team. They are united by their high expectations of the quality of teaching and are unrelenting in their push to further raise pupils’ achievement.  Leaders have been successful in their work to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Central to this success is a robust focus on staff training that is tightly linked to the professional development needs of individual staff members. Leaders’ views on the quality of teaching across the school are accurate and well informed.  Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make strong progress from their individual starting points. This is because leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

make good use of additional government funding to ensure they get the help they need. Reviews of the impact of this funding are detailed and ensure that it is used wisely to meet the specific needs of individual pupils.  The sport premium is used effectively to promote pupils’ interest in and enjoyment of sporting activities. An emphasis has been placed on increasing the range of extra- curricular sports clubs as well as the use of specialist sports coaches to teach physical education. As a result, pupils’ participation in sporting activities has increased significantly and improved their skills.  The inspiring curriculum engages pupils’ interest and provides for effective learning. Leaders maintain a detailed overview of what pupils need to learn in each year group and ensure that activities are motivating and varied. Pupils take full advantage of the wide range of extra-curricular opportunities, which are often pupil led. For example,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

the Polish club is well attended and broadens pupils’ understanding of both language and culture.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Their excellent understanding of British values is developed well through assemblies, work in lessons and thought-provoking displays found throughout the school. Pupils consider the implications of national and world events regularly. For example, pupils have had the opportunity to discuss the outcome of the ‘Brexit’ vote and the recent American presidential election. These activities ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Leaders have responded well to the external support and guidance they have received from the local authority and other external agencies, swiftly following up on any recommendations. Leaders have also taken full advantage of the support provided by the local education trust that the school is a part of. For example, teaching staff have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

visited and worked alongside colleagues from a nearby primary school to develop effective strategies to improve the quality of teaching across the school. This partnership also provides valuable training for newly qualified and recently qualified teachers.  Parental feedback is overwhelmingly positive about the work of the school and the efforts made by staff to ensure that their children are happy and safe. Parents are extremely supportive of the school and most agree that the school is well led and that their children make good progress with their learning. They say that staff are considerate and understanding and really care about the pupils. For example, a comment written by one parent, typical of many, said, ‘The school is a happy, vibrant place and the perfect environment for its pupils to excel’.

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Governance of the school

 Governance at the school is effective. Governors have a clear and precise understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They support the headteacher well in using this information to drive sustainable improvements.  Governors are fully committed to their roles and responsibilities. They provide leaders with an appropriate balance of challenge and support to ensure that standards continue to improve.  Governors readily hold school leaders to account for pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. They regularly review the effectiveness of the leaders’ work to keep pupils safe.  Governors have developed a strong and accurate understanding of the quality of teaching and learning across the school. For example, governors talk with authority about the impact of the school’s work to improve pupils’ achievement in key stage 2 mathematics. They highlight strengths, including the increased focus on reasoning and

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Governance of the school

challenge and how this is improving attainment for the most able.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  All staff and volunteers are subject to rigorous checks before they can work with pupils.  Leaders ensure that keeping pupils safe is an integral part of the school’s culture. They meet regularly to review and discuss the needs of vulnerable pupils, liaising with outside agencies swiftly and effectively.  Staff have an excellent knowledge of pupils’ individual needs and any vulnerabilities they may demonstrate. They are vigilant in spotting any signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm, including risks associated with radicalisation and extremism. When concerns do arise, clear procedures are followed to ensure information is recorded and passed on appropriately. Record-keeping is precise and well maintained.  Leaders are well focused on the needs of vulnerable pupils when they transfer to other schools.  Thorough risk assessments are in place to ensure pupils’ safety when attending off-

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Safeguarding

site visits.  Robust practices are in place to follow up on concerns regarding pupils’ attendance. For example, if a pupil is absent the school will contact parents immediately to check the pupil is safe.  Safeguarding is embedded in the curriculum, ensuring that pupils learn the key skills needed to keep themselves safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Sustained improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment have resulted in improved progress for pupils.  Teachers plan learning that interests and engages pupils and builds effectively on what pupils already know, understand or can do. As a result, pupils are keen to contribute and apply themselves fully in lessons.  Teaching staff question pupils carefully to check their understanding and further challenge their thinking. When pupils are not secure in their understanding, staff are swift to intervene to get them back on track.  Teaching staff follow the school’s marking policy closely. This helps pupils understand how to improve their learning.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils when writing across the curriculum. Evidence in pupils’ work shows that they are applying their skills successfully across a wide range of subjects.  Teachers have an accurate view of the progress pupils who have special educational

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

needs and/or disabilities make. Careful planning ensures that these pupils receive the appropriate support to progress well with their learning.  Teachers meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils well. Support and extra resources are well targeted to enable these pupils to achieve well.  A wide range of teaching approaches enable pupils to quickly learn and embed new ideas. Pupils’ work shows they are confident in using the key writing skills expected for their age. For example, pupils in Year 4 use adjectives and similes to add further meaning to their writing. They confidently explain their word choices to add interest and variety for the reader.  Teachers provide pupils with precise explanations in mathematics, using appropriate apparatus and images, to enable them to quickly grasp new learning points. Pupils’ work, including that of the most able pupils, shows that they respond well to challenging tasks and as a result many are working at greater depth. This is having a

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

strong impact on developing pupils’ skills in reasoning and problem solving at a higher level.  Teachers have particularly high expectations of what pupils can achieve in mathematics in key stage 2. Learning activities are well planned, taking into account pupils’ abilities and prior knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils make good progress and can apply their mathematical skills well when attempting problem-solving tasks.  Reading skills are taught well throughout the school. Pupils use their phonic knowledge well to work out unfamiliar words. Pupils who read to inspectors demonstrated good levels of fluency and accuracy, using punctuation marks well to inform their use of expression. However, the most able pupils do not routinely read sufficiently challenging books.  Teaching assistants are skilled at providing pupils with an appropriate balance of support and challenge. They have a detailed knowledge and understanding of the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

pupils that they support and are highly committed to securing the best possible learning outcomes. For example, in key stage 2 mathematics, teaching assistants use a range of mathematical resources to fully engage and meet the needs of these pupils. Consequently, pupils quickly grasp the concepts they are working on.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning are evident throughout the school and have a strong impact on their progress. They immerse themselves fully in their learning tasks and are well focused on producing their very best work. Pupils take immense pride in their work and proudly share their achievements with visitors.  Pupils are enthusiastic and confident learners. They value their time spent at school and are resilient in their approaches to learning, readily having a go when faced with new encounters. A typical comment made by pupils was, ‘I enjoy school because the teachers challenge us.’  Responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire show that pupils feel extremely safe in school and have a trusted adult they can speak to if they have a worry or a concern.  Pupils have an excellent understanding about how to stay safe online. They told

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Personal development and welfare

inspectors about the ‘SMART’ rules that they follow and the important work of the Year 6 pupils who act as e-safety ambassadors. Pupils know that they should never share their personal information with others over the internet.  Pupils do not see bullying as being a problem at this school because, on the rare occasions it does happen, staff resolve their concerns quickly.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves healthy. They recognise the importance of healthy eating and participating in regular exercise. Many pupils attend the wide range of after-school sports clubs regularly.  Pupils show respect for each other’s ideas and points of view and are sensitive to the beliefs of other cultures. For example, Year 5 pupils showed a good level of respect when discussing Hinduism. They spoke maturely about their own beliefs and the religion they were learning about.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils are polite and courteous. They show good manners to each other and to visitors.  Pupils conduct themselves exceptionally well during all times of the school day. For example, they enter classrooms in a quiet and orderly manner and settle quickly to their learning, which enables lessons to begin promptly.  Pupils enjoy time spent during break and lunchtimes. These provide them with opportunities to socialise and participate in a good range of activities. Staff readily join in games and are vigilant to include any pupils who may be left out. Pupils are well supervised and comment that adults deal quickly with any incidents, although these are rare.  Pupils are fully aware of the school’s behaviour systems and rewards and engage completely in these approaches. They particularly like the house points system and the rewards they receive at the end of each term, especially time on a bouncy castle.

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Behaviour

 Leaders maintain detailed behaviour logs, ensuring that issues are followed up and dealt with effectively. A clear emphasis is placed on bespoke support that is designed to help improve the behavioural needs of individuals in areas such as anger management, bereavement and self-esteem.  Leaders have taken decisive action to address issues around historic poor attendance. Central to this is the clear and uncompromising message from leaders that it is not acceptable to keep pupils away from school unless they are ill. Subsequently, attendance has improved substantially in recent years and is now in line with the national average. However, leaders recognise that there is still more work to be done to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities attend school more regularly.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Most pupils currently at the school are making at least good or better progress from their individual starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ attainment in the 2016 key stage 1 tests for reading, writing and mathematics was in line with national figures.  The reading and writing key stage 2 tests in 2016 showed that pupils made good progress. However, not enough pupils made good progress in mathematics. Leaders have acted decisively and successfully addressed this by reviewing the school’s approaches to teaching mathematics and putting effective support, help and guidance in place for pupils.  The proportion of children achieving a good level of development in the early years has remained above the national average for the last three years. This positive start prepares them well to move into Year 1.  The school’s own assessment information shows that disadvantaged pupils and the

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Outcomes for pupils Good

most able are making strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics across all year groups. This is further substantiated by evidence in pupils’ books.  The most able disadvantaged pupils are working at a good level alongside their peers in mathematics. In Year 6, the most able disadvantaged pupils use higher-level problem-solving skills and resilience to achieve the highest scores.  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the national phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 was in line with the national figure in 2016. Pupils use this knowledge well to support their reading as they move into Year 2, making strong progress towards securing or exceeding age-related expectations.  Evidence in books from subjects across the curriculum shows that pupils are confidently acquiring and applying new knowledge, understanding and skills. For example, in Year 1, pupils’ science books show they can accurately identify and

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Outcomes for pupils Good

compare different parts of an animal. However, teachers do not provide the most able pupils with enough challenge in their lessons to deepen their learning further.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are benefiting from well- targeted support to meet their individual needs. This ensures that they make good progress from their individual starting points.  Pupils are developing their skills well in mathematics through a series of learning sequences. The most able mathematicians are being provided with good opportunities to work at greater depth. This ensures that they receive an appropriate level of challenge and are working at the levels they are capable of.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders and managers work closely with other schools within the local education trust to share good practice and ensure that assessment judgements are accurate. Leaders are currently focusing on providing further challenge for children of all abilities. The impact of these actions is particularly evident in the work of the most able children, who are exceeding the early learning goals.  The quality of teaching in the early years is good. Staff are well focused on the needs of individual children, including those who are entitled to free school meals. Consequently, children make good progress over time.  Indoor and outdoor learning opportunities are used well to stimulate children’s interests and broaden their learning experiences. For example, during the inspection, children were observed to be actively engaged in a range of role-play activities, including a doctor’s surgery. The children cooperated well with one another, ensuring

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Early years provision Good

that everyone had a part to play.  Children’s behaviour in the early years is good. When participating in shared activities they demonstrate the ability to take turns, showing some awareness of the feelings of others.  A wide range of activities across the provision enable children to further develop their skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Children write simple sentences and complete simple addition calculations confidently. Children show great pride in their achievements.  Staff are very vigilant in their supervision of children, ensuring that the schools’ high expectations for safeguarding are upheld. For example, the use of the outdoors apparatus and equipment is monitored carefully, while ensuring that children have opportunities to develop their own sense of keeping safe.  Teachers communicate effectively with parents through positive and productive relationships between home and school. Parents regularly visit the early years

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Early years provision Good

classrooms to share their child’s learning diaries and see how well they are progressing.  Effective transition procedures between the school and feeder nurseries ensure that the needs of individual children are well known and acted on by staff at an early stage.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address miltonpark.pri@n-somerset.gov.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28–29 January 2015

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school is a member of the Weston-super-Mare Education Trust, a partnership of five north Somerset primary schools.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.  The school is much larger than the average primary school.  The school met the floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress, in 2016.  The school manages a breakfast club and after-school care.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in lessons, sometimes jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, groups of pupils and representatives from the governing body.  Among the documents scrutinised were the school improvement plans and the school’s own analysis of its performance. The inspectors also looked at information regarding pupils’ progress as well as documentation showing how the school keeps pupils safe.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work and observed their conduct at break, lunchtimes and the start of the school day.  The views of parents were considered by analysing the 37 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also met informally with parents during the inspection. The views of staff were gathered by considering the 39 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Neil Swait, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Robert Lane Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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